The Essentials Of Good Living Room Design
24th Apr 2023Posted by Alice Ewens on 24th Apr 2023
The essentials of good living room design can be hard to pin down when there's so much contradictory information out there. One person says this, another says the opposite - a recipe for DIY disaster! But, you can design your dream living room with a few handy insider tips from our resident artist and designer!
Our Product Design lead, Laura, has offered up her insider know-how from years of being an artist, furniture designer, and former estate agent on what really matters when designing your living room! The most important thing is to go in with a plan! And we've got that plan right here. It's all about finding the right balance between form and function (and personal taste!). From choosing the right furniture to selecting the perfect color scheme, there are a few key essentials to keep in mind when designing your living room. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most important elements of good living room design, so you can create a space that's both beautiful and functional.
Get A Feel For The Room, Your Tastes And Your Budget
Yes, we all love a good vision board and Pinterest can be a great way for collecting your ideas in one place. But - will a maximalist explosion of colours and patterns actually work in the small room you've got (for example)?
Know your room - what size are you working with? Where is the natural light and where are the shadowy corners? This can help influence the placement of things like lamps and mirrors, but also affect what colours to use and how they'll look. What do you want it to achieve and how do you want it to make you feel? Fun and playful? Relaxing and calm? Bold? Designed around entertaining or designed around cosy family time?
Make a list of what you want your space to do, what your space is able to offer (size, light, obstacles or features like fireplaces etc.) and styles you like. Understand your available budget and scope - this will really affect how big you can go with remodeling; can you afford it. Lastly, are you allowed to decorate? For renters, this can be a hurdle but not a full stop; there's still a lot you can do with temporary changes and accessories!
Then make your mood boards for inspiration!
The 60/30/10 : The Essentials Of Good Living Room Design
The 60/30/10 rule defines the proportions of how to use colour in a room to create a pleasing interior.
Choose one main colour and use it in 60% of the room (on the walls, the flooring and/or in the larger items of furniture). It creates a base for everything else - think of it as a room primer.
Next, choose a secondary colour and use it across about 30% of the room (think accent chairs, soft furnishings or a feature wall).
The 10% is saved for a final ‘pop’ of another colour. You can use accessories, greenery, soft furnishings or artwork to good effect here.
Feature Wall Hack
If you’re not confident to pick colours that will work well together, a patterned wallpaper is a great way to start because the hard work is done for you! All you need do is choose a wallpaper you really like, then pick out colours from it for the 60% and 10%. The wallpaper itself will make up the 30% if you use it on one wall in the room.
Know Where To Invest Your Money
Following the 60/30/10 rule means working from the big stuff down to the smaller stuff and is another of the essentials of good living room design. You can set the feel of your space from the big stuff through to the small stuff. If you're aiming for a modern, minimalist living room, but the room already has some 70s gold shag carpet, it won’t matter how white your walls and furniture are, you'll always notice the floor first. This is a particular problem for tenants in rented properties. Flooring, walls and ceilings make up the 60% base of a room design so they’re pretty important. If you can’t change the flooring then big rugs are where to invest some of your money!
Then, it's about the big furniture pieces - sofas, armchairs etc. The look, colour, and finish of these will have a big impact on your room. As tempting as it is to jump on the big trends, consider futureproofing your pieces to last through multiple styles while the room around them can be updated. Also, make sure to measure your space before you buy!
Small Details Can Be Just As Essential For Good Dining Room Design
Now it's time to think about the smaller things. What do you want to pop? Do you want your fixtures, smaller furniture pieces, and soft furnishings to stand out or blend into the background? Do you want a feature coffee table as a focal point or something that blends seamlessly into the surroundings to keep a sense of space? The same can apply to your lighting, switches, curtains, and cushions. This is where you can really let your personality shine and also get on those interior trends without breaking the bank. A few well-chosen accessories can shift the overall style of the room.
Top: A coffee table that acts as a focal point that stands out;
Bottom: A coffee table that blends into the surroundings
How Do You Do Yours?
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