Six Tips for Decorating a Small Living Room
After my move, I began to notice that several pieces of my furniture were just “too big” for my living room. My over sized overstuffed sofa, chair, and ottoman are comfortable but a bit large in scale for my new space. While I love my entertainment center, it takes up too much room. I also have a tall, open bookcase that I refer to as the “storage unit!” It holds an odd assortment of items including shoes, magazines, books, receipts, and cat toys! It is somewhat functional but very unsightly!
1. Shop for Furniture and Accessories that are a Reflection of You: From Feng Shui I know that physically moving in to a new living space generally reflects an inner shift and desire for other changes in one’s life. With that in mind, I decided to “window shop” on Trend Funnel for furniture and accessories that I really love; that express who I am now and who I’m becoming. (Click here view pictures of/comment on the selections that I discuss in this post).
On a recent visit to the Baker Furniture showroom in High Point, NC – during the Fall International Home Furnishings Market – I fell in love with several Hollywood Glam living room displays. I loved all of the luxurious textures, somewhat contemporary but timeless and elegant lines of the furniture, and the unexpected glitz from a mirrored piece or shiny, baubled chandelier. In particular, I was drawn to a mostly gray, very luxurious living room vignette with delightful touches of yellow – very elegant, soothing, and unique!
So that is what I ran with on Trend Funnel! I chose the “Timeless Glamour” trend – inspired by the late 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s Art Deco, French Art Deco, Art Moderne, and other classic vintage home decor styles. I fell in love with the Park Avenue Sofa Set and the Hoffman Leather Tub Chair. I really like the classy neutral tones, clean lines, nail head trim on the sofa and love seat – and these pieces expose more floor space, visually making my living room look larger!
2. Select a Color Palette that Makes the Room Feel More Expansive: By staying in a neutral (but not boring!) color palette and layering in textures, the space appears to be visually expanded. I selected the Sherwin Williams Cocoa and Cream color palette for my living room – along with Oyster Silk Italian Drapes. Depending on the mood I am going for, I would choose the Dots-Brown area rug for a more contemporary style or the Symphony-Brown rug for a luxurious, more traditional look.
3. Create the illusion of higher ceilings: Paint ceilings the same color as the walls – or a slightly lighter tone. This provides a more seamless, less defined visual transition from the walls to the ceiling. Hang draperies very close to the ceiling and this magically gives the effect of higher ceilings as well.
4. Think Carefully About the Location of the TV: The Plasma TV Stand with Mount – Serenade – really caught my eye as a great alternative to the bulky, boxy TV armoire that is now taking up too much floor space. Ideally, TVs and computers need to be behind closed doors – or at least out of sight when not in use – so they do not command too much attention. Therefore, it would be best if the new Plasma TV and cabinet could be placed in a position such that it is not the first thing you see when you walk in the room – for example, place it on the same wall as the main door or entry into the room.
5. For Multipurpose Spaces, Select Furnishings that Coordinate with the Rest of the Room: Instead of a separate room for my home office, my office space is now a corner in my living room! The Tribeca Loft Office – Writing Table would provide a great workspace for my laptop, but wont take away overall from the visual aesthetics of the living room.
6. Have Fun with Accessories: Because I “laid a good foundation” with some neutral colors and properly proportioned furniture, I can now have some fun and be creative in selecting accents. Some accessory items that would add a finishing touch of panache to my all new “dream” living room include: Black Majesty Bowl filled with Granite Decorative Glass Balls, Palento Table Lamp and “Traditions I” Giclee Print.
Voila!! I feel totally energized and inspired by having created an all new look for my living room – via easy and convenient shopping on Trend Funnel! I especially love the design board feature on the site – which enables you to experiment with out-of-your-comfort-zone choices and to see everything together! If you want to share your selections with friends and family, you can post them to our blog in one easy step by clicking the “blog” icon on the top right side of the page of your design board. Please feel free to comment on what I have written about my own recent downsizing experience – and I encourage you to offer your own tips and thoughts about this current trend. I would love to hear from you!
Tags: Decorating, Living, Room, Small, Tips