The living room is the heart of the home. This is where you gather with your friends, family or housemates to relax after a long day of work, or enjoy your first cup of tea in the morning. It should be a beautiful yet comfortable space where you can unwind, whether it’s watching a film with your loved ones or reading a book on the sofa. For this reason, living room design is extremely important.
Without a well-designed living room, it can feel like there’s nowhere to truly relax or entertain guests, which can become frustrating over time. With this in mind, it’s important to make sure that your living room serves you and your lifestyle. Below, we’ve listed some of our top living room design ideas and tips for creating an inviting atmosphere; read on for all the inspiration you need!
Take inspiration from popular living room design trends – Just a quick search online will pull up thousands of living room design ideas and popular themes. Some homeowners like to create a living room based around a theme or style, such as Scandinavian, bohemian or monochrome, whereas others prefer to create their own look. How closely you stick to a particular design style or theme is up to you, but taking inspiration from other living rooms can certainly help you create the interior design of your dreams!
When browsing through living room design styles, remember that trends and fashions pass. It is always better to choose colour schemes, fabrics and styles that you like, rather than trying to keep up with trends.
Create a modern look with beautiful hardwood floors – Hardwood flooring can make a tired or old-fashioned living room look brand new, especially when paired with a selection of beautiful rugs. Wooden flooring looks particularly stylish in modern or contemporary living rooms, but can be used to bring life to any room, no matter what your preferred style or theme.
There are many benefits to opting for hardwood flooring, but one of the most appealing properties for homeowners is the fact that wooden floorboards are very durable. Additionally, they can improve the air quality in your living room as they don’t trap dust particles, which also means they’re easy to clean – perfect for the busy homeowner!
Add warmth to your living room with a stylish carpetIf you would prefer to maximise the comfort of your living room, you may prefer to opt for carpet instead of wooden or vinyl flooring. Carpets can inject a sense of warmth into a room and help to amp up the cosy factor, especially when complemented with dimmed lighting and soft furnishings, such as thick curtains. There are also lots of different carpet styles to choose from, so no matter what theme or design you’re inspired by, you’re bound to find a carpet you love.
In addition to making a room feel warmer, carpets can also make a living room look more luxurious. A thick, fluffy carpet exudes sophistication and can make your living room feel like a hotel, which is something everyone wants after a long day at the office!
Experiment with seating styles – Another great way to show off your design flair while creating a comfortable living room is to experiment with seating styles. The type of seating you opt for will depend on your lifestyle (for instance, if you have a large family, you may prefer a big sofa to a selection of reclining armchairs) but pairing a few different options can create a unique look.
For instance, you may want to complement a large sofa with a selection of patterned floor cushions. Or, you could create a traditional look with a selection of cushioned rocking chairs. The choice is yours!
Adorn your furniture with decorative furnishings – No matter what seating arrangements you opt for, it can be fun to decorate with furnishings such as cushions, throws and blankets. This can help to add depth to your living room and draw attention to your seats – these are, after all, where you and your guests will spend the most time!
Create a colour contrast with bright cushions, liven up a plain sofa with a patterned throw, or decorate the floor underneath with a fluffy rug – the options are endless!
Create a personalised feature wall – Creating a feature wall is a great way to inject charm and personality into your living room design without overcrowding the space. There are many great ways to get creative with your feature wall, such as by painting it a bold colour or decorating with patterned wallpaper. Alternatively, you could use this space to display your favourite framed prints, maps of places you’ve visited in the past, or framed mirrors.
Inject warmth into the room with beautiful curtains – Choosing the perfect soft furnishings is crucial for creating a stunning living room, especially when it comes to curtains. Curtains can be used in myriad ways, from drawing attention to a gorgeous set of windows to complementing your sofa cushions, and the colour, fabric and style you choose will greatly affect this. The curtains you choose will depend on your design preferences, but you should also think carefully about the atmosphere or style you’re trying to create.
For instance, if you want to design a truly cosy living room, consider thick curtains in a warm colour, such as deep brown or pale yellow. Alternatively, if you’re searching for design elements that make your living room feel cooler, you may prefer thin cotton curtains in pale blue or white.
Create the illusion of extra space with mirrors – If you have a modestly sized living room, you may be looking for ways to create the illusion of extra space. One simple yet effective way to achieve this is to include mirrors in your living room design. For example, you might frame a selection of small mirrors or you could hang a large mirror above the fireplace or a coffee table.
Introduce potted plants into the space – A living room design trend that we predict will stay for a long time is decorating with potted plants. Leafy green plants can be used to draw attention to your favourite parts of the living room, such as a gorgeous windowsill or a coffee table, and can make a room look full of life. They can also purify the air in a room and make you feel more relaxed, making them the ideal accessory for all living areas.
Play around with different lighting styles – Great lighting is key to creating a stylish yet comfortable living room. We spend lots of time in our living rooms so the lighting needs to work for us! For this reason, many people choose to install a dimmer switch. This allows you to dim the lights when it’s time to curl up and watch a film or increase their brightness when you’re catching up with a friend over coffee.
Your living room’s lighting also gives you plenty of opportunity to experiment with different styles and designs. Perhaps you’d like to invest in a luxurious chandelier or you’d prefer to decorate with a selection of quirky floor lamps – there are lots of ways to get creative!
Enhance your living room design with beautiful curtains and carpets from Lewis Interiors
Whether you’re revamping your living room completely or you just want to make a few subtle changes, look no further than Lewis Interiors for bespoke soft furnishings that make a statement. Based in Spondon, we’re proud to supply the home and business owners of Matlock, Ashbourne, Burton upon Trent and beyond with gorgeous curtains, blinds, carpets and a range of other flooring styles.
For more information about our range of products and services, or to discuss the fitting of new flooring or soft furnishings in your home, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Lewis Interiors today. We’re always happy to help!