It has been said so many times, the living room is the place to unwind after a long day or to laze around on a Sunday afternoon. It exudes rest and relax at its best. You like the space because it is where you can enjoy some entertainment or just spend some time not doing anything but ultimately, it should be where you can be yourself and where you can let your guard down and just let loose. Here are some ideas that might just give you that.
Modern Lighting
Lighting in your living room is very important. You need ample illumination so that you can see what is going on and if you are going to read but you do not want too much light in case it becomes too glaring. Use in-cabinet lighting where you can as it is classy and very presentable. A table lamp is only necessary if you have a large space and it is nearer to you.
Go big with windows
If your living room has windows, then go and install large ones. Use clean lines and super-clear window panes while you are at it. This will make your room look bigger and a lot more appealing. On top of that, the classic look will never grow old as well.
Stylize the walls
Whatever they tell you, using a wallpaper might not be the best option but that does not mean you cannot use other types of media. Wall decals are very popular these days and you can stylize the walls with large flowers, some tribal art, quotes or even contemporary art. Use your creativity on this one and see where it brings you. In fact, you can have so much with wall decals as long as you are happy with it. Do not overkill the wall with too much elements though.
Go Orange
A challenging approach but will surely give you the desired outcome and effect for sure. Shades of orange would work wonders if you can maintain the subtlety and not create any overkills. Orange is a great color if you use it to align with tones that are more natural and neutral. Perfect for the minimalist (to create some drama) living rooms.
Line up the ground
This is one of the most popular trends in modern homes these days. The floors are lined up in stripes and they can be in any form of material. Whether it is ceramic tiles or hardwood flooring, the high quality timber floors surely take the cake with this. You will find it in landed properties as well as in condominiums too.
Refurbished furniture
Not everything that is old must be thrown away. In fact, some items or furniture can be refurbished or repurposed. These items can be quite useful especially when you put them at the right places. In fact, they create a new sense of character into your living room.
Darken the walls
This design idea might not be for everyone. If you can, add drama to your surroundings by using dark-colored walls. The shades of black or grey or charcoal might not work for everyone but if you want to create a sophisticated and more complex character to your living room, this color scheme should be excellent for you.
Ceilings with Character
Asian living rooms would be quite popular with this. When you dress up your ceiling with added features, they will surely be a lot more attractive. Think plaster ceiling with internal lighting or even additional decorative items that would bring out the character every time you look above.
Environmental Friendly
Think indoor garden and you will catch the drift on what this is all about. If you have a rather dull living room, something like green corner where you put potted plants would liven up the space. It works wonders as you can encourage more natural air within your living room as well. Take note that not all plants can be placed indoor though.
Go Rustic
The living room will always look really nice when you have a touch of country to it. Brownish and wooden motifs will be a good place to start. When you use such an ambient, the ensuing design will be the items you use for decorations which will then create a rustic and old-school outlook to it.
Use Relics
You should have a modern living room with this one. When your surroundings and furniture are all modern and contemporary, add some spice to it by putting up a relic or something historical. This adds a lot of weight to your personality for sure.
Abstract Art Pieces
Not every art piece or painting must be used as a conversation starter. In fact, some can be hung there just for viewing and that can be done in silence too. Abstract or simple art pieces can do wonders for your living room especially if you are those that like to sit around, staring into space and doing nothing. In fact, some come with the calming effect too.
Splash Some Passion
For the minimalist living room, you should splash some passion colors around. A bit of red or dark blue might do the space a lot of good. It is subtle and does not require a lot of thinking. If the overall outlook is greyish of blue, then a few red pillows would be just nice. Add in some throws or even a few red mugs if you must.
Go Heavy on Lighting
Using the right type of lighting for your room requires a lot of homework and research. It is not common that people use the wrong type of lights in the living room which then creates a counter effect. Spend some time on researching the type of lighting to use and it could well be industrial as long as it works.
High Shelves
If you have a small living space, then might want to double-up your wall with some high shelves. This is perfect as it can be used not only for storage but they look good along the process as well. Just keep the clutter out of the way and to ensure things are properly organized and you are good to go.
Emphasize on Horizontal Lines
This is something slightly more challenging where you want to create more emphasis on the horizontal lines in your living room. In doing so, it creates an outlook that the room is larger. The idea behind this is to have all the items moving across a similar direction.
No Need for Frames
Not every picture or painting you put up on your wall require a frame. It is an added headache whenever you decide to buy one of those. If you go without frames, the outcome result might be something new that everyone can appreciate.
Let the Light Shine In
If possible, create a living room with some natural light. This is good if you have a ceiling that stares over the skies. It would give your living room a much nicer ambiance during the day and surely a lot more cooler during the night.
Naked Walls will Do
If you can, try not to dress up the wall too much. Avoid hanging too many items on the walls or any paintings. A bare and naked wall gives the impression of a classy living room. In fact, it takes a lot of courage not to use the wall for anything.
Unconventional Prints
This can be used on your cushions, throws or pillows you use on your couch. It is not a rule to have prints that are matching or uniformed. In fact, you can use prints that are of totally different designs and the outcome can be quite exciting, especially for the visitors.
Yellow Works
Like the colors of red and orange, you can use yellow to counter the bland ambiance of your living room. The other color scheme can be kept as they are but throwing some yellow here and there would just push the character out a lot more.
Murals and Writings
You will see a lot of home décor shops selling wall stickers and writings (usually quotes). This will give your visitors something to think and talk about. Be careful not to overdo this though remembering that once you stick them onto the wall, it takes extra effort to take them out later (or to change them).
Don’t overdo the shelves
Storage space is important but that does not mean you need to have one at every empty space you have in your living room. In fact, you can go minimalist with your shelves and it could turn out better than you might imagine.
Be kind with curtains
In the modern living room outlooks, curtains need not be strong or loud anymore in fact, you could just use more solid colors and they will have the best effect and outcome. This should go well with your minimalist and simplistic design in your living room.
Bland and Dull
When you decide to give your living room a blander color scheme, chances are you will be using the likes of blue and grey colors. At times, they are known to be more muted than other ‘louder’ colors. This color scheme which might look boring to many might work for you if you are into a more minimalist outlook and to go for something less sophisticated.
Go Charcoal
Black does not go very well in living room but the same cannot be said about charcoal. In fact, charcoal has become quite a mainstay in modern home designs. They go well with grey (as standard colors) and works superbly with white too. Other colors that you can play around with is blue and even pastel green.
Focus on the Rugs
A lot of living rooms make the mistake of having a rug underneath the coffee table which has strong colors or even images. In the more modern living room designs, you should not spend so much time thinking what you should use. Just go with what the overall outlook is and a muted or neutral rug might just work extremely well for you.
Comfort is Imperative
Ultimately, your comfort should be your priority. When choosing your couch or sofa, look for those that exude comfort which means you would want to sit on them for long periods of time. Today, the modular sofas have taken the world by storm and they come in modernistic and neutral colors too.
Go White
One thing for sure, you will never go wrong with white. They make any space look bigger and more spacious. If given a chance to redesign or renovate your living room, going white will surely be the a good one because you will give the space a boost. Furthermore, it makes the space looks more luxurious and classier. Use white leather upholstery if you can on the couch. The downside to this however is in maintenance though where you have to be slightly more careful with stains and dirt.
Pay Attention to Chandeliers
A lot of people forget that the chandelier will be the first item to look at if they are captivating. Spend some time to assess which chandelier will work for you and then get that. You can go for the teardrop-styled and more classical type of chandeliers or those that are more modern. This is where you might find the simple and minimalist type of hangers from the ceiling.
