Living room ideas are evolving at a rapid rate. In recent years, these rooms have had to work harder than ever before to accommodate our ever-changing lives. These spaces have become destinations for socializing, working, and lounging — our furniture choices, layouts, colors, choice of textures, and materials all reflect what we demand from these spaces.
What's more, our living rooms are becoming spaces designed to restore us. "A reconnection with the outside world is feeding through into the way we decorate our living rooms," says celebrated designer Kelly Wearstler. "Green and natural hues work very well in modern living room ideas as they offer serenity and calmness, and plant motifs in the living room are a way to instill fresh energy into and elevate a space."
Living room ideas are also so crucial because it's in this room where we establish and cement in place a style that other rooms follow. From Minimalist to Hollywood regency, Scandi-inspired to mid-century, or industrial to coastal glamor, there are so many looks out there, and there is no better room to establish this theme than in the space we live most.
To help inspire you, we've spoken to designers to find out their favorite ways to give this important space an interiors refresh. Here's what they shared.
1. Place Seating in a Semi-Circle
Face furniture towards other furniture, to inspire connection and conversation.
When it comes to living room ideas, angling furniture towards each other, instead of at the living room TV, creates a much more convivial space. You're encouraging people to look at each other and connect as they sit, instead of stare at a screen.
"As a studio that mixes hospitality design practices with the best of residential interiors, we are always thinking about how to make people feel comfortable and encourage good living," designer Christine Gachot says of the space she created above. "We embraced the non-rectilinear layout of the space and envisioned a semi-circular seating area in the living space to encourage conversation and fun."
2. Use colors that make you happy
The best living room ideas are ones that make you happy.
As a space you spend a lot of time living in, it's important to your living room ideas, such as your living room paint color ideas, are ones that make you feel good.
"I'm drawn to a lot of green, yellow, and orange," says interior and product designer Yinka Ilori. "I've got a corner in my own living room where I have used those colors to create a space where I can sit and read, surrounded by shades that remind me of nature and the sun. They relax me, and allow me to dream."
3. Go Big on the Sofa
When coming up with small living room ideas, don't feel restricted to small furniture.
This basement living room isn't as big as the size of the sofa suggests. In fact, designers TurnerPocock have squeezed as much sofa as they physically could into this living room idea. And instead of seeming cramped, it actually reads as luxe.
"Installing a wall to wall sofa gives the comfort and luxury of a home theater without having to include tiered seating and reclining chairs," says one of the studio's co-founders, Emma Pocock. "It fits lots of ‘bums on seats’ and often works well in small snugs giving the greatest distance between the sofa and the TV, allowing for the largest possible television for the space."
4. Focus on What Is On the Floor
Your living room rug ideas will provide the perfect canvas for the rest of your design.
Wondering where to start when it comes to living room ideas? It's best to go from the ground up.
"Sourcing the right size rug for a living room is a great way to zone a room. Here we used a very large and sumptuously soft rug to unite the seating area in our client’s living room," explains Katie Glaister and Henry Miller-Robinson, co-founders of K&H Design. "Aim to create seating in groups or have one central point where all the seating faces into. When positioning seating in a living room always remember no one wants to be isolated from the conversation. Create seating in groups or have one central point where all the seating faces in to."
5. Paint the Ceiling the Same Color as the Walls
What to create a cozy feel? Painting your ceiling the same color as your walls will help.
An easy trick for creating cozy living rooms? Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls, in a trend known as color drenching.
"Using darker hues in a room helps to make it cozy and intimate, especially when used on the ceiling," says Lucy Barlow, founder of Barlow & Barlow, who came up with the living room idea above. "A rich velvet always adds an extra element of warmth and softness to a room — particularly in a snug or tv room, the perfect place for cozying up to watch a film or relax with friends."
Lucy Barlow is the creative director of London-based studio Barlow and Barlow. She attended the Inchbald School of Design, before embarking on a successful career wherein she is celebrated for her rich interior style, flamboyant use of color, fun, and pattern. When it comes to living room ideas, Lucy prioritizes spaces that not only look good, but feel good to be in.
6. Don't Underestimate the Power of Texture
Don't forget that texture is just as important as color and pattern in your living room ideas.
"Consider texture to be as important as colour and pattern," says Camilla Clarke, creative director at Albion Nord and the designer behind the neutral living room idea above. "There is nothing worse than a flat design. Interior design is all about evoking the senses and therefore texture is a vital ingredient to every design to get our sight and touch senses going. Try mixing different textures such as natural linens with soft velvets or robust leathers with thick wools."
Add in extra dimension by incorporating a splash of color. In this tonal living room idea, the green sofa and yellow painting help bring the room to life, adding both character and warmth.
7. Invest in Furniture as a Focal Point
Not only is it a wise investment, but buying design classics is also a sure way to create a stylish focal point in any living room idea.
Investing in iconic furniture will add a focal point to your living room ideas, setting the tone of the space. "Design classics are design classics for a reason," says Livingetc's executive editor Pip Rich. "Perhaps it's the elegant shape that never goes out of style, or the fact that it's so comfortable it could never be improved upon. While they may be costly, they will last forever and be pieces you treasure no matter which other ways you update your decor."
Our personal recommendation would be pieces like the Eames lounge chair, the Togo sofa, Saarinen tulip table, Wishbone chair, Barcelona chair, or Chesterfield sofa. Design classics will lend a sophisticated, curated, and timeless look, whatever your decorating scheme.
8. Mix in Curated Vintage Pieces
Thrifted antique and vintage finds imbue an instant sense of character into a space.
But aside from the icons, simply mixing in vintage furniture and accessories as part of your living room ideas helps make the space feel warm, inviting, and lived-in.
"We love to incorporate different design styles into our spaces, including mixing new with antique pieces. It helps to make the space feel layered and like it has been around for a long time," says interior designer Heidi Caillier who created this space above. "We find that living rooms are more for conversation and relaxing with a book or glass of wine so we like to create different seating areas and tend to bring in a mix of sofas and varying sizes of chairs. It also helps to make the room feel more visually interesting."
Heidi Caillier is an award-winning and celebrated designer who aims to imbue spaces with a sense of nostalgia and intimacy. She celebrates antiques, heirlooms, and hand-crafted pieces, which is why it comes as no surprise that her go-to living room ideas involve incorporating these treasures into your space.
9. Inject Pattern and Personality with a Wall Mural
A stunning wall mural acts as a work of art in any living room.
Instead of hanging art — or perhaps as well as — why not consider wall mural ideas? "We are searching to surround ourselves with more spectacular things in our homes," says founder of Ophelia Blake Interior Design, Scarlett Blakey. "Murals allow us to showcase our individuality, as they stand as one-off pieces that are oozing with exclusivity — which is perfect if you want a space to have a high impact and feel entirely memorable."
10. Find Clever Ways to Conceal the TV
No matter your interior style when it comes to living room ideas, everyone can agree on the fact that making a focal point of your TV is a no-go these days. Instead, designers have come up with plenty of clever ways to hide your TV. Whether that's bespoke cabinetry, buying a TV that disguises itself as a work of art, or simply hiding it in the wall behind a work of art, there are plenty of ways around this eyesore.
FAQs
How can I make my living room more stylish?
Well, where to start. When it comes to improving the overall aesthetics of your living room ideas, you can, of course, start with any of the suggestions above. It's also worth considering living room design rules when it comes to layout, lighting, and color choices.
And then, there's the objects and furniture you style in your living room, which can have a strong impact on how it looks. Our editors have previously shared the things every living room should have to make it look expensive, so that's also a good place to start!
As with all things, when it comes to the best living room ideas, you're the one that's going to have to live with them, so it's important to prioritize the things you love.
But, yes, the options can be overwhelming, so before you start, it's worth scrubbing up on things that may age your aesthetic, such as dated living room layouts to avoid.
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