A living room is most commonly a place for relaxation, spending time with family, and entertaining guests. But your living room can also be the space that determines the style of your whole house. From colors to couches, represent your taste and decorative ideas through your living room design. Transition your traditional cozy area to a style full of color and modern function by following these tips. And don’t forget to head over to Hayneedle to view our Transitional Living Room Styleboard, filled with amazing products to help you outfit your own home.
Hayneedle: Rizzy Home Beautiful Blue Corded Throw Pillow
Classic is classy
Some color combinations can be simple, yet tasteful. It is easy to choose earth tones for your living room as neutral colors, like brown and tan tend to blend well with varying furniture and decorative designs. Branch out to hues of blue and white to brighten up your living room without straying too far from the norm. Robin’s egg or baby blue paired with yellow or cream are staple colors that add a soft, chic touch. Try varying different hues to get the right match for your preferred palette by thinking of themes such as French country, nautical, or vintage beach. Pro tip: worried that all blue may be too bold for you? Try using the classic black and white combo and add a pop of color or accent wall to keep it sleek, but colorful.
Hayneedle: Homelegence Paisly Storage Ottoman
Functional textures
Incorporate texture and textiles into your living room to set a comfortable mood. Choosing a mixture of fabrics for furniture and flooring can pull together differentiating elements that you may not have thought could work together. Scale your furniture accordingly to the size of your room and make sure you provide balance between seating and walkway areas. Add dimension by placing a rug on the floor or hang artwork above your couch for a touch of visual appeal. Other elements such as pillows, blankets, and tables are inexpensive ways to create easy elegance. Pro tip: choose furniture that is multi-functional to serve various purposes. A window seat can store extra blankets or an ottoman typically used as a foot rest or coffee table can also provide extra seating and hidden storage.
Hayneedle: Sam Moore Renee Round Ottoman
Mix shapes and patterns
Patterns and shapes keep a room from falling flat by adding visual interest. Traditional living rooms are filled with consistent shaped objects such as a square table paired with a square rug. Try incorporating multiple shapes and patterns of varying scales and styles. Place a circular end table in front of striped window drapes. Pro tip: pick patterns in threes to combine different shapes and colors without going overboard. Vary the patterns by scale from small to large for a successful play on fabrics. Try a large cream, floral patterned ottoman combined with light blue geometric printed pillows and a pale green chevron rug.
Hayneedle: Surya Bronze Octagonal Wall Mirror
Play with layers
Layering objects in a room can create a sophisticated design without feeling too cluttered. Having the right amount of layers can add depth and dimension to your living room, providing softness and comfort. One flooring trend is to layer one rug over another of different material, shape, and pattern to mix styles and make a statement. Pro tip: pick one statement piece of furniture to base your layers off of. A large colorful piece of art can act as the focal point of the room and other objects, such as chairs, rugs, and vases can be built around the color scheme of the piece.
Top image credit: Witt Construction
