Some living rooms just have something about them – something that makes them stand out and look and feel like they were put together by an interior decorator. They have an ‘edge’, and you look at a space like that and think ‘how did they achieve that?!’
Well, here are some clever tricks to give your living room that edge – no interior decorator needed! – and turn it into a trend-forward space that has others wondering how YOU achieved that.
Choose appropriate furnishings for your space
This may sound like a no-brainer, but people don’t always remember that the living room is often used for more than just watching TV with the family.
‘The living room often doubles up as an office space, a place where the kids do homework or play video games, or may even act as a dining room. So you should choose furniture that is fit for purpose,’ suggests Jazeign Kesari, National Procurement Manager at Teljoy.
The furniture should also be the appropriate size for the space. ‘If you have big furnishings in a small space, it can look cluttered. Similarly, if you have smaller furnishings in a big space, the space will feel empty and out of proportion,’ says Kesari.
Use colours wisely
Colour can have a big impact on the look and feel of your space, from the walls to furnishings and decor. Dark colours on the walls tend to make a space feel smaller, so are good for big, spacious living rooms, while lighter colours give the perception of a bigger space.
‘Be careful when considering using all-dark colours for your walls,’ says Kesari. ‘A living room that is too dark can feel claustrophobic and make guests feel uncomfortable.’
A great idea is to use a lighter colour for the majority of your walls and a dark or bright, striking colour for an accent wall. Or if you really prefer darker colours, keep the walls light and use some darker-coloured furniture and decor accessories.
‘A living room is generally a space where people gather – be it family or when you’re hosting guests – so you want them to feel comfortable and at ease in this space. Colour can be a living room’s super-power, and can trigger different moods in people.’
Colour experts and psychologists suggest that soft blues bring about a sense of calm and peace, while green is a refreshing colour and helps with concentration and productivity (good if you use the living room for work or homework). ‘If you’re into feng shui, black is a great colour to harmonise the elements in your living room,’ suggests Kesari. ‘It’s also a colour that brings timeless elegance to your living, so a monochrome theme of black and white can up the sophistication levels of the space.’
And you can add personality to your living room by using pops of colour through scatter cushions, throws, or a brightly-coloured vase. ‘The beauty of having a more neutral colour as the base of your living room and livening it up with pops of colour through soft furnishings and accessories is that you can ‘change’ these smaller statement items whenever you like, or give your living room a ‘personality make-over’ to match the season you’re in,’ says Kesari, ‘and it won’t decimate your budget!’
Lighting
Like colour, lighting can have a big impact on the look and feel of your living room. It can affect the perception of the room’s size. If it reflects off a light-coloured wall, it can make the room look bigger, and lighting can also help to frame areas that are used for different purposes in the room.
‘A small coffee table with a reading lamp on it placed next to an armchair makes that particular space feel like a reading corner,’ suggests Kesari. ‘A floor lamp is also great to give purpose to unused ‘real estate’ in your living room, or light up a dark corner and ‘lift’ the light factor in the room. You actually don’t even need ceiling lights anymore – strategically placed lamps can give more than enough light while adding character to different spaces.’
Tips to give ‘social’ rooms an edge
Aside from the kitchen, the living room is probably the most social room in your home. It’s where you enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine with friends, relax with your favourite TV series at the end of a hard day’s work, or take some downtime building a puzzle or playing a TV game with the kids, so it should be kept neat and free of clutter.
Some of the worst culprits in creating clutter are things like remotes and cables. Storage ideas for these items aren’t top of the list when planning, setting up, or redecorating your living room. But they should be!
‘You can get cleverly-designed sofas with built-in storage space for things like remotes that you need to have handy,’ says Kesarz. ‘Or get a universal remote that controls all your tech, instead of having a remote for each device. Cables can be hidden away neatly with trunking or a cable management box.’
If you spend time in your living room without the TV turned on, you may have noticed that it creates a bit of a ‘black hole’ in the space. A smart TV often has a background slideshow when it’s on standby, or you can download images to play to add some background ambience.
And whoever said you had to have big tech to get big sound didn’t know about the soundbar. A thin and streamlined soundbar gets rid of the bulk of two speakers plus a subwoofer – and it looks super-slick too!
With a few smart and simple touches, you can turn your living room into an envy-worthy space that looks like it was designed by an interior decorator, without the price tag!
Also see: 10 tips to help spring clean your home
