In any home, the living room wears many hats. It is the space where you relax after a hard day’s work, hold great conversations with family and friends and entertain loved ones.
With this in mind, its ambience has to carry with it an inspiring, calming atmosphere that makes everyone feel at home. As the new year ticks on, it is perhaps time to consider revamping this important space to give it a new ambience without breaking the bank.
This means that you don’t have to change your furniture, curtains and other expensive accessories such as beds and carpets. Here is how you can get creative with your layout, create a centre of attraction or put that leftover paint into good use, and by doing so, give your living room a fresh look fit for a new year.
Declutter
In most households, the living room is one of the hardest rooms to keep neat on a daily basis. That’s because it is used a lot, and generally, living rooms don’t usually offer a lot of storage features as bookcases and a TV console cannot fit loads of items.
Decluttering a living room calls for permanent storage spaces for commonly used items such as remote controls, magazines and books.
When decluttering, it is important to empty bookcases, consoles and side tables and then assess the items they store to see if still useful before you return them to their proper storage spaces.
Check on the electronics and remove everything that is not connected to your television or home theatre system, if it is still not being used or does not work.
Assess your children’s toys for wear and tear and whether they still function. All the non-useful items should find their way to the donate, recycle or throw-away bins.
In most households, the living room is one of the hardest rooms to keep neat on a daily basis. That’s because it is used a lot, and generally, living rooms don’t usually offer a lot of storage features as bookcases and a TV console cannot fit loads of items.
Style the coffee table
Styling forms the focal point of a living room and gives that finishing touch. Incorporate a seating plan that centres around a coffee table. You can create a centre of attraction with your coffee table by placing items you want to display on a tray and placing them at the centre of the coffee table. This is a great place to rotate seasonal decorative elements. For instance, nothing says spring like a vase of fresh flowers.
Change your layout
The living room is a backdrop for great conversations and gatherings, so it should be designed with community and connection in mind. With a little creativity, an assortment of chairs, sofas and stools can transform any room for the better.
The living room is a generous and flexible space to arrange and reorganise by switching your living room furniture arrangement to match the occasion. For instance, you can fill an empty corner with a lightweight chair that can be pulled easily into the sitting area if needed. You can also add pieces such as ottomans or stools that can function as side tables for drinks or serve as seating for guests.
If your living room is frequently used for chats with family and friends, choose a furniture layout that facilitates conversation. Pull the seating pieces close to the middle of the room and position them so that they face. Place a coffee table in the middle to keep drinks within easy reach for both sides.
Hang your curtains higher Ever heard that no living room is complete without window treatment? A living room may don the most beautiful set of curtains, but they have to be properly hung. Hanging your curtains several inches higher than your windows adds that extra height and visually stretches your windows, making the ceiling appear higher and the space look larger.
Make use of fresh flowers
Whatever the season, flowers can instantly enhance the ambience of a space. Using fresh flowers from your compound will be a budget-friendly consideration to create floral centrepieces in your living space.
Place plants in baskets
Plants have a big effect on the air quality inside our homes: producing oxygen, filtering the air and removing airborne toxins and chemicals, and adding to our physical health and well-being in numerous ways.
Houseplants are an easy, effective way to give your living room an instant update.
Adding plants to your living room is a great way to add greenery, life and good vibes to your home. Plants also have a very deep and lasting effect on our mental health, with new studies showing that simple gardening helps to reduce stress even more than reading!
Make use of leftover paint
A great way to make use of leftover paint is to display it on your ceiling. Go on, go bold with a colour that complements the style of your living room to highlight accent decorations. This will draw the eyes upward and make your living room feel larger. BY DAILY NATION