Make your living room look fresh again with just a bit of tidying! Clear away clutter that has accumulated over time, add some greenery for contrast, and refresh its color scheme with some new accessories.
Paint and furniture rearranging are two effective strategies for giving any room an instant makeover. Use these easy decorating tips to give your space the attention it deserves!
1. Paint the Walls
Painting is one of the easiest and least-expensive ways to transform a room, and in this living room using light shades makes this living area feel both polished and approachable.
Before its major makeover, this living room was dominated by a jungle green color scheme and disorganized furniture. Thanks to removing one wall, now this cozy space feels larger and more open with clean-lined pieces.
Dark paint colors can create an inviting atmosphere when combined with natural elements, such as light wood floors and cowhide rugs. Built-in shelves can help break up dark wall colors by featuring books or picture frames stacked neatly on shelves; while this eclectic living room takes inspiration from different parts of the world by including international fabric patterns, folk art furnishings, and handcrafted collectibles from around the world.
2. Rearrange the Furniture
Make a statement with your seating arrangement by positioning the largest seating piece (such as a sofa) toward a focal point and small seats such as armchairs at opposing ends or scattered around the room. Add accent pieces like coffee tables and occasional tables for additional visual interest.
Avoid jamming all your furniture against the walls as this can create rooms that feel like high school gymnasiums and block walkways, making conversation difficult.
Pull some chairs and sofas away from the wall for an interesting visual. This creates a sense of balance in your space and prevents you from constantly jumping over chairs or tripping on rug edges, creating an obstacle course effect in the room. Don’t allow rugs to hang into walkways that people use when moving through it!
3. Add a New Rug
A new rug can add color and texture to a room while also serving as an easy way to unify different pieces of furniture. Mix modern designs with antique pieces or pair rustic style rugs with modern pieces for an original look.
This living room was filled with toys, with mismatched chairs that didn’t mesh together. Designer Nicole Dohmen brought warmth into the space by applying an attractive Hungarian point hardwood flooring pattern and painting the fireplace a deep shade, as well as adding matching wooden slat accent wall trim. Finally, new furniture like an upholstered coffee table, rug and cleaner bay window sill were brought in to complete it all.
Measuring is key when planning for a redesign. Doing this will ensure you select furnishings and drapes of appropriate sizes, saving both money and time when shopping for new furnishings and drapes.
4. Add a Statement Piece
Add a statement piece to your space in order to grab people’s attention and create a vibrant focal point. A statement piece could include anything from an eye-catching rug, furniture item, lighting fixture or wall art.
Statement pieces often incorporate color palettes that can set the scene for the rest of a room, serving as inspiration. Select shades either echoing or contrasting those present in your statement piece to bring harmony to the rest of the space.
Use complementary colors throughout the room in accent pieces such as curtains, pillows, lamps or paint to bring those same hues in without having to completely remodel your living area. It will create a sense of cohesion without needing an overhaul.
5. Add Natural Light
Installing natural lighting into your living room is one of the best ways to add warmth and personality. Natural light brings out the true colors of furniture, decor and accents while saving energy by not necessitating artificial illumination.
Dark paint colors can add visual interest and dim natural light. To maintain optimal lighting levels in your living room, keep walls and ceiling bare; otherwise incorporate light-reflecting art such as wall hangings that represent nature or white or pastel hues into the design of wall art pieces.
Install a pair of canister-style uplights that focus on your ceiling to increase ambient lighting levels, then pair those lights with a torchiere floor lamp aimed upward that illuminates both your ceiling and an important piece of furniture or room feature.
