The living room serves as the focal point of any home where you can get comfy on the sofa, switch on the TV and chill out after a long and tiring day. Your living space needs to promote peace, calm, and tranquillity, so if yours is doing anything but, read on.
Over the years, you may have neglected your living room and now find it’s a zone where you feel stressed, rather than relaxed. A big part of this comes down to its aesthetics. If you’re ready to give your living room some urgent TLC, here are our suggestions on how to freshen up and decorate the space to give it an edge.
Declutter
We cannot stress this enough. Without even realising, you may have accumulated all kinds of junk that have found its way into the living room. Rather than storing it all in your living space, now is the time to sift through the pile and get rid of anything that’s collecting dust.
Decluttering is a great way to create more space in your living room. As you say goodbye to unwanted junk, prepare for your stress levels to decrease. If there’s too much going on in your living room, you’re bound to feel on edge! Decluttering doesn’t cost a penny, so what are you waiting for?
Create Storage Space
Once you’ve tackled your clutter and freed up space, you may have some possessions that you want to house neatly in your living room. If this is the case, it’s time to look into adding storage space. There are lots of ways you can go about this. For example, you can go down the route of installing built-in living room cupboards or shelving. You can contact carpenters and joiners near you to assist you with this. MyBuilder has a range of expert carpenters and joiners near you. Simply post your job and you will receive quotes from professionals in your area.
Swap Curtains for Blinds
No one likes a dark and dingy living space. During the summer months in particular, you’ll want your zone to feel light and airy. A big part of achieving this falls down to what you have hung up at the window. While bulky curtains are great for the colder months and keeping the chill-out, they’re not very practical when it’s bright and sunny outdoors. If you like your living space to feel bright and lively, swapping your curtains for blinds is a no-brainer. Blinds are brilliant for regulating the amount of light that enters your living space. They also provide plenty of privacy.
Add Small Plants
One often overlooked way to add texture to your living space is with house plants. Homeowners who want to add a bit of greenery can’t go wrong by following this step. There is a magnitude of reasons to add small plants to your living space. For one, they can decrease stress levels. Secondly, house plants can elevate your mood. You may wonder how this works. As nature is known to help us alleviate stress and anxiety, being around indoor plants can trigger the same chemical response in your brain on a smaller scale.
Paint Your Fireplace
If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your living room, why not freshen it up and bring it to life? One way to do this is by painting it. As the fireplace tends to be the focal point, it can let the whole living space down if has an old-fashioned wooden surround. If you’re unable to remove the fire surround, giving it a lick of paint to match your wall colour may be the answer. To make your fireplace stand out on its own, updating it with a bold, on-trend colour is advised.
Use the Right Lighting
We know how good quality lighting can transform a room. In fact, lighting can completely change the atmosphere and mood too. There are several things you can do. These include adding a statement lamp to add light to dark corners. You can buy a tall lamp too that is sure to add a real impact, interest, and height to the space. Just make sure to opt for a warm white bulb. This will create a cosy ambience.
Lay Down a Rug
For homeowners who have exposed floorboards, you may notice a draught coming in, especially during the colder months. Understandably, this can bring a chill that no one wants to endure! Rather than putting the heating on, one way to add to the cosy factor is by laying down an area rug. This will not only fix the problem but be visually appealing too. Make sure to pick a rug that matches with your living room’s colour scheme. After all, you don’t want to choose a rug that’s too bold and striking, as this may quickly become an eyesore!
Change the Layout
If you want to liven up your living space but money is tight, why not look into rearranging your furniture? Changing how your living space looks can be a brilliant way to change the look and feel of the place. For instance, changing your sofa’s position or moving the TV can make all the difference. A bit of moving around can create additional space that will help your living room look more spacious and open.
Look Into New Flooring
Over time, your living room flooring will go through wear and tear. If you have carpet especially, we know how easy it can be to get stains that are near impossible to eradicate! To promote comfort and warmth, wood flooring may be the solution. For those who can’t bear to part with carpet, you can add a rug on the floor that will be kind to your feet. In general, wood and laminate flooring can last for decades, making it a good choice for homeowners who are looking to sell their property in the near future.
Get Painting
Paint is one of the more obvious methods for giving your living room a new look. The great news is it won’t cost you an arm and a leg! All you’ll need is a few pounds and some free time to make real changes. With paint, you have unlimited options. You may decide to paint your entire living space in one colour. Alternatively, why not paint a feature wall instead? While there are no limits to paint, make sure you pick a shade that flows with the rest of your room.
Hang Artwork
There is so much that can be done with artwork, from creating new pieces to rearranging existing ones, the choice is up to you. What wall art you house on your living room walls will have an enormous impact on the space and how you view the zone. Try not to fill your walls with too many artwork pieces as it can do the opposite effect and make your space look too cluttered.
Simple changes to your living room can update it significantly and create an entirely new look (for the greater good!). Whether you live alone, with loved ones, or enjoy having guests over to entertain, your living space needs to be the one zone of the home where you can truly kick back, put your feet up and have some much-needed ‘me’ time.
