Let’s face it, we aren’t all made of money. Being able to have the home of our dreams at the drop of a hat is very unrealistic for most of us. Also not having the skills and knowledge to decorate in the style you love can also be limiting to the point of immobility. (Small plug: I do sell an ebook that can make this part super simple for you.)
With this article I hope to help you with some quick, down and dirty tips for decorating in your living room. You can use all of these tips in any room of your home too! It is by no means exhaustive of decorating the living room but offers you a little guidance to begin and kickstart your dreams.
The best thing you can do to prep for any redecoration project to to remove clutter. Removing clutter can be the basis for a clearer idea of what needs to be done in a room. Anything you may decide you can’t repurpose for other rooms in your home can become someone else’s treasure by either having a yard sale, donating to a charity, selling online through Craigslist or any online yard sale site.
If you have lots of things that really can’t be reused by someone else then by all means make the effort to take them to your local recycling center or your local dump. Trust me the feelings of shedding yourself of unused and unwanted items in your home can be more freeing than anything else you can imagine. Besides, by opening space in your home, you make room for new fun things! 🙂
Design Style
Begin all decorating projects knowing what design style you love. This makes all the little pieces fit into place with ease! It is fun to incorporate modern, trendy designs into your rooms. This will take a space that could have been dull and boring to you and make it fun, exciting and chic to all who enter! Having said that, you should only use trendy items as accents UNLESS your entire home is very contemporary and trendy. By using these pieces as accents you can change you design style quickly to update to newer styles when the old trends or your tastes have faded.
Furniture Arrangement
In the living room, all your furniture does not need to face the television. Bringing the furniture out from the walls and creating conversation area’s can energize your friends and family. Use a few chairs grouped together with a small side table to do just that, create conversational areas. It makes a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea with a friend of a glass of wine while debating the current political gossip.
If a fireplace is in a room that you plan to decorate, it is important to arrange that area correctly. Have nice chairs near this area to enjoy the warmth and imagery from the fire. Place accessories on the mantle so they tell a story
Try to create a collection. Collections are just items of three or more. If you are the owner of three of the same kind of vases, this is a collection. Three pictures is an example of a good collection. Group all of your art together to make a unique display that will be a conversation piece.
Wall Decor
Walls are so super important to your interior design projects. Empty walls look terrible! By hanging some artwork, whether it be paintings, photographs, a collection, street signs, or a rug on the walls will give the room a polished and finished look. It is very important to make your artwork and furniture match.
Tip: Get some cheap, but attractive frames to hang on the wall. You can create your own artwork to put inside of them. It doesn’t take much to create something unique without paying for professional artwork. You can then paint or decorate the frames to add some color and style to work with your design style.
