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A living room is your home's showpiece. So why not engage in a bit of show-off? After all, it sets the tone for the rest of the house and reflects the personality of the people living in it. Whether you use it as a place for evening talk-fests with your family or for those "oh-so-juicy" conversations with friends or for socializing, your living room needs to exude warmth, comfort and a sense of chilled relaxation.
So, does your living room fit the bill? If not, here are 8 tips to help you transform your living room.
1. Color the mood
Although it might seem a no-brainer, colors can liven up any room and more so, a living room. Colors affect how a person feels and it can fill a space with serenity or energy. It is best to choose soft colors like blues and whites to create a relaxed ambience and let your guests feel at ease. Choosing a carpet with a slightly dark color (like a wood finish tan) will help balance the cool shades.
2. Find a focus
Our eyes are trained to anchor themselves to a focal point in a space. Similarly, a focal point works to anchor the room to a fixed object or structure, be it the wall cabinet, which is a natural focal point, or in modern homes, the television. It could also be an antique artifact skillfully placed. Try not to have contrasting focal points. If you have a wall cabinet and a television set to show off, combine them.
3. TV is secondary
Living rooms are for conversations, not for viewing TV. Do not place furniture to make TV viewing easy. Place it to enable conversations. Instead of arranging furniture against the wall, pull it together to form a group, somewhere in the centre.
4. Lights that invite
An eclectic amalgam of lighting in the living room does wonders to the mood of your room. It invites people to sit and relax. Table lamps on corner tables and low-hanging arcs of light all invite people to sit and chat. Do not focus lighting to illuminate upper walls and the ceiling. Nobody's interested in seeing your ceiling. Instead, a downward focus will invite people and help them relax.
5. Dress the windows
Unless you are trapped in the Victorian Age, do away with fancy dressings. Instead, choose lots of fabric with lots of folds. This gives a rich feeling to the windows without distracting attention. Use shades of preferably the same color for blinds and floor-to-ceiling curtains; blinds of a lighter shade and curtains of a darker shade.
6. Accessorize with art
If you are the artsy type, it would be great to accessorize your living room with carefully chosen pieces of art; be they paintings or sculptures. Always group the items for a better impact instead of uniformly distributing them throughout the room. Hang pictures low enough for people to appreciate them, instead of making them crane their necks, just because you wanted to utilize all the wall space.
7. Add life to the 'living'
A hanging plant takes up virtually no space and is a good addition to the living room. A flowering plant is even better and if placed tastefully, can infuse life into the room.
8. Choose what goes under
Choose flooring keeping in mind the comfort it provides underfoot. Carefully chosen flooring makes a statement as well. A plush wall-to-wall carpet will accentuate the room by giving it a soft tone and feel and makes the room inviting to the guest. Your living room is your style and design statement. Decorate it with a dash of panache and do something new. Go ahead. Don't be afraid to experiment!
