The living room is probably the most significant room in your house. Therefore, it should take up more of your home design budget as well as time and effort. If you find yourself staring at the empty room wondering where to start and what to do with space, here are a few ideas to transform it into the relaxed, inviting quiet room it should be.
Light
Most families will spend a lot of time in the living room socializing, entertaining, bonding and even getting work and homework done. Therefore, it’s essential to have the right light to properly brighten up your space. During the daytime, it helps if your house allows in a lot of natural light from windows. At night, you’ll need artificial light from high hats or beautiful light fixtures. You can break up areas of your family room and light them depending on their functionality. You can have lighting fixtures above artwork and wall hangings that you want to accentuate and you can have softer lights or even lamps for general family room socializing and watching television.
Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a Chinese art and science, literally translated to wind-water. In the Chinese culture, wind and water are associated with good health, prosperity and general wellbeing.
This principle examines how energy flows through a room or building. As a result, good Feng Shui now refers to how energetic and lucky space is based on its structure. Good Feng Shui living rooms are filled with light and fresh air. To achieve this, consider these two tips:
- If your windows don’t bring in enough light, using layered lighting can help improve this. Layered lighting is using different light fixtures to work in tandem to illuminate your house sufficiently. This can include desk lamps on corners, floor lights, chandeliers, and other ceiling lights as well as wall sconces.
- Placing mirror opposite windows also creates an illusion of more light because the sun hits the mirror and reflects back into the room, magnifying the effect.
Paint
Paint is another key element when doing interior decorating. Color expresses light and has an impact on mood. Under this ancient art, each color is considered an expression of the five elements of this energy. This is how they are classified:
Metal: A metal element brings clarity and lightness. These are grey and white.
Earth: These elements bring nourishment, stability and calm protection over relationships. These colors are light yellow, green, beige and other earthy or sandy hues.
Fire: A fire element supports efforts towards your career, as well as recognition. These colors include red, orange, pink, purple and strong yellow.
Wood: This element supports vitality, growth and vibrant health. It’s used as a cure for wealth and abundance. Use browns and greens.
Water: Water element colors are blue and black, and are considered to bring calm, purity, freshness, and ease.
Furniture Placement
Here are do’s and don’ts to ensure you have Feng Shui in your living room:
- Place storage cabinets against the wall.
- Arrange your sofa facing towards the door (known as the command position) or the television, never away from a door. Placing furniture with your back to the door is believed to create disharmony in your interpersonal relationships.
- Don’t place mirrors behind sofas and ensure the sofa is against the wall for support. This prevents instability in your home and work life.
- Don’t place furniture in natural walkways throughout your home since it disrupts the flow of energy and ends up creating negative energy.
- Keep your windows open and curtains and blinds drawn. This is necessary for good energy and it improves your air quality.
The Power of Rugs
Using rugs gives your living room a warm and cozy feeling. When placed correctly in your room they can add symmetry and give the space a more inviting vibe. Also, they can be used to show off particular colors or to reduce the amount of noise in a room. Overall, they will make your room look more welcoming and will add beauty to it.
Beautiful Home Accessories
Decorative accessories, such as gorgeous pieces of glass and colorful pendants, can help personalize your home and show who you are. Pick a few items that agree with the overall theme of your room and display them tastefully in your living room. It’s wise to not go overboard with the accessories because you don’t want the space to appear cluttered and disorganized. By only showing a few special accessories you make the room more inviting and people can enjoy these pieces of décor more.
Soft Couch: Picking a solid and very decorative as well as comfortable couch is half the work when it comes to home design. For starters, place it facing the focal point of the room, such as a fireplace or piece of artwork. This allows people to become more engaged and enjoy the main highlights of the room. When picking a couch, make sure that it matches with the rest of your room and offers ample seating so your guests feel included.
Piano: With its inherent elegance, a piano has the power to transform an ordinary room into a sophisticated one. This makes a piano a coveted item when it comes to interior decorating. Pianos are not meant to be hidden or ignored in a room but highlighted. One way to showcase your piano is by having it near a window or under a light fixture so it’s visible to all your guests. Avoid placing any pieces of décor on your piano since it will take away from its beauty. It’s meant to be used and enjoyed not a place to store small items.
When decorating your living room remember to do what appeals to those that will spend the most time in the house. By following these tips you’ll have a stunning and tasteful living room that is bound to give you positive energy through Feng Shui.
