Do you need to reinvent the decoration of your living room to adapt it to your lifestyle? Take action with tips from professional interior designers.
In most houses, the living room is the largest room and the one where we spend most of our time. In it we carry out a large number of activities, it is used daily and becomes a visible room for all the guests. If you want to renew its image, we give you some tips to decorate the living room according to the professionals.
First question: renew the decoration of the living room. Where to start? In the Deleite Design interior design studio they have it clear: the keys to a well-decorated living room go through an optimal distribution. In turn, they add that “the differentiation of environments according to the use that is going to be given to them” and “playing with the furniture or decoration to delimit these areas, without forgetting that they have to create a global set and function aesthetically”. In this sense, it is important to have custom-designed furniture.
How to decorate the living room
When it comes to decorating the living room, Deleite Design points to the idea of creating sources of sophistication. For this, it is necessary “mix materials, the more the better, without losing balance, with dark tones, woods such as walnut, marble, mirrors, velvet, moldings on walls and ceilings…” and according to new trends, integrate “large works of art, such as a painting or a sculpture, as if it were a special piece in a museum”.
From the studio they add as an elegant and chic option “to make still lifes with decorative objects”, or even “to bring to light a collection and place it in such a way that it looks like an exhibition”. Also remember that for a change of look there are two valid options: “relocate the furniture, which always gives a different point to the living room, and try moving furniture or lamps that were in other areas of the house to see how it works”.
Know the deco trends for the living room
An important step would be to know the deco trends and to know what novelties arrive in the stores as well. From the decoration team of the firm with online store Lola Home, they point out three ideas: ” make color changes every season, in the main pieces, or in some accessories”, “give importance to fabrics, such as the trend-setting velvet this autumn-winter”, and also “add a unique piece, which is the protagonist of the room and provides exclusivity”.
Other deco changes that make the living room more welcoming for the Lola Home team: “create a green space that connects with nature, bring your living room to life with plants, and combine these with materials such as vegetable fibers and natural fabrics, to create a comfortable and calm environment. Instead, for Deleite Design, “a warm lighting for the living room, which helps to be more relaxed and comfortable, and the choice of rugs of the appropriate size, neither large nor small, that frame the area”.
The order and distribution in the living room
Finally, the order and distribution of the room well deserve their own chapter. They are a key issue in all types of living rooms, especially because with the decoration you want to create an environment that generates well-being, and having too many things is pointed out as the main cause of stress in the home, according to the latest Life at Home study, prepared by Ikea. In short, don’t wait any longer and get rid of the objects you have accumulated so that the true essence of your living room emerges.
1 UPHOLSTERY IN LIGHT TONES
Upholstery in light tones is easy to update with cushions and plaids, but… if you have fallen in love with a design in an intense color, go for it! Get inspired by this environment: the sofa becomes the king of the room with cushions that enhance it, the neutral armchair nuances its strength and the rug unifies tones.
2 ONE COLOR GUIDE
Simplify the color scheme with a soft range, like the one in this living room in gray, if you want a relaxed atmosphere. Rooms in neutral tones are easy to work with. You only need subtle contrasts to energize the deco.
Milan sofa, by Designers Guild, in Usera Usera. Armchair, by BoConcept (€1,059). Morganite Rug by Jennifer Manners. Peignoir painting, by Farrow & Ball.
3 FURNITURE LAYOUT
Always take into account the proportion of the windows and the location of these and radiators. Three successes in this case, the distribution of the seats in parallel makes circulation fluid, the coffee tables allow a flexible distribution with their easy transfer and arrangement, and the high sideboard, which fits like a glove to the free space between the windows. Charley sofa (€799), armchair (€559), pouf (€339), coffee tables (€159/2), sideboard (€859) and rug (€109), from La Redoute Interieurs.
4 TWO OR MORE
The circular coffee tables, also those with organic shapes, without edges, make circulation in the living area more fluid and, if two or more are combined, they can be arranged together or separately, in front of the sofa or to one side, to adapt the room to the number of people and activity that takes place. Pilea table set (€110), Glenn sofa (€399), Mauricette armchair (€130) and Greeny rug (€89.99). Everything from Maisons du Monde.
5 UPHOLSTERIES
If it’s time to reupholster the chair or sofa, take the opportunity to change its look with a different upholstery than the one they had and it will seem like you’re brand new living room. An expert resource, with an immediate renewing effect: combine two fabrics to make the design more attractive and unique. Sukhna and Pavia velvets, by Designers Guild, in Usera Usera (from €128/m).
6 BASE CABINET
This succession of maxi drawers provides greater storage capacity in the living room, if its interior is divided to organize it well. In addition, it is an alternative to the option of taking advantage of the full height of the wall ; it is up-to-date and does not clutter, because it leaves the front free to personalize it with paintings and photos. From Ikea: composition made up of three pieces of furniture, 1.20 x 0.40 x 0.38 m (€90 each), an armchair (€199) and a rug (€299).
7 CURTAINS
They are a key element in the decoration of the living room that raises many questions. What to do with them? A solution pointed out by the Deleite Design interior design studio: “adding some drops with a fabric with presence will make the room gain height and the windows will appear larger. It is advisable to install them covering about 10 cm of glass and extending along the adjoining wall about 50 cm”. From Jane Churchill, in Gastón y Daniela: Collette Japanese print (€156.45/m), Sassino silk on the sofa (€114.34/m) and Batali floral wallpaper (€139.03/roll).
8 FEW METERS
Eliminating the coffee table in mini living rooms is an option, although the diversity of designs and sizes allows you to find a solution for each space. Here we opted for the Rodan table, by Pinch. Emerson sofa, from Sofa.com. Norfolk striped blind, by Ian Mankin, in Gancedo. Rug, by Linie Design.
9 THE IDEAL PARTNER
The infallible formula to create a serene living area: sofa and armchair share a design and their upholstery is neutral. If you fear white or beige, gray may be your color. Choose cushions with subtle contrasts and renew the atmosphere with walls in a trendy tone. How long has it been since you looked at the color charts? They always bring news! The deco finishing touch here: the contemporary design floor lamps and the deep-pile rug. Landskrona sofa and armchair (€499 and €299), cushion covers (from €3), table (€69), floor lamp (€49.99) and rug (€119). Everything from Ikea.
10 MOST CHARMING
If you only consider the sideboard as a storage unit, you are limiting its deco possibilities. Create a still life on it that combines pieces of different height and volume, add plants and flowers in one or more vases, and you will see how it gives that touch of warmth and good taste to the room.
From La Redoute Interieurs: Wapong Sideboard, Beech; measures 1.50 x 0.50 x 0.80 m (€999), Alaria mirror (€79.99) and accessories (from €12.99).
11 SOLO
The rectilinear design of the table, with a top in ultra-gloss green marble, similar to the Lithos model by Maxalto, defines the contemporary style of this room. Tracing the base of your decoration with the choice of a table, a sofa and a lamp for the living room with much in common —they share clean lines and a black color— is revealed as a successful starting point.
The touch of sophistication: the originality of the stone effect wallpaper.
12 BASE CABINET
This succession of maxi drawers provides greater storage capacity in the living room, if its interior is divided to organize it well. In addition, it is an alternative to the option of taking advantage of the entire height of the wall; it is up-to-date and does not clutter, because it leaves the front free to personalize it with paintings and photos. From Ikea: composition made up of three pieces of furniture, 1.20 x 0.40 x 0.38 m (€90 each), an armchair (€199) and a rug (€299).
13 LIGHTING IS NOT ILLUMINATION
Designing a lighting project for the living room is essential to make it more welcoming and raise its decorative level; improvising can ruin the decoration of an environment. As a general rule, lighting should be versatile to suit the activity and time of day. Combining general, spot and ambient lighting allows you to increase, decrease or complement the light intensity if necessary. From Maisons du Monde: Caliente floor lamp (€129) and Douglas ceiling lamp (€120), Haubert sofa (€1,390) and tables (from €59.99).