In many ways, the living room is a central place of one’s home. Apart from the fact that it is a central location in which to relax, entertain guests and spend quality family time together, it’s also often used to incorporate intentional interior design choices that reflect your style and personality.
You don’t need to be an expert in how to decorate the living room to get started though. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process–from deciding on what mood to create to adding those finishing touches that will make your lounge room feel like a little slice of heaven.
Consider Your Needs When Decorating a Living Room
The first step in the process of living room decoration is to consider what you’re going to be using the space for.
This might seem obvious but the living room is quite a versatile area of the home. You might intend on spending time in the room hosting friends, or you might primarily use the space for movie nights. You might want to simply create the perfect reading nook. Or you might want a functional lounge that is welcoming and suitable for children and/or pets.
Knowing what your intended use of your living room is will help you make the right decorative choices stylistically and functionally.
A Guide on How to Decorate the Living Room
1. Set a budget
This might not be the most exciting step in decorating your lounge room but it is important. The living room offers a lot of creative and stylistic potential but you don’t want to waste your time and energy coming up with ideas that are not within your price range.
Having a clear and set budget from the outset will give you direction and provide a workable canvas on which to create something special and unique for your needs.
2. Settle on a colour palette
Lounge interior design has many different aspects to it. But to start off, begin with something simple: What colour palette do you want to lean into?
Bear in mind what your intended use is for this space. Do you want shades and colours that turn the living room into a calming retreat? Do you want a lounge room that is bold and energetic? Or perhaps you want to create a mature, atmospheric ambiance?
There are many different colours that are suitable for a living room, and the exact choice of shade and saturation is up to you.
3. Map out the space
When it comes to decorating a lounge room, you are understandably constricted to the size and shape of your living space. Take the time to map out and measure out your room.
A simple floor plan will help you consider different furniture arrangements and ensure that everything fits comfortably without having to invest the time, effort and money into unnecessary trial and error.
Understandably, you’ll want to jump into the actual lounge room decoration but the few moments it takes to plan and map out everything can make the entire process that much smoother.
4. Choose an anchor piece
A key component in lounge interior design specifically is the anchor piece. This component of the living room will ensure that the entire space feels centered, harmonious and balanced.Â
The anchor piece could be as large as a statement sofa, as subtle as a beautiful rug or as contained as a treasured heirloom on display.
This integral piece should be the part of the living room that immediately catches one’s eye and sets the aesthetic and stylistic tone for the rest of the room.
5. Arrange your furniture
Now we are getting down to the nuts and bolts of your lounge interior design. Your choice of furniture is only one consideration, though of course, it is an important one. It goes without saying that the couch, sofa and armchairs you choose need to reflect your intended use of the space.
When it comes to arranging the furniture, consider how conversation between seating people is being supported by the seating placement. Ensure that the seating faces one another but also allows for walkways and easy flow of traffic and movement.Â
6. Layer in rugs
Using rugs, even in carpeted living rooms, can achieve a lot with a little. The choice of rug can define the seating area in a distinct way and allows you to add a touch of warmth and texture.
As you know, rugs come in just about every style, shape and colour. Consider the size of your room and the aesthetic style of your lounge. You may want a subtle colour and understated pattern. Or you might want something that adds a pop of visual colour and a pattern that makes a bold statement.
Either way, rugs offer a lot of potential for effective interior design layering.
7. Choose the right lighting
Having sufficient lighting in the lounge room is important, but there’s a lot of stylistic consideration that goes along with it as well.
Overhead lighting is necessary for functionality but there are lots of options for layering other forms of lighting to achieve the mood and ambience you’re after. Accent lighting, ambient lamps and even backlit LED strips behind key artistic features can be instrumental in creating the perfect room for your living space.
8. Add art and personal accessories
Last but not least, it’s time to showcase your personality. Adding accessories and ornaments is a great way to add the cherry to the top of your living room sundae.
From artwork to photographs, sculptures to pot plants and even throw pillows, candles, coffee books and more, there’s just about no limit to what you can incorporate.
At the end of the day, how you choose to decorate the living room is up to you and your tastes. Be creative. Be bold. And be true to yourself.
