Every homeowner has an idea of what they would like their house to be like. However, finding a theme that fits with your home and brings out its best features can be difficult to achieve, particularly for the living room, which is often the heart of a house. Whether you’re struggling with creativity or just finding it difficult to settle on a specific design, here are a few ideas for your living room.
- Traditional
The idea of living in a space that displays all mod-cons in their finery is a design nightmare for some people, while the idea of having a traditional room to relax in after a long day is a dream come true. To achieve the traditional look, choose a colour palette that isn’t too garish and furniture that won’t date. Stay away from novelty pieces or old-fashioned accessories but make a traditional statement with larger pieces of furniture. A traditional Chesterfield is a great idea for larger living rooms, but there are plenty of other designs to help you create the traditional look, even in the smallest of spaces.
- Country
Whether you live in the countryside or not, the idea of country living appeals to many of us. Turning an inner city living room into a country retreat or bringing out the features of your country home is easy to do with an oversized, high backed sofa with plenty of cushions and blankets to snuggle under in front of a log burning stove (whether yours is real or not). Use fabrics that are hard wearing and add a few floral fabrics to get an authentic country feel.
- Sleek Modern
The sleek modern look is all about smooth lines and clutter tucked away in hidden storage. Glass coffee tables without any fussy designs are a must for a minimalist living room, while neutral colours that are easy on the eyes give a modern feel to a space. The sleek modern look can be achieved in any sized living room and for any budget. Modern sofas, without all of the padding of a country style sofa, can be space savers, without compromising on comfort.
- Vintage
With vintage shopping being all the rage for the past decade or more, the style shows no signs of going out of fashion. After choosing a few key pieces of furniture that have unique features – such as a coffee table or sofa with an ornate design or vintage looking fabric – the room can be finished with antiques and vintage lamps. It’s also a good idea to use textures wherever you can. Vintage wallpapers are easy to find and if you have the space, a chaise lounge is the perfect extra for that vintage look.
- Boutique
Creating a boutique look is simple once you have the basic principles. Firstly, you should make everything larger – don’t fill your living room with lots of small pieces of furniture (end tables, coffee tables, shelves, and chairs), rather choose furniture that is large. A giant sofa, a large foot stool look great in a boutique room, but make sure that you upsize everything to get the full look. Everything from curtain poles to cushions should be bigger than you would normally have them. To finish the look, make sure you use plenty of fabric, layer it and don’t be afraid to mix patterns together. However, make sure that your colour palette is simple and uses just two or three colours.
- Retro
Using a colour scheme that would have made a 60’s housewife proud, you can make your own living room into a retro retreat. Splashes of lime green and oranges can add a retro feel so go for a bold coloured sofa, team it with a clashing retro rug and add touches to lampshades velux blinds and picture frames as you find them in both second and first hand shops.