How to Improve Your Living Room Decor: What You Should and Shouldn’t Focus On

Decorating becomes overrated when you’re trying to put all the pieces together. Every piece, from the ottoman to the couch, should flow in harmony and appeal to the eye. But that’s not always an easy task.

Still, there are ways to focus on what matters to improve the decor in your living room.

The living room is an important space in the home. It’s a gathering place to share ideas and favors with family and friends. In some cases, it’s a landscape for business and financial endeavors.

Whatever the use, the decor should look the part.

If you’re looking for unique ways to decorate a living room space, read this. Learn here how you can improve your living room decor.

Window Treatment

Start upwards then go down. Depending on the color scheme and wall treatments, people tend to look up when they enter a room. Give their eyes something to feast on.

Start with the windows.

The right curtains and blinds can make your windows a positive focal point in the room. If you decide on traditional curtains, go with the blackout option. Blackout curtains are not only modern and trendy, but they also offer unique benefits.

They block out 99% of sunlight, which is important if you’re living room sits on the sunny side of your home. Excess sunlight can fade the color on your furniture, making it ultimately irreversible.

Blackout curtains act as a sun shield, guarding your living area pieces.

Blinds are also a formidable option. The right blinds add texture to your window view. They give the room a sophisticated, modern feel. Plus, they’re economical. Budget Blinds has options for your living space to bring it into the 21st century.

Play with both options until you get the window feeling you desire.

Color Scheme is an Important Part of Living Room Decor

Shades and colors can make or break a room’s decor. And choosing the right color is something the average homeowner struggles with.

Choose your paint color last. It’s easier to match wall colors with furniture than vice versa.

Colors set the tone in a room. If your furniture has accents of blue and green, expect a calming effect in the room. Paint the walls either color. If your goal is to go with a more energizing effect, accent with shades or red, yellow, and orange.

To neutralize a living room, stick with a color scheme that’s heavy on whites, grays, and tans.

Pick a Style

The best way to turn a living space into a junkyard is by not pinpointing a style. This is where cheat sheets come in handy.

Look through design magazines and catalogs for ideas on where to start.

Learn what styles are and pick one. Depending on the style of your home, make the inside match the outside. If your home has dormer windows with an eastern seaboard feel, go with the Cape Cod style.

Cape Cod is a Mid-Century Modern look from the early 1900s. It’s characterized by natural shapes and refined lines.

For a more current look, go with the urban modern effect. Use larger furniture with geometric designs. Accent it with vintage and traditional pieces.

Whatever you decide on, look for thematic inspiration first. Find the design that’s right for you and your space.

Furniture

Once you’ve determined your style, decorate with the big pieces first. The sofa, entertainment pieces, and rug are other focal points in the room.

Picking the perfect area rug can present a challenge. You have to troubleshoot and decide best where they’ll fit in the room. Decide on the size first. A rug that’s disproportionately small can the room look fragmented—disjointed.

Make sure important pieces of furniture—sofa, tables, lamps, etc.—sit on the rug. And, add floor space between the rug and the walls.

Avoid pushing the sofa up against the wall. Doing so shifts the focus to one side of the room. Arrange the furniture so that you have conversation areas and respectful space for traffic.

Fill spacial voids by accenting with throws, pillows, mirrors, end tables, and more.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting a room, there are three types of lighting—ambient, task, and accent.

Ambient Lighting is general lighting that adds an overall glow to a room. It creates enough comfortable light to move around and perform tasks. Lamps, chandeliers, and track lights are good examples of ambient lighting.

Task Lighting is specific to having enough light to perform a task. It’s localized and adjustable for whatever workspace you’re in. It should provide a reduction in glare and prevent eye strain when reading, cooking, or doing other small tasks.

Accent Lighting creates focal points in the room with light. It works in synchrony with ambient lighting. For wall decor like art or stand-alone plants, use accent lights to highlight their beauty.

Depending on the mood you want to set for your living room, choose your light wisely.

Art

Naked walls denote an incomplete room. You don’t have to cover every inch of the walls, but don’t leave them bare.

The art on the walls should flow in cohesion. Use pieces that entice the eye while balancing the room. Remember art is subjective, but don’t go outside of your style theme.

Arrange your art with respect to the ambiance in the room. Then, use an accent light to highlight its beauty.

Mirrors

Mirrors may be a symbol of vanity, but no home is complete without them. Use the right decor strategy when placing them throughout a room.

Mirrors open up a room by using reflections to make the room seem larger than it is. If you’re unsure of where to start with mirrors, stick with the classic design. Classic mirrors work with any decor, while still adding depth to the room.

Also, consider mirror pendants. They look like wall jewelry and add another place of focus in the room.

Improve Your Living Room

The living room is the first place people see when they enter a home. That’s why it’s important to have the right living room decor.

Start with the windows and make your way down to the floor with a modernized area rug. Give the walls some focus, then light the room to your level of comfort.

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