Anyone that owns a big enough living space knows that the most important room to have put together when entertaining is the living room. The look of the living room can make or break any gathering of friends or coworkers.
Unless you’ve had the correct training, the thought of decorating can be overwhelming as there are multiple facets to consider. Thinking about each one independently can help you choose from all the ways there are to decorate your living room.
While the following list is one that takes apart the basics and provides ideas on how to decorate your living room, there is no set-in-stone way process to go through when decorating. This is just a good guideline for those who may not have experience in this area.
Furniture
Some may be surprised, but looking at the furniture you have or hope to have is a great place to start when thinking about how to decorate your living rom. The size of the furniture is the first key to allowing people to understand how you decorate. Are you a family person or wanting to be one? Or do you value being comfortable and casual? Both of these things can be demonstrated through a large couch with an added loveseat.
If you want to be seen as casual but more modern, low lying furniture gives your living room an inviting look, making it a good place for conversation. The placement is also important in displaying any style. No matter what the room will look like at the end, there needs to be a path for traffic from one end of the room to the other or at least in and out of the room.
The main access to the living room should be left open with no table or chairs blocking the path to the seating arrangement. Once you know the details of your furniture in your living room, the final design will already begin to start showing itself.
Lighting
Consider lighting to be commercial break of designing. It’s an easy step because you already have the furniture starting the initial design for you. After you’ve placed your furniture where you want it, you’ll want the lighting to emphasize where the action will take place or where people should look.
For example, if you use a large couch, you’ll want the lighting on both ends of it to draw the attention towards where people should sit and relax. With a more minimalistic approach, the lighting can be shone towards a table, reading chair, or accent piece. If your living room is in an apartment, however, be conscious of any emergency lighting.
Emergency lighting comes on when the power goes out and is typically already installed. The placement of this source of lighting will affect where you place things like floor lamps and how you direct your lighting. After the lighting is making the most used spots in the living room shine, it’s time to move on to the final steps to decide just which way you’re going to decorate.
Décor
The things you use to decorate your living room finalize which style fits your personality best. As a starting point, curtains and pillows should complement each other and the colors in your furniture. These colors will be what your décor centers around. Using a large painting as an accent piece that continues to complement the room can make your style quirky and fun.
It can also make the room a further place of conversation if the painting is serious or thought provoking. A wood coffee table can put a country or home-style twist to a room as well, especially if it slightly dated or looks used. The use of a large rug can draw attention to a coffee table accent piece or large piece of furniture.
Family oriented items always work as décor as well. Family photos, drawings from children, or a play area in the corner of the room all affect how the room will be styled. Whether you want your living room to look homey or modern, the décor is the most essential part of making the look complete.
Paint
It may surprise people, but what color paint to use is actually the last factor you should consider when decorating any room. Paint is supposed to be there to accent whatever you feel is the key part of your room. Do you want to draw out the design of the curtains or pillows? Do you want to emphasize a painting or set of pictures?
Whatever you based your design around the paint should be paired with it. Paint also sets the mood of your room. Pale colors are relaxing, inviting, and warm. For designs where you want people to feel relaxed or at home, the paint should make them feel at ease. Aim for neutrals or pale colors.
Brighter colors can also be done well, but if you choose paint that is too bright, they will make the walls the key part of your room and not the accent piece or furniture. It can also make guests’ eyes hurt or raise the anxiety of the individuals, making everyone want to leave rather than be in the room. Once the walls are painted, the room will be complete and ready to entertain.
Final Tips
No matter how you choose to decorate your living room, the final style is always able to be influenced by personal touch. Playing around with the textures of the furniture and the carpet can change the theme from casual to urban in just one carpet swatch. Switching up colors of the walls even when you think you’ve decided on the color can be good for playing around with the feel of your theme.
Even when it comes down to furniture, rearranging can change the entire look of the room or even how you use it. When designing your living room, you may think you have a box to work within when adhering to a style, but the most important tip about designing is that personal touch and the freedom to express oneself are what make a design a success.
