Simple steps to give your living room a fresh look

The living room is one of the hardest working spaces because it serves a variety of functions in a home. A successful living room design is one which is able to comfortably accommodate all activities.  However, many times these functions transform over time; what might have been sufficient last year might be inadequate today. If you feel your living room no longer serves its purpose then it is time to do some updates. Here are the basics things to consider as you update the living room.

Comfort over style

We spend a lot of time in our living rooms watching TV, reading, playing games or entertaining guests. Therefore, it is important that it is as comfortable as it possibly can be.  As you put the different items together, look at the space you have, think carefully about the existing architecture and work with it instead of trying to superimpose a style that will not sit well with the interior.

A comfortable living room should offer convenience, leisure, ease, pleasure, domesticity, intimacy and privacy. Unfortunately, some modern furniture and fittings are only designed to look good and are not designed with comfort and function in mind. Comfortable furniture must be both pleasing to the eye and a pleasure to use.

The sofa

Although sofas come in different shapes and sizes, they are often the largest piece of furniture in living room.  Therefore, any changes in the sofa will have a major impact on the living room. There are several options that can help you update your sofa.

The first option is replacing your old sofa with a new and more comfortable one, or you could have your old one refurbished. Alternatively, if you are comfortable with how your sofa feels, you can experiment with different layouts. Think outside the box.  If your sofa was symmetrically arranged before, a more casual look will make your space look and feel fresh.

Colours

Nothing gives a room an instant facelift as a fresh coat of paint. You can choose to freshen up the old paint or choose a new one that gives your living room a completely new aesthetic. For a casual aesthetic go for more neutral colours such as cream, taupe and beige.

For a cool ambiance consider bright hues that bring energy such as yellow, red, green and purple among others. Bright or formal hues are best used as accents alongside neutrals to keep the room from becoming overwhelming. It is possible to mix colours as long as the overall look is cohesive and that the tones and colours complement one another.

Lighting

There is no need a completely change your lighting in order to reinvent your space. However, if you have noticed that you and your family spend less time in your living room the source of the problem might be lighting. Lighting is a key element when transforming the atmosphere of the living room. 

Every living room can benefit from plenty of natural light, complemented by carefully chosen artificial lighting. To increase natural light, paint your living room walls white, increase the number of mirrors or expand the size of windows. For a small living room, a single light point may be sufficient, such as a suspension lamp or a large chandelier or even a ceiling mount decorative light.

The suspension becomes the central point of the environment, a light that is not only functional and able to provide the greatest contribution of light, but also an element with a strong aesthetic impact that connects to the style of the environment.

In a larger or open space, in addition to the use of pendant lamps and functional lights, it is important to correctly light the different areas, from the sofa to the dining table to the bookcase, choosing an effect lighting that integrates with the style and shades.

In this case it is possible to create good ambient lighting through the use of recessed spotlights arranged according to a regular ceiling pattern or use an adequate number of wall lamps to add a touch of style to your living room and create interesting lighting effects.

Accessories

Update your living room with a number of accessories including rugs, wall art or curtains. A bright patterned area rug can make tremendous difference. The right rug can help create dimension in size, colour, and texture, layer a smaller rug on an oversized area rug. Simply remove your living room’s photographs or paintings and replace them with contemporary art for a refreshing new look.

For a quick fix, keep the frames in your gallery wall arrangement and change out the images for new artwork in the same sizes. This is an easy way to get an updated look with little effort.

Buying new blinds to update your living room’s window treatments might be expensive. Instead, change the look of your existing curtains with a trim, a contemporary paint treatment or Roman shades. Even new tiebacks can renew the look of your curtains.

A well-placed mirror is an instant way to make any living room feel fresh.  A mirror helps create an illusion of more space and increase light in a room. The perfect place to put a mirror is adjacent to a window where it will reflect most light.

Add something luxurious such as a marble tray on your wooden coffee table or a few velvet cushions on a cotton or leather sofa to elevate your design without spending a fortune.