Are you looking around your living room and thinking that it’s time for a refresh? Before you decide to throw everything out and start from scratch, here are some things to think about when it comes to making the most of what you already have.
Your living room needs to be multipurpose
With many more people spending a lot more time at home both working, studying and relaxing, living rooms need to serve different purposes. Instead of the big open-plan spaces that we’ve come accustomed to, savvy homeowners are now finding ways to create smaller, fit-for-purpose spaces in their living rooms.
This includes using a screen to partition off a section of the living room so it can be used as a functional workspace. Even a piece of free-standing furniture, such as a bookcase, can be used to section off an area of the living room as a useful workspace.
If you’re looking for ways to separate spaces, consider the ever-popular recycling and repurposing trend and look for functional second-hand pieces on Facebook Marketplace and eBay. More than likely you’ll find the perfect piece of furniture at a fraction of the price.
Rich, earthy tones are on trend
Stark white is definitely out, as is shabby chic furniture. These days, it’s all about warmth and comfort, with a subtle feeling of luxury coming from rich, textured fabrics. To make your living more ambient and welcoming, consider using warm, earthy tones both in your furniture and your furnishings, and some throw rugs and cushions.
This fits in perfectly with the multi-use of a living room because you can easily create a cosy lounging area with warm shades of deep sage, rich burgundy, and brown ochre, away from workspaces.
Curved furniture is big this year
When it comes to creating cosy spaces in your living room, consider using curved furniture pieces as these will give the space a more welcoming feel and blend perfectly into smaller, segregated spaces. According to Homes and Gardens, curved sofas are the big story of this year, and when you look at them, it does make sense.
Even if you’re not upgrading your sofa, think about round coffee tables and curved armchairs. These all add softness and luxury to your living space. Lounge furniture is also sporting more luxurious fabrics such as plush velvet and warm boucle.
You can complement your welcoming sofas with nice pieces of timber furniture in order to continue the new trend of adding warmth and ambience to your living room.
Focus on ambient lighting
As you consider how you’re going to create multifunctional spaces within your living room, don’t forget to think about the lighting. Different areas of the room will benefit from different types of lighting.
Instead of just having one or two overhead lights, add table lamps and wall lights to different areas of the room. Both table lamps and floor lamps can be utilised in separate areas to give the exact amount of light that is needed.
And, don’t forget to choose just the right globes for your lamps. You want to choose warm, soft globes for relaxing areas and brighter, cooler lamps for work areas.
Create a media experience in your living room
Now that so many of us are choosing to stay in rather than go to the cinema, a growing trend is for bigger TV screens, sometimes concealed behind screens or curtains when not in use, and full-height curtains to replicate the darkened movie experience.
Don’t forget to include a custom sound system to really get that cinema experience. Here are some great tips if you really want to take your at-home movie experience to the next level.
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If you’re thinking of buying or selling this year, and want to start planning your next move, please give the JDH team a call.
