Often the first room that your guests see in your house, the living room or the drawing room needs to be a space that must always look its elegant and beautiful best. This, however, does not mean that it should be a room that is only accessed when entertaining guests or that it should have a setting that is formal and serious. There is, after all, a reason why it is called the ‘living’ room. It is a space where you chat and interact with your loved ones, kick back with your family over some wine and soft music after a long day at work or even spend a weekend snuggling on the couch with your favourite book. To make sure your living room looks warm, homely and exciting without being too quirky and over the top, here are some simple to execute living room decor ideas.

Rearrange your furniture 

The most common drawing room design as far as the furniture is concerned is the sofa placed opposite two chairs, which gives the space a formal and symmetrical look. However, if you want the ambience in your formal space to be a little relaxed, it is a good idea to angle the chairs slightly in a manner that the seats face inward. This still retains the formality of the space without making your living room seem to rigid. For small living rooms, try arranging the chairs on either side of the centretable facing each other.

Mix, not match 

An easy way to break the monotony of a formal living room is to opt for a mix of different styles of furniture rather than going for a look that is too matching. Mix and match different kinds of fabric to bring about a textural contrast if you feel like playing it safe with the colours. For instance, team a sofa upholstered with leather with chairs upholstered in a light fabric with a digital print and a chenille or twill ottoman, but keep the colours matching. Similarly, you can opt for different varieties of single chairs rather than go for a matching set. For a larger living room, consider opting for 2 different sets of matching chairs. Simply keep in mind that all the furniture should be of the same scale, else one of them might stick out like a sore thumb.

Mixing patterns and surfaces 

Formal living room furniture has a tendency to make the room feel too bulky. However, you can avoid this by giving structural breaks in the space. For instance, pair a fully upholstered sofa with chairs that have some exposed wood or a solid upholstered sofa/chair with other furniture with a digital print upholstery in a matching colour. If all of your living room upholstery is matching, break the symmetry with cushions or a rug in a solid colour.

‘Sheer’ magic

Lightweight and shimmery, sheer is the ideal fabric to negate the effect of bulky living room furniture while still keeping things classy and elegant. The best place to use this fabric is as curtains, especially if you wish to allow a lot of natural light in your living room. To create a livelier space, pair solid sheer fabrics in colours like grey and white with opaque patterned curtains in the same colour. Keep the opulence of the living room intact by opting for unique window dressing designs using Victorian valances, tie ropes and swags. You can also use sheer cushion covers on sofas and chairs upholstered in heavy fabrics like silk or chenille.

A dash of bold

People often consider the living room to be a formal, serious space. However, that is far from the truth. While an outright frivolous and quirky decor is a big no, there is absolutely no harm in infusing some personality into the space, not only to create a sense of belonging for yourself but also a more relaxed ambience for your guests. So don’t hold back from using bold accents like an ottoman with a solid leather upholstery in a bright colour like red or green, a big cushion in a metallic print or a bold floral design, a statement rug, a side table with a quirky sculptural lamp, a traditional tapestry you collected on one of your travels, a wall of black-and-white photographs, bright oil-on-canvas paintings, a statement wall in a different solid colour or a patterned wallpaper … the options are endless as long as you make sure not to go overboard.

Source: www.ddecor.com/blog