Many questions are asked about the design of a living room. The truth is that interior design and decoration for a living room has to be highly customized. In some cases, it is even more difficult than a super personal space like your bedroom. Why? Think of the below points:
Now you know why it’s super personal? Because a living room is usually the area in a house where a family gets together. Either that or the dining room which normally is a part of the living room or adjacent to it.
There are few key things which need to be considered when planning a living room interior design. We will discuss each of these in detail here.
Some builders, usually the smaller ones, don’t pay a lot of attention to a living room. For them, a living room is simply a place with a sofa and a TV unit. The purpose is to give you a space where you can vegetate in front of a TV. This is good if we are designing for a bachelor but we usually aren’t. A small living room needs to have ample comfortable sitting for a family. A lower sitting sofa or simple rugs spread around can be great depending on the people. A high back chair with an ottoman can be added for any old people who cannot sit down.
Another advantage of low seating is larger wall space for storage, bookshelves or just plain decorations. Hang a pretty mirror. It gives a feeling of more space and you have a mirror to glance into as you leave your home. Add an open bookshelf. Keep those often read books or just give a feeling of being an intellectual. Add colorful wallpaper and add some colorful cushions all around and you have a nice and cozy place.
For a small living room, it’s always better to keep light wall colors or wallpapers. Do not add dark colors or natural stone walls. Flooring should also be light colored where possible with a rug if needed. TV stand if needed should be very basic. While hidden wires look great, do think if it really is justified in a small space.
Many villas have multiple living rooms. A drawing room which is a more formal arrangement and a family room which as the name suggests, is for the family to spend time. Smaller houses may have just one space. It is upto the residents to decide what they plan to do with the living room.
A more formal space which is going to be used only for guests will work well with nice leather sofas and a formal coffee table. Some photo frames to bring a touch of personality to the room can be added on one of the walls. TV may or may not take center stage here depending on the other uses of the room. If guests often come over for watching a match or a movie together, a TV with a nice surround sound could be a great addition. In such case, leather sofas with recliners could also be an option depending on the budget. Neutral colors like browns and whites work well in such formal setups with a hint of color in the form of curtains or some flower vase etc.
A less formal casual atmosphere can be made in the same room with fabric sofas. Nice floral prints on curtains, some colorful cushions thrown around casually, a nice soft rug under the coffee table and a theme matching wallpaper – all are amazing ways to add color to dull walls without spending a tonne of money. Laser cut MDF panels with PU color can be added in TV areas or even in partitions.
A newlywed couple staying away from family may want to spend more time with like minded friends in this living room. Movie watching and simply hanging out would be more famous and the requirements for a living room will be to have comfortable couches, good acoustics, nice TV and space for snacks, drinks etc.
A small family with one or two children and a couple with visiting parents will require a large empty space for kids to play around in with ready space for storing their toys. A comfortable sitting arrangement, preferably low seating, so that the adults can also take part in the games of kids is also essential.
A large joint family with kids, adults, older people will for sure require comfortable high back chairs. After that, depending on the space available, go to the first point about smaller or larger living rooms and add elements.
Living rooms are a place where most of the people spend majority of their time when at home. Some people (including my own family) even have our meals in the living room with the dining area taking a backseat. Brightness is essential and if possible, maximize natural light in this space. If a balcony or garden is adjacent to the living room, do some nice landscaping to make it green which adds to the flavor of the living room also. Have a personal wall or space where you add items bought from places you have been or add framed pictures of your families which can add memories.
And of course, in case of doubt, do contact us at www.simplyinteriors.in or whatsapp us at 9341074074 or email us at enquiry@simplyinteriors.in and we will be glad to assist you in beautifying your amazing living rooms.