If you’re looking for living room ideas, it’s always a good idea to seek the advice of interior designers for their hard-earned interior design tips. Perhaps one of the most important questions to ask before a renovation is where to start? Here, an interior designer shares her thoughts.
“Living rooms are arguably one of the most important rooms in a home – but making a living room functional and inviting while keeping it a cutting-edge space can be challenging,” says Sarah Stacey of Sarah Stacey Interior Design, based in Austin. (opens in a new tab).
Below, Sarah has rounded up her top tips, tricks, and advice for perfecting your living room, whether you’re renovating or just looking for a quick makeover.
1. Define your style
(Image credit: Sarah Stacey)
‘What’s your style?’ Sarah asks. It doesn’t have to be what previous owners of your home liked; you can rework what’s there now to fit what you like. “The old fireplace in this room was very traditional and the owners wanted a more modern aesthetic. Renovating the fireplace wall was a great opportunity to have a nice focal point and bring in some architectural detail.
“The perimeter tiling has been replaced with a sophisticated black stone and moldings have been added to update the wall. The traditional coat has been eliminated to give a more modern look.
The easiest way to set your style is to bookmark, capture, or save salon images until you have a cohesive, cohesive look you love.
2. Consider the main purpose of your trade show
(Image credit: Sarah Stacey)
The layout of the living room really depends on how you will be using the room, so consider what you use most regularly and don’t make any gaps.
“Determine how you want to use the space which will inform the layout,” advises Sarah. “If you frequently relax and spend family time in the room, for example, consider setting up functional and comfortable rooms that you can live in.
“Always do a furniture layout on paper along with proper measurements to determine exactly what size pieces are needed for the room. Make sure you leave enough room to move around furniture, even if you’re working with a small space.
Sectional living room ideas, for example, are useful in living rooms that convert to family rooms.
3. Determine your color palette
(Image credit: Sarah Stacey)
The living room color ideas are endless, but it’s often best to think in terms of a whole-home color scheme.
“Decide on a color palette for the room that will coordinate with the rest of the house,” advises Sarah. “For a quick fix, changing a rug has a big impact on the overall look of the room and can set the tone for the whole space.”
4. Choose accent colors
(Image credit: Sarah Stacey)
‘Identify your accent colors. For a home to be cohesive, you still need to have versions of that color in other rooms so the eye moves from room to room, not shocking, but a good compromise.
5. Consider what you can spend
(Image credit: Sarah Stacey)
The personalization and styling of the living room is key to the finished look, so always factor that into your redesign.
“Reduce your budget,” says Sarah. ‘Remember to allow at least 30% for accessories. Also, shop around your home to see if other areas may have items that could be put to better use in the new space.
‘Finally, enjoy your new space and remember, nothing is permanent! You can always tweak the details here and there to suit your ever-changing lifestyle.
