THINK about the rooms you use the most. The kitchen, the bedroom and the living room probably come to mind. Of these, the living room has the most potential to change the feel of your home.
Think about it: the kitchen takes a lot of money to remodel, and most people won't see your bedroom. More than that, though, you can really change the feel of your living room by replacing just a few accessories or by getting a new piece of furniture. Now all you have to do is decide which new look you'd like to incorporate into your living room.
Art Deco
When you think of Old Hollywood glamour, you often think of Art Deco. The mirrored dressing tables, elegantly curved furniture and flowing silk house coats are evocative of the Art Deco era of the 1930s and 1940s. Art Deco is all about geometric shapes, symmetry and new (at the time) materials like aluminium, chrome, Bakelite and inlaid wood.
Incorporating this look into your living room is easier than you may think. Furniture with mirrored surfaces are hot again and hit the Art Deco trend on the head. A lot of decorative accessories like lamps and cushions reference the opulence of the era, and many companies offer reproduction prints that need only a simple frame before adding an Art Deco touch to your walls.
Monochromatic with a pop of colour
No colour combination has quite the same impact as black and white. Its stark contrast makes a bold statement that lends itself to the modern living room, a much more dynamic, energetic space than the formal sitting room of old. Think of a black sofa against a bright white wall, and you've got the basic idea. Warming up the room is as simple as picking an accent colour and bringing in a few pieces in that colour. Red is the classic accent colour, but just about any bold colour can have a real impact in a monochromatic room.
The best thing about a monochromatic room is how easy it is to make it look great, even if you use cheap furniture. The impact of the look is in the colour combination, so you don't have to worry about having intricately detailed pieces or something that looks like it is from the other side of the world. Just balance the amount of black and white, add a couple of pieces with a colour and you're finished.
Clashing colours and prints
This style is very modern, but it can be tricky to get right. Do it well, and you'll look like a Missoni protégé. Get it wrong, and it can look scattered and all over the place. The key to this look is to find something that unites the room. Keep the colours of the patterns consistent. Bring in neutral colours in contrasting textures, like a straw cushion. It has a neutral, natural colour to counter the crazy patterns, but it also contrasts by using a different material.
If you don't want to fully embrace the chaotic look of a living room full of clashing prints, you can bring it in little by little. Pick one of a number of simple sofas in neutral colours, then add clashing cushions and a patterned rug.
Retro styles
Unlike the Art Deco style above, the retro style brings together the best pieces from the 1950s to the 1980s, rather than concentrating on one particular era. Mixing the best of the various decades prevents your living room from looking gimmicky or like a museum exhibition.
This style is colourful and fun, and it can allow you to put antique pieces next to new furniture that blends the look of retro furniture with modern convenience. That way, you can have the aesthetics of retro furniture without being uncomfortable or feeling like you can't use your living room.
Trading a living room for a great room
One of the biggest trends in home living is to eliminate a separate living room in favour of one giant room that has distinct areas: the dining space, living area and kitchen flow into one another with only furniture and decorative pieces delineating one area from the other.
This look requires you to knock down some walls, provided they aren't walls that support the weight of the roof. Beyond that, though, all you have to do is decide where you want each space to be, then rearrange the dining and living room furniture to reflect that.
Some of these ideas are easier to implement than others, but they should give you plenty of inspiration for the next time you redecorate your living room.
