The clue’s in the name. Whether it’s the central hub of your home, a restful retreat or reserved for hosting, your living room is a place where you’re likely to spend a lot of time, well, living. No matter if you’re stuck for living room ideas or just looking for the odd tip to add some fresh impetus into an important space within your home, we’re here to give you a helping hand in designing your dream living room with our handy tips.
How to design your dream living room
HOW TO DESIGN YOUR DREAM LIVING ROOM
FIGURE OUT THE FUNCTION
The function of your living room is key and will determine the direction you go in with your design. Simply ask yourself what the purpose of the room is. Will it only be used for hosting guests? Is it open plan or the main room where your family spends the most time? Does your dream room revolve around films, books or music? Does it need to house lots of children’s toys? Or do you want a relaxing, adults-only space free from clutter where you can retreat once the kids are in bed?
Whatever it is, having a clear focus on what your living room needs to achieve is crucial. Spend a bit of time thinking about this before moving on to more detailed living room decor ideas, which you could prepare for by ordering some samples of things like floorings, curtains and sofa materials.
HOW BIG IS YOUR BUDGET?
It probably won’t be the most fun part of your living room design, but setting aside an appropriate budget will allow you to properly plan how much you can spend. From paint and fittings to furniture and decorations, remember that you don’t necessarily need to buy everything right away. A work in progress can be okay, but maybe you could raise some extra funds for what you need by selling some of your existing things.
STAMP YOUR STYLE
Only you know what your style is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take inspiration from lots of different places. Our Instagram is full of beautifully designed homes, while Pinterest is a great tool to use where you can create mood boards based on other people’s photos. This allows you to keep track of trends and styles, while both staying true to and developing your taste.
COLLATE YOUR COLOURS
An integral part of your style is likely to be the colour palette you favour. This can differ from room to room or work as a running theme throughout your home. Either way, being clear in your colours from the start will allow you to work with your style, rather than having to adapt it according to a rash colour choice. Whether you’re searching for neutral grey living room ideas or you’re not afraid to introduce statement colours and features, this is another aspect of living room design where clarity of thought and direction will serve you well.
MEASURE UP
Before you start planning and ordering the things that are going to fill your room, you need to know how much space you’ve got to work with. Cramming in furniture such as sofas that are too large is a surefire way to reduce the appeal of your living room. Don’t just measure the length and width of the room, but also things like windows and doors, and the spaces between them.
FIND YOUR FURNITURE
With your dimensions in hand, you can start to locate the furniture that’s going to adorn your room. As the item that’s usually the biggest - and most expensive - picking a sofa first can be a good idea. After that, you can choose any other seating you need, such as armchairs, accent chairs or love seats. Move on to things like coffee tables, side tables, footstools and multimedia units, working to the layout you think will suit you best.
DECIDE ON DECORATIONS
After sorting out the big stuff, you can complement the style and function of your living room with decorations such as rugs, curtains and artwork. Candles, ornaments and keepsakes can all play a part in contributing to the overall theme and style of your space. Your television could even be classed as part of your decorations should you go with one of the modern designs that disguise your TV as a mirror or picture frame for example.
LIGHT THE WAY
Lighting is another key part of your room and overlaps a little with the decorations you choose. You can bring mood lighting to your space with well-placed lamps, while other forms of statement lighting can be used to bring a pop of light to certain areas of the room. There’ll no doubt be different needs at different times when it comes to how bright your room is, so try to cover all the bases from the outset.
SORT YOUR STORAGE
Will your living room be invariably inundated with toys? Is your vinyl collection your pride and joy? Or do you have a load of books or films you want easy access to? You’ll likely need a decent amount of storage space in your living room, and making sure this is on point will contribute to the overall aesthetic of your space. Statement pieces such as a vintage sideboard could act as an attractive focal point, while fitted and bespoke furniture can provide both form and function.
BUY A NEW BUILD
Buying a new build can be a great way to introduce fitted furniture and other bespoke design options into multiple rooms within your home. Not only do Wain Homes offer a range of different house styles to choose from, but we also provide several ways you can personalise your home to truly make it yours. Our designs put every inch of space to use and depending on the development and what stage your build is at, you could have significant input into the final design of your living room.
If you’re interested in buying a new home, or want to talk to us about the process of buying a new build property, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.