A living room is not much use if it is too perfect to live in - it needs to be comfortable, inviting, relaxing, functional and, of course, beautiful – a room both your guests and family will admire and enjoy. All these things are possible and achievable and at Morris Homes we design our living rooms and family spaces to provide the perfect blank canvas for our buyers.
Collect pictures from magazines and ideas from Pinterest and Instagram gathering ideas from your favourite rooms and find things that spark your imagination – colours, a piece of furniture or a painting. It is always possible to create the same effect for much less than advertised in the magazines.
It is important to decide on a focal point in the room for instance; a beautiful fireplace, a stunning view, a painting, or a big screen TV, then arrange your seating around this focal point. Do not clutter up the room with unnecessary items of furniture – less is more and clutter detracts from the space and elegance of a room.
Furniture does not always have to be against a wall – arrange the seating so that it is positioned to be comfortable for conversation, TV viewing or just relaxing. Symmetrical placement of furniture helps to create an uncluttered feel and it is ideal to have seating for at least 6 people. This can be accomplished with a combination of sofas, armchairs and ottomans. Make sure you have enough space between objects to move freely around the room.
Have tables near all your seating to put drinks down and various types of lighting to create the right mood and light for relaxing, reading, watching TV, or entertaining. Table and floor lamps are great accessories picture lights enhance your favourite wall art.
Define areas of the room with rugs, which also add colour and texture to the room. Place your favourite art opposite the seating so that your guests can enjoy it too.
Statement mirrors, which are a key design element and also useful for reflecting other favourite items, feature walls or a gorgeous view, but can be distracting if they are placed where you and your guests can see yourselves when sitting down – some people may find this fascinating, but in general its not a good idea.
Window treatments – there are so many to choose from and these, once again, depend on the look you want to achieve. Plantation (wooden) shutters are perfect for a coastal or New England look and also work well with modern farmhouse style, while venetian blind compliment a modern interior. Curtains in a living room always look best if they are full length and include the dominant colour of the largest piece of furniture. This helps to provide a background for the design and to bring the scheme together.
It is the accessories that bring your room to life – they add colour, texture and pattern and are easy to change if you want to update your look. Smaller accessories look best grouped together but avoid overdoing them and creating clutter. And don’t forget plants, which bring life into a room and have a calming, peaceful affect.
Reuse repurpose recycle your existing furniture – you will save money and the planet by recovering sofas and chairs, buying from house sales and auctions. Paint things different colours and change handles and trims to update them for your new Morris home.
Reuse repurpose recycle your existing furniture – you will save money and the planet by recovering sofas and chairs, buying from house sales and auctions. Paint things different colours and change handles and trims to update them for your new Morris home.