Decorating a living room can save you money and you can also learn something about interior design in the process. Whether you take it as a hobby or a serious project, without a clear idea of what you want to do, things can go wrong. Here are a few decorating essentials to help you get started.
Do your homework
Make sure you do a lot of research before deciding on your living room’s future look. Browse through available magazines and catalogues, check out the Freshhome and Pinterest boards for designs, styles, and colours you think can pull your space together. Whenever you stumble upon something you like, save it for future reference. Once you’re stocked with a collection of different designs, try to narrow down the choice and keep those which are the most interesting. This process might seem confusing, but it’s better to be confused now when there’s still time to sort things out, than when you set everything in place.
Choose the colour scheme
Whether you prefer monochromatic styles or you need to weave through a few complementary colours. The colour scheme of your living room is an essential feature for creating a seamless space integration. For example, you can achieve an eye-catching effect by keeping the base black and white, adding patches of mustard and neutral birch to keep the look three-dimensional. If you have a colour palette in mind whenever adding a piece of the room, there’s no doubt that then the final look will be clean and amiable.
Provide adequate lighting
Getting the lighting in your living room just on spot can be a challenge, but has a huge impact on other décor features. If you don’t have a lot of experience in this area, the safest course would be to combine various layers of lighting, such as shelf-mounted accent lights, table, and floor lamps. Don’t forget the natural light, either. As an interesting alternative to drapes, you should consider uPVC or timber plantation shutters, which got their name from southern plantation style shutters. Thanks to a wide choice of colour and framing options these shutters can fit any interior style, allowing you to control the amount of sunlight in your living room.
Make a focal point
A room’s focal point is where visitors’ eyes fall when they first walk into the room. If there’s no natural focal point such as a large fireplace or window with a beautiful view, use an oversized mirror, a vanity, or a large piece of wall art. Once your focal point is in place, decorate the room around it for a pulled-together feel. You should never drop the vibe your focal point is giving off. If you have a beautiful fireplace, you can change the entire feel of the entire place by uplifting that single, but a potent piece.
Avoid ‘ready-made’ look
It’s easy to storm a big box store and decorate your living room like one of the living room setups on display. However, if you buy every piece from the same store, you risk a showroom look, which although may seem well-fitted and functional, often lacks character. While it may take a bit longer to fit in each piece from different sources, the result will be much more unique and personal. Many accessories can add extra interest points to your room. You can pick some of them in craft shows and flea markets, while others can be heirloom artefacts that you treasure.
Whether you call it a living room, sitting room, or even a salon it’s the room that is going to see the most visitors in your home. Whatever style you go with these fie decorating tips are always standing. Use them to achieve a pulled-together and comfortable space that will impress your guests and be enjoyed by your loved ones.