Home decorating usually starts in the living room, the most “public” and visible area of the house where guests are entertained and family members often hang out. The reason for the priority is logical. You would of course want your receiving area to be attractive.
The first thing you should do when decorating your living room is to find a piece that you love. It could be a rug, a pillow or a photograph. This will give you an idea of the theme and the colors that you should go with.
Choosing the right color for the living room is quite tricky. There are factors and people to consider. This is not like the bedroom where you can splurge on everything you want because it is your own space. For the living room however, you also have to consider the tasteful effect it will have on others, both family members and guests. Although deciding on decorative elements that you like is important, making it likeable enough for others is just as vital. The safest way is to go for neutral colors. This will allow you more freedom for decorating with colorful items or for accentuating the walls with other hues if you like as neutral tones are easy to accent. On the other hand, if you have neutral-colored furnishings, you can brighten up the living room by using a bold or vivid color. Alternatively, you can contrast dark-colored furniture with a light-colored wall painting.
New furnishings are great but not necessary, especially if you still have pretty good pieces or if you’re on a tight budget. New upholstery for the sofa, repainting or sanding the coffee table, cabinet and shelf, changing the curtains, cleaning the carpet and making new throw pillow covers are less expensive than buying everything new.
Throw pillows to adorn your sofa are a fast way to enhance the living room. You can buy them for an affordable price at discount stores. If however, you wish to save more, you can make your own throw pillows or at least, sew your own pillow cover. A nice fabric is all you need to have pretty pillows. Choose a fabric with a soft texture and complementing color to suit the rest of the room.
Don’t just focus on the bigger things in the living room. Sure, the sofa set and the coffee table are the stars, but the room won’t be complete without the supporting cast – area rugs, knick-knacks, wall decors and drapes. Look at the bigger picture and your living room will look more complete.
Decorating the living room is fun that it might inspire you to redecorate the other rooms in the house. With some DIY techniques like making your own throw pillow and covers, repainting and sanding, you don’t have to spend a lot either.