Your Perfect Living Room Part II
Last week on the blog I shared with you a couple of hot tips for your living room. Because I love talking (LOL) and also have so much to say on this topic I figured that one blog post just ain't gonna cut it. So here goes the sequel to last week's post.
SAY YES TO A GREAT RUG AND SOFA
I am a massive advocate of carpet, being the daughter of THE carpet man in Sydney - Carpeteria, Newland Street Bondi Junction ( Ask for Jack! :) ), but I also love using other flooring materials. I much prefer to use a hard surface in a kitchen – a timber floorboard, polished concrete or large format tile and then run this right through to the living room. That doesn't mean you cant section off a space with a separate flooring finish such as a carpet or an oversized rug - always oversized! Not only does a rug separate and distinguish the area as separate BUT it also adds to the physical and aesthetic comfort of the living space.
I must stress that each space and each client is different, but for me, a key furniture piece in the living room is a good, comfortable sofa. The shape, upholstery choice, and scatter cushions will make a world of difference too! Comfortable dining chairs/bar stools according to the design and a functional dining setting are also critical pieces.
Lighting is incredibly important to the atmosphere of a space. I always urge clients to hang pendants above their dining table or a wall hung, retractable light fitting that can be pulled over the table. Lastly, multifunctional furniture, such as side tables and stools that can respond with your everyday needs and lifestyle are PERFECT for smaller spaces.
FABULOUS FINISHING TOUCHES
Be brave with colour! Get in touch with your inner fun and use colour to highlight the key areas of your home. Do this with your loose furnishings/accessories OR emphasize the importance of a room with creating a feature wall. Paint the entire wall or apply bold wallpaper…if you balance this out with accessories that compliment the tone of the colour along with other neutrals throughout the room you, will find that it will speak out loud but in an elegant way. Another awesome tip I can offer (and this one is probably more relevant to the dining room) is to be courageous with your serving ware! There is nothing better than the excitement I see on the faces of my guests when they sit down to brightly coloured and bold printed plates... I like to buy separate plates and bowls (entrée, main, small and large soup size). Depending on the meal of the night, I will choose the colour range and style the tableware to suit. It's so much fun to bring colour to the dinner party this way! Be brave to mix and match textures, patterns and prints... Everyone should have a go!
Mirror mirror on the wall - Mirrors work wonders! They create a visual illusion that the room is larger than reality and they reflect any light that is entering the space that in result makes the area brighter! But I say play with your mirrors... Buy frames that are circular, square shape or even doorframes, and use them as the basis as your mirror surround. Bring mirror into the space through furniture…or if you have the budget, mirror panels to clad the entire wall look incredible!
Lastly, why not try DIY vases and jars. I never throw glass drink bottles or glass jars out… You will find me using pickle jars for my nuts and seeds or flowers. I place them all around the house, not only in the living room. These are the small elements and features around the house that give a personal and hands-on touch!
What in your living room inspires you or what issues are you struggling to deal with when it comes to loving your living room? I would love to help!