6 Amazing Interior Design Ideas To Spruce Up Your Living Room
Designing the living room of your home is a challenging and exciting task. And why shouldn’t it be? This is the room where you spend most of the time doing so many tasks throughout the day. This is where you entertain your guests by offering them a warm and welcoming stay. Hence, the living room is that one room of the house which experiences the most traffic, therefore, it needs to be designed in a way that makes it not only functional but comfortable and cozy as well.
Let’s start off with the first question that comes to mind: what kind of a living room do you want? This is where you have to decide upon a particular living room interior design theme. But even before deciding on a particular interior design style, you need to consider the measurements of the living room so that whatever interior style you choose, looks best in that space.
All this process can become a bit confusing. But worry not! Here, we list all the main factors you need to consider while choosing a living room interior design style in Singapore along with tried and tested tips and tricks to ensure that your living room interior design journey is fun, fruitful, and satisfying.
Factors to consider before choosing a living room interior design style
To create a welcoming and beautiful living room space, you must follow certain steps and consider the basics on how to start designing a living room interior.
Keep the living room size in mind
The size of the living room is probably the most important aspect that should be kept in mind before we embark on the journey of designing its interior. Why? Simply because each interior design style features some specific characteristics that include the type of elements in the space, their size, placement, and the space that they take. In a large living room, for example, having very little furniture and accessories would create a lot of negative space and look out of proportion.
On the other hand, having too many elements in a small space can make the area look cramped, cluttered, and just plain noisy. Hence, always consider the size of your living room, and then choose a particular design theme, furniture, and accessories so they are in proportion and cohesion with the overall living room aesthetics and available space.
Work out a budget
The next thing that you must consider while choosing your living room condo interior design or for that matter, for you HDB, is to plan a budget. Always consider the expected cost of renovation or designing and keep some extra for unforeseen expenditures because chances are that you will end up spending more than you had initially planned for.
Or you can figure this out the other way around. Fix a budget which you have that you can spend and then choose the interior design theme and other elements of the interior so they fit in your budget. This is a crucial step to ensure that you don’t start designing something, and then realize halfway that the expenditure will cross your designated budget.
Determine the personality of the living room
Once you have the budget figured out, the next step is to think about what the living room should look like. Every room of the house should have a particular personality that is a manifestation of your own personality and character. The kind of experience you want yourselves and the kind of experience you want your guests to have should drive this decision of choosing a specific personality for the living room.
Perhaps you want the living room interior design to depict a warm, tranquil, and relaxing ambience. Or maybe you want to have a fun and refreshing outlook of the living room so everyone can feel refreshed and lively the moment they enter the house after a tiring day at school or work. Depending on the type of ambience you desire, choose a design theme accordingly.
Keep in mind the furniture and other accessories
Another important aspect of deciding upon the interior design of the living room is to keep in mind whatever furniture and accessories you already have. If you plan to start from scratch and buy new elements, then this step is not for you. But for those individuals who already have some furniture and accessories and want to redesign their living room, you have to consider their types, dimensions, and styles before finalizing an interior design theme. For example, if you have some Victorian living room furniture, you cannot choose a Scandinavian interior design theme as that furniture will look completely out of place in that design. Hence, choose a design theme wisely depending on the elements and accessories you already have.
Choose an interior design theme
Based on what kind of ambience you want in the living room, its dimensions, budget, and the kind of accessories you already have, you have the option of choosing a theme. It may be Scandinavian, minimalist design, modern design, industrial, Japanese Zen theme, Bohemian design, modern luxurious design style, rustic, or a combination of any of these (known as eclectic interior design). Normally, a particular theme is selected for the whole house and that theme is followed in each room. However, you can try a bolder approach and choose different design themes for each room of the house. Whichever theme you select for the living room will determine the color palette and other fine details of the interior.
Create a focal point
So when the process of the actual interior design of the living room starts, you should always create a focal point. The focal point in the living room can be a feature wall, a statement sofa, or a unique piece of furniture around which other elements of the interior are placed wisely. The focal point is the area that immediately catches the beholder’s eye when they enter the room. Hence, this focal point should be an amazing piece of element in the design that should instantly make a statement.
Never underestimate the importance of good lighting
Lighting plays a significant role in uplifting or lowering the appearance of any kind of interior. This holds true for the living room as well. Whichever interior design style you choose for your living room, the lighting should complement it. Some living room interior design styles call for a well-lit space, so such interiors would require a lot of modern lighting fixtures and architectural elements like huge windows to allow maximum amount of light to enter. On the other hand, some interior design themes call for ambient lighting, therefore, they would require dramatic lighting in the form of lamps and recessed lighting.
Keep the future in mind!
Lastly, always think ahead when designing your living room. You do not want to spend tons on designing your living room only to realize that in the next few years, your family dynamics will change, for example, kids growing up and their requirements changing, and this current living room interior design will not fit into that scenario. Similarly, you may invest in something which you know will only last a couple of years and you will have to redo everything according to the changing trends. So, it is always a good idea to plan the living room interior design keeping in mind the near future and its requirements.
Ideas and inspiration to get an amazing living room interior design
So now that we have an idea of all the prerequisites of a good living room interior design, let’s dive into some great ideas and inspiration for your dream living room.
Color Tones
Choosing the right color palette for your living room directly coincides with the living room interior design style that you have selected. Every design theme features some specific color tones which define that style; straying away from those color tones will cause the design style to lose its essence. For example, a Scandinavian interior design features lots of gray, white, and beige as the main color with certain shades of green, burnt orange, and pastel blue and pink creating accents and focal points. Similarly, in a rustic interior, the color palette is dominated by deep and natural colors like earthly shades of brown, gray, and green which create a warm and welcoming vibe in the living room.
Consider the following design portfolio that features a bold blue color and earthly colors in this modern industrial living room.
Textures and Patterns
Adding lots of textures and patterns in the living room interior is another way through which you can uplift its appearance. Depending on the interior design theme of the living room, you can choose the corresponding patterns. In a Bohemian interior, specific patterns that embrace different cultures and combine eclecticism with natural elements are clearly visible in the interior.
Moreover, adding different layers of textures into the living room creates a unique personality in the space which otherwise may appear dull and boring. As can be seen in the following design portfolio, there are varying degrees of textures visible. The sofa is made of organic leather whereas the cushions depict Bohemian and artistic patterns. This creates a lively appearance in an otherwise neutral space.
Lighting
Lighting is another important factor that can do wonders for a living room’s interior. Whichever interior design style you choose, if it is not complemented with the right form of lighting, all the beauty and aesthetics of that design theme will go to waste. In a Scandinavian, minimalist, and contemporary living room, you would need to add lots of lighting fixtures to ensure that the space is always well lit. On the other hand, a rustic living room calls for ambient lighting through different forms of lamps. A traditional living room should ideally have a classic chandelier for adequate lighting in accordance with the theme.
In the following Scandinavian living room interior, we can see track lighting and modern hanging lamps that create an elegant ambience in the space.
Wall decor
Adding wall decor according to the chosen interior design theme in the living room is yet another way of creating a statement. This wall decor could be in the form of artwork, paintings, or other decorative elements. A minimalist living room may have a single wall painting, that too which is simple and not very complex. A Scandinavian living room may have an abstract painting or some other artwork displayed on the walls. A rustic or Bohemian interior can have an abundance of artwork and paintings depicting traditional patterns on all walls of the living room.
In a contemporary interior design, you may have marble patterns on walls in the living room. This is exactly what has been done in the following design portfolio where a marble pattern wall serves as the feature wall that instantly attracts attention.
Varying Textiles
Another great idea to uplift the appearance of your living room is to choose different fabrics and textiles for the upholstery and other elements of the space. For example, for the sofa, you may choose leather but for its cushions, you may opt for wool or jute fabric. Similarly, for the curtains, you may choose sheer net curtains or thick velvet or luxurious silk ones to create a royal ambience. These different looks and textures of fabrics create a unique ambience that has a character of its own.
You can also choose different textiles when it comes to rugs and carpet. Their thickness and patterns are important elements which can make them stand out. Consider the following design portfolio for inspiration. In this living room, you can see cotton and jute cushions along with a fur cushion that adds versatility in the design. The curtains are also layered with one layer featuring a sheer fabric whereas the upper layer is made from a thick and heavy fabric. Finally, the geometric patterned rug sort of binds everything together in cohesion and harmony.
Bring some nature into the living room
No matter how beautifully decorated or well-placed an interior is, it is incomplete without a touch of nature in it. Flowers, leaves, and plants all serve as a means to lighten up our moods and to uplift our spirits. So it is only natural that they should be included as an important part of any interior. In fact, fresh green plants can be added in almost all interior design styles. Whether it is the contemporary or modern interior, or the minimalist or Scandinavian interior, a large leafy plant in the living room would add that final touch of elegance and beauty in it.
As shown in the following portfolio design, you can even go a step further and bring nature into the living room in the form of a balcony that connects directly. The balcony has a green, grass floor along with some planters that create a beautiful sight. Since the balcony doors are made of glass, it creates a seamless flow between the balcony and the living room to give the illusion that the green area is part of the living room.
These above-mentioned ideas and tips can help you create an amazing living room from scratch or uplift your existing living room into new heights of beauty and elegance. There are many different living room interior design styles trending in Singapore these days. You have the option of choosing a single interior design style or take whichever characteristics you like from two or more interior design styles and create a customized interior design style that will be completely personalized according to your preferences.
Browse through our blog pages to find useful articles such as bedroom interior design ideas, kitchen renovation ideas, ways to improve your living room interior design, creative toilet interior designs and even HDB interior design ideas such as, 4-Room HDB interior design, 5-Room HDB interior design theme and condominium design styles. For more inspirational ideas and advice, contact AC Vision today.