Give Your Living Room an Inviting Warmth

Your living room is the soul of the home. You put your income into your mortgage and home insurance and entrust your family to your home’s protection, so you should also invest in the heart and soul of your home to make it a warm and welcoming place. It is where friends, family, and unexpected guests relax before and after a meal. It should be an inviting room, but that does not mean that a living room cannot be a showplace as well as a retreat.

As with any room design, it is imperative that you begin with a plan, or your redecorating efforts can lead to a result that is haphazard and unappealing. Even if you can only make a few changes at a time, it is necessary to keep a firm plan in mind when making purchases or alterations.

1. Assess the Room

The dimension of your living room space will play a large role in which design elements you choose to incorporate. If you have high ceiling you will want to bring the eye-level of the room down and “shrink it” This effect can be achieved by the use of suspended lighting or illuminated paintings or pictures. If your living room area is part of a larger, open floor plan, you will need to define the living room area using careful furniture placement, area rugs, or chest-high dividing walls. Smaller rooms will need to be made to feel larger. Interior designers suggest using a combination of light and shadow to create the illusion of depth and size.

2. Pick Your Palette

Creating a warm and cozy space requires the use of warm and cozy colors. The use of warm colors such as yellow, red, orange, and even browns create a soothing, comforting effect in your living room. However, do not overdo it. Having neutral shades of these colors offset by bolder hues is a fantastic way to bring warmth and vibrancy into the living room. Be judicious with your use of blue or grays. While attractive, these colors do not necessarily provide the impression of warmth and coziness that a living room might want to give off.

3. Choose Your Furniture

Comfort is the operative word when choosing living room furniture. You do not want your guests to be perched on narrow chairs. You want your guests to want to sit and visit not feel as if they are on display. Interior decorators suggest using rich, upholstered furniture with a plethora of throw pillows and decorative cushions to create an inviting effect, but if you must have firm furniture, you should go with unfinished wood for the living room. Wood has natural warmth.

4. Accent Your Space

The accents, or little decorative touches, make a room uniquely yours. They give the room life and personality. Accents are vital to creating a warm and cozy environment. They make the room yours and invite your guests into your home and life. An interior designer may even help add accents that complement the room’s style.

• Photos and Paintings

Tasteful photos in warm wooden frames provide a glimpse into your family’s life that guests are sure to appreciate it. They can break up the line on tables and shelves and provide a spark for conversation. Paintings are also an excellent way to accent a room, but remember your goals when hanging paintings. Keep that at or right above eye level if you have high ceilings.

• Plants and Flowers

Plants and flowers live and breathe, and life means warmth. This means plants are an excellent way to breathe life into a living room area. Place cut flowers on a table as a centerpiece or potted plants along the floor space. However, please, remember to water your plants and make sure they receive ample light. Dead or sick plants will not achieve the desired effect.

• Books

Books are perfect for giving a room a lived in look. Place stacks of books on end tables or line them along shelves. Coffee table books are excellent for, you guessed it, the coffee table.

Transforming your living room into a warm and inviting space is easy, and it is surprisingly affordable. With just a few accents and a clear plan, you can quickly make your living room not only the soul of the home but a showplace.

Author Bio: Susan D. is a freelance writer and interior decorator. When not helping her friends with design projects, she enjoys comparing car insurance and health insurance to help people save money.

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