We don’t think we’re going out on a limb here when we say that the hallmark of a comfortable home is the living room. It’s the place where people congregate, kick back, recharge and maybe even watch it coming home.
Creating a comfortable living room feels easy, sure; just add cushions and all that. But to design one that’s comfy and stylish…well, that’s another matter.
To do so, you have to rethink the whole purpose of the space, and this is not easy when the living room is the most occupied room in the house. But rethink we will; from couch and carpet to cosy, here are some tips on upgrading your living room mainstays.
RAMP UP THE COSY FACTOR
Your sofa should be warm, alluring, and inviting. If you are sitting on a lifeless, impotent thing that has lost its spring, you should think about either replacing or reinvigorating it.
The latter is the more affordable option, obviously. If you’re doing the reinvigorating yourself, it’s a wise move to have foam cut to size first, and only then stuff your seat pads with new material so that it feels different – brand new, even – when you park your bottom down on it.
You can also get new sofa cushions to ensure the focal point of the relaxation retains that plumpness for longer. Yes, there’s a lot to be said for a couch that envelops you, but if you really want to upgrade the living room, the couch has to feel different. You can also add more cosiness by adding rugs and cushions. This is one of the best places to begin if you’re working on a strict budget.
ADD GREENERY
Instead of that ubiquitous, British mainstay of a bowl of potpourri, why not upgrade the floral notes of your living by introducing some greenery?
Adding flowers and plants is a surefire way to add colour, life and even shape to an indoor space. Do remember that there’s nothing less uplifting than wilting, tired looking plants, so it’s essential that you prioritise sturdy, long life houseplants that don’t require much care. A Japanese peace lily is an excellent addition to any living room and doesn’t require heaps of attention. Alternatively, Flamingo flowers make a wonderful addition, with spider plants known for being particularly easy going plants.
While we’re on the subject, check out these tips on how to keep your houseplants alive for longer.
CONSIDER A CLASSY NEW COAT
Not the one you wear when it’s chilly, silly, but rather, a fresh, thought provoking coat of paint.
Bringing out your creative side and picking a colour scheme for your living room that matches your style and personality is key. When choosing a colour, bear in mind the psychology of colour when it comes to choosing your piece as different colours evoke certain feelings and elicit certain reactions. Yellow, for instance, is uplifting and associated with happiness and sunny dispositions while blue is known to soothe the mind because of its cool, calming and relaxing effect.
Some of the most classy colour tones to paint your living room currently on the market include teal, charcoal, peach, ecru and pistachio. Hmm, that sounds like a rather delicious meal, don’t you think?
SWITCH UP THE LIGHTING
You might think that upgrading the lighting options in your living room is an expensive endeavour, but it doesn’t actually have to cost a whole lot of money or entail a full revamp. You can, instead, simply introduce table lamps at different heights, creating layers.
This works well since full on, bright overhead lights will likely lead to a clinical, functional feel, which is the opposite of what you should be channelling. Instead, consider a mixture of task, mood and ambient lighting for best results:
- Mood lighting helps to set the mood in a room. This type of lighting tends to be low-light and warm, often creating shadows and pockets of intrigue.
- Task lighting helps you to perform a specific task, such as a desk lamp illuminating a surface from which you write/illustrate/compose your masterpieces. It gives light to your workspace and provides a very specific job. It isn’t meant to light a whole room and instead creates focal point in one specific, designated space.
- Ambient lighting is meant to be used throughout the home so that you can move from room to room without a transition too stark. It can replace sunlight during the evening hours, which means it should be bright enough to stand its ground in darker periods. Ambient lights tend to be wall or ceiling mounted.
LIGHTEN UP THE FLOOR
Though it’s underfoot and rarely examined in great detail, the floor is the part of the space that can alter your entire perception of your living room. Removing tired old carpet or that rug which now looks rather old fashioned rather than antique can lift the atmosphere of the room, and sanding down the floorboards and adding a lighter varnish can further brighten not just the floor, but the whole living room.
If this talk of flooring has piqued your excitement, firstly, you need to get out more. But more importantly, check out these 5 IDEAL flooring ideas for your living room.