10 Ways to Bring a Plain Living Room to Life
Whether you rent or own your home, here's how to use colour, pattern and texture to create a happy scheme that's bursting with personality
It cannot be stressed enough how life-changing it is to have a clean, crisp and happy interior. What is around us affects our mood – whether it projects positivity or can bring us out of a sulk, your home should be like a big beautiful family hug.
Living rooms are the heart of our homes; they are for the end-of-the-day-feet-up moments, chatting with family and also where you entertain guests. Our homes should reflect our inner selves, and after a long and sometimes hard day or a celebratory occasion, sometimes we need a reminder of our own character.
In other words, it’s important to give your interior a powerful personality that will also enhance your mood.
Living rooms are the heart of our homes; they are for the end-of-the-day-feet-up moments, chatting with family and also where you entertain guests. Our homes should reflect our inner selves, and after a long and sometimes hard day or a celebratory occasion, sometimes we need a reminder of our own character.
In other words, it’s important to give your interior a powerful personality that will also enhance your mood.
The best place to start is by playing with colourful, bold, fun and creative patterns and textures. If you’re starting with a plain, blank canvas, put this to your advantage. Be patient when choosing your products, and introduce them in layers. Here are 10 simple ways to bring a simple scheme to life.
1. Start from the floor up
Rugs create a great grounded feeling in a room, and introducing colour and pattern on the floor will apply an electric sense of energy throughout the entire space. You could select a vibrant yet soft geometrical rug, like the one chosen by interior designers Arent & Pyke in this home. Or, if you plan to splash out with bright patterns on your sofa and pillows, use a textured rug, such as sisal, in a single colour to create visual interest.
Rugs create a great grounded feeling in a room, and introducing colour and pattern on the floor will apply an electric sense of energy throughout the entire space. You could select a vibrant yet soft geometrical rug, like the one chosen by interior designers Arent & Pyke in this home. Or, if you plan to splash out with bright patterns on your sofa and pillows, use a textured rug, such as sisal, in a single colour to create visual interest.
2. Colour drop
If you have started with your rug, you could pick out colours that are already in it and apply them to your surroundings for a subtly matched design. Can you see the pale blues and orange tones that are featured in both the rug and other furnishings?
If you have started with your rug, you could pick out colours that are already in it and apply them to your surroundings for a subtly matched design. Can you see the pale blues and orange tones that are featured in both the rug and other furnishings?
Remember not to go too overboard with matching colours as it can start looking too ‘matchy-matchy’. This living area by interior designer Andrew Mitchell showcases a range of blues that have been carefully scattered throughout the room, giving it a stable yet vibrant feeling.
3. Choose statement pieces
It’s confronting and scary, but it’s well worth the risk! Having personally owned a felt hot pink lounge with sidekick blue and yellow armchairs (sounds terrible, but it really is quite a wonderful statement) in my living room for the past decade, I can assure you our family still loves them.
KEEP IN MIND: When purchasing such statement pieces really ensure you’re investing in a quality designer brand. Usually, designer furniture is functional, made to last and has generally had a lot of effort put into it to ensure the design remains celebrated. Choose pieces that will stand the test of time and evolve with your scheme.
It’s confronting and scary, but it’s well worth the risk! Having personally owned a felt hot pink lounge with sidekick blue and yellow armchairs (sounds terrible, but it really is quite a wonderful statement) in my living room for the past decade, I can assure you our family still loves them.
KEEP IN MIND: When purchasing such statement pieces really ensure you’re investing in a quality designer brand. Usually, designer furniture is functional, made to last and has generally had a lot of effort put into it to ensure the design remains celebrated. Choose pieces that will stand the test of time and evolve with your scheme.
4. Get clever with cushions
Cushions are comforting and help to fill the scene in the lounge room. They are an affordable and safe way to bring a bit of brightness into your home. Pattern clashing is a playful on-trend way to create a great spectacle.
Here are 9 cushion-picking strategies that work
Cushions are comforting and help to fill the scene in the lounge room. They are an affordable and safe way to bring a bit of brightness into your home. Pattern clashing is a playful on-trend way to create a great spectacle.
Here are 9 cushion-picking strategies that work
5. Think about furnishings
The easiest way to raise the mood in an interior is to create displays of small and personal furnishings, using memorable items that make you smile.
Authenticity won’t come from purely new purchases, so mix and match the old and the new by visiting antique and op shops, or collecting on your travels. You will be even more thrilled when you pick up something that wasn’t found in an interiors store and make it stylish yourself.
Fabric: Fingers, Florence Broadhurst
The easiest way to raise the mood in an interior is to create displays of small and personal furnishings, using memorable items that make you smile.
Authenticity won’t come from purely new purchases, so mix and match the old and the new by visiting antique and op shops, or collecting on your travels. You will be even more thrilled when you pick up something that wasn’t found in an interiors store and make it stylish yourself.
Fabric: Fingers, Florence Broadhurst
6. Be brave with upholstery
Upholstery is a brilliant way to introduce textiles into an interior. Rather than upholstering an entire sofa in pattern textiles, look to applying it to armchairs only. This interior has a very balanced and confident aesthetic. This is because there is not just one, but two, armchairs that mirror each other. The navy blue and brown leather sofa are both neutral colours that go well together; its the white pattern on the armchairs that creates the life and interest in this interior.
Take a look at this handy guide for reupholstering your chair
Upholstery is a brilliant way to introduce textiles into an interior. Rather than upholstering an entire sofa in pattern textiles, look to applying it to armchairs only. This interior has a very balanced and confident aesthetic. This is because there is not just one, but two, armchairs that mirror each other. The navy blue and brown leather sofa are both neutral colours that go well together; its the white pattern on the armchairs that creates the life and interest in this interior.
Take a look at this handy guide for reupholstering your chair
7. Create contrast
Block dark and light colours on base objects to make your bright colours and patterns stand out even more. Offset by a charcoal grey sofa brings this neon chevron cushion by Missoni to the forefront.
8. Metallics
Using metallics are a good way to have some simple pieces that can still reflect glimpses of the other excitement that is going on in the room.
Be inspired by 12 schemes that dazzle with metallic decor
Block dark and light colours on base objects to make your bright colours and patterns stand out even more. Offset by a charcoal grey sofa brings this neon chevron cushion by Missoni to the forefront.
8. Metallics
Using metallics are a good way to have some simple pieces that can still reflect glimpses of the other excitement that is going on in the room.
Be inspired by 12 schemes that dazzle with metallic decor
9. Learn to love art
You can introduce colour and pattern through eye-catching art. People naturally notice artworks, so art pieces that are predominately pattern based can be real show stoppers in a living room.
How to rustle up a work of art
You can introduce colour and pattern through eye-catching art. People naturally notice artworks, so art pieces that are predominately pattern based can be real show stoppers in a living room.
How to rustle up a work of art
10. Add unexpected twists
This eclectic interior definitely spells a good time. Don’t be too strict when it comes to selecting furnishings for your interior; remember that the lounge is supposed to be a downtime area, so you should really enjoy the process of styling it, too. Introduce whimsical fun with accessories and collectibles that will make you smile.
Take a tour of this home
This eclectic interior definitely spells a good time. Don’t be too strict when it comes to selecting furnishings for your interior; remember that the lounge is supposed to be a downtime area, so you should really enjoy the process of styling it, too. Introduce whimsical fun with accessories and collectibles that will make you smile.
Take a tour of this home
TRY THIS: Use texture to mix bright colours and give them a real personality. If the interior is feeling too hard, but you still want colour and pattern, use a softer texture to break up the space and make it more comfortable to be around.
TELL US
Does your living room have any obvious colours or patterns? How does your living room design enrich your life? Upload your divine pictures and let us know all about it in the comments section.
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Does your living room have any obvious colours or patterns? How does your living room design enrich your life? Upload your divine pictures and let us know all about it in the comments section.
MORE
How to Be Truly Confident With Colour
Awash With Colour: Go Wild With Every Shade Under the Sun
8 Mesmerising Colour Palettes for Your Living Rooms
Citrus Squeeze: Juice Up Your Insides With Lime Green