9 Ideas to decorate your living room

Sunita Vellapally Sunita Vellapally
Modern Contemporary, Premdas Krishna Premdas Krishna Modern living room
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Decorating a living room to perfection is always a challenge, whether you are remodelling your home or giving the area a small makeover. You need to pull together a cohesive look that is sophisticated without being boring and colourful without being over the top.

Since the living room is an area for socialization – a place where guests are entertained, it should showcase the theme that can be expected from the rest of the home. These 9 ideas, which have been put together by professionals on Homify, are designed to provide inspiration for decorating and creating a gorgeous living area.

1. A whole new world

An effective trick for giving the room a relaxing ambiance, and for guests to feel like they have been transported to an exotic location, is to add a realistic landscape mural or use scenic wall paper to create a charming setting.

Deciding on the theme for the living room is a vital step in the process of decorating. Always remember that less is more as far as accessories and furniture are concerned. Instead of trying to incorporate too many elements that make the room look cluttered, focus on a couple of ideas to create a room that is stunning and memorable.

See this ideabook for some tips on contemporary living room features.

2. Bright is beautiful

Natural light should be present in abundance in a living room. Using pastel colours on the walls helps to keep the area fresh and airy. Add to the effect with decorative mirrors that reflect the available light to brighten up the room.

3. Warmth without fire

Wood cladding on the walls and ceiling, and colourful rugs on the floor help to infuse warmth into the area. This especially works in a large room where it adds a cosy touch to the setting.

4. Colour it bright

Modern homes use neutral tones in the décor, which can get a bit boring. However, the mood in a living room can be elevated through the introduction of vibrant coloured accessories such as lampshades or accent chairs.

5. A dash of elegance

Irrespective of whether the living room decor is modern or classic, certain elements such as fresh flowers and coordinated cushion covers and throws help to add elegance to the ambiance.

6. Minimalist sophistication

If modern is the chosen style for a living room, there’s nothing wrong in going the whole hog with white and dark contrasts. Casual comfort can be introduced through lounge seating, while the bare minimum accessories keep the room looking sophisticated.

7. Go glamorous

For a classic theme, nothing works better than gold. Use it on paintings and mirror frames. Add a lacquered gold finish to furniture, and introduce shades of gold in the furnishings to create a picture-perfect living room.

8. The magic of carpets

Whether it’s a hand-knotted kilim for a classic-style living room or a colourful woven woollen rug with geometric prints in a modern home, a gorgeous carpet is an accessory that completes the living room décor.

​9. An eye-catching feature

While it’s common to decorate the walls in the room with accessories and artefacts, ideally, one of the walls should be used as a feature wall that acts as a focal point and draws attention away from any defects such as the small size of the room or the lack of natural light.

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