15 Simple Living Room Ideas That You Can Adapt To Your Own Home

The living room is almost always the heart of every home. It’s the center of the social area, space where we welcome our guests and where we spend most of our free time while at home.

It’s thus important for this room to be welcoming and to suit our needs. The living room setup is closely linked to each person’s lifestyle and aesthetic preferences. It’s easy to overcomplicate things and to want to include too many elements or to focus on too many details at once. These simple living room ideas might perhaps inspire you to seek a different approach.

How to Decorate a Simple Living Room

While decorating a simple space as vast as your living room may seem daunting, creating a place that appeals to you on both a form and function level is easier than you think. 

Multifunctional pieces

Stock up on versatile, stylish-meets-utilitarian goods. Ottomans can be made from upholstered coffee tables. When necessary, a sofa sleeper enables the space to function as a guest room. 

When selecting investment pieces, it’s important to maximize their utility! From there, she explains, the recipe is straightforward: Determine the space’s center. Arrange your rug first, followed by your coffee table and sofa. Balance the space with one or two side chairs. 

It immediately adds utility. Introduce ambient lighting to the floor or a side table adjacent to the sofa, as well as a basket for rolled throws, and you should be good to go. 

Make use of art and objects

Out of all your household’s rooms, this frequently used space should be the most reflective of you. Make certain to demonstrate your style and flare in enjoyable ways. This does not have to mean that your walls are covered in family photos; it could simply mean that the artwork on display is inspired by overseas travels. 

How do you decorate flat surfaces such as bookcases, consoles, and coffee tables? Consider the former two as treasure chests and add a pair of plants or even table lamps on the consoles to balance them out. For the latter, coffee table literature, a candle, and a brass vintage piece always work well to complete this surface.

Consider playing with texture

When arranging a living room, it’s easy to overlook texture, especially when we don’t see it as often as we touch it. However, it is critical for creating a warm atmosphere in a living room, which includes both velvety textures that appeal to the touch and harsher textures that create contrast. Include as many different textures as possible, such as glass, stone, metal, wood, cotton, and even plants.

Pillows are an excellent place to begin, even more so if you’re decorating a living room on a shoestring budget. Consider adding different materials to the palette through other accessories and furnishings, even in modest amounts.

What Size Rug for Living Room

Choosing the appropriate size rug for your living room will add balance and warmth, providing the ideal finishing touch. Additionally, it serves as a basis for your living area, gives comfort underfoot, and contributes to the protection of your floors. 

A living room rug is a focal point in the area, so it should look and feel well. While there are no hard and fast rules regarding living room rug placement or area rug size, there are a few rug recommendations that can help you achieve the appearance and feel you desire for your home.

When it comes to rugs, bigger is better, and a few inches can make all the difference in whether your rug pulls the space together or creates an unfinished feeling. 

As a result, investing in a larger-sized rug will always show to be worthwhile. We recommend choosing a rug size between 8 by 10 and 9 by 12 feet in length and ensuring that it is at least six to eight inches wider on both sides than your sofa.

Run the rug the length of the largest sofa piece and provide 30 to 36 inches of walkway between the larger pieces of furniture if your space permits. Allow at least 18 to 24 inches of space in your living room if it is small. This should assist you in making an informed decision regarding rug size.

How to Decorate a Small Living Room

There are certain living room decor ideas that you can turn to if you want to decorate a small living room, so let’s take a look at a few tips on how to make it happen.

Use creative storage solutions

Consider bookcases, storage inside furnishings, and a specific location for keys and mail if the living room is adjacent to the foyer. Additionally, covert storage for gadgets and wiring is possible.

Choose tall wall art

Your little living area has a small footprint. There is a limited amount of floor area, and you already have a plethora of furniture strewn around the floor. To achieve equilibrium in this situation, you want to draw attention upwards. It’s as though you’re deceiving your brain.

Tall art is your ally in this scenario. The same is true if you wish to install tall sheer curtains. You’d run them from the ceiling to the ground. Additionally, you may put an eye-catching ceiling light to draw your attention upward. Choose an item for the living room’s main wall and make it the space’s focal point. Fill the wall full as well, don’t be shy.

Add mirrors

In a small living area, a mirror on a wall helps bounce light about the room. Increased light in a location creates the illusion of additional air and space. This is another optical illusion.

Additionally, by placing a mirror on a wall close to a window, you may reflect what is happening outside. Additionally, if you have anything lovely outside, this is another opportunity to divert attention away from the space’s modest size.

Furthermore, it can connect the inside to the exterior, fooling the eye and blurring the boundaries between the little chamber and the outside world.

How to Place a Rug in a Living Room

The form, size, and configuration of your living room should govern the rug’s size and position in order to guarantee that the space appears comfortable and connected. In general, your living room rug should be the same size as your seating area in order to anchor your conversation area. 

Always begin by reading the room

When selecting the rug size and orientation for your living room, check that it is proportionate to the space.

Align the rug with the shape of the living room

Place the rug in such a way that it echoes the room’s size). It also helps if you own large furniture pieces, if your space is irregularly shaped, or if your furniture is not against a wall. This will help to enlarge the room and create a visual flow.

Create a mental image of the finished layout

Before you buy, use painter’s tape to model up the placement of your living room rug. It enables you to visualize how your rug will fit into the room from all angles. Experiment with several area rug sizes to choose the best fit for your budget and space, as well as to get a feel for how the rug will feel.

How to Arrange Furniture in a Small Living Room

Small living rooms are usually those that have less than 130 square feet, so it’s pretty understandable if you’re having a hard time arranging furniture to actually have space to move around. Here are some living room decor tips that might help you with that. 

Choose furniture wisely

Every piece of furniture counts in a small living space. Select slimmer tables and replace your floor lamps with wall sconces to conserve valuable floor space. 

When it comes to seating, close-back sofas and club chairs are your best friends. They can be far less deep than loose-back choices while maintaining the same level of comfort. Consider installing shelves on the wall and a floating desk in lieu of cumbersome bookcases and workstations.

Remove furniture you don’t use daily

Remove any furniture or objects from the living room floor that you don’t use on a daily basis, that don’t fulfill your needs, or that don’t reflect your style.

For instance, if you require additional storage, eliminate end tables that lack storage of any kind. Additionally, eliminate gliding or rocking chairs from a small living room, as they use a great deal of space.

Opt for floating furniture

In any room with limited space, it’s tempting to cram all large furniture towards the walls in order to create a pool of open flooring in the center. However, while handy for cartwheels (and there is a certain liberation in being able to do so) the area would be better utilized serving a purpose.

Living Room Indoor Plants

No list of living room decor ideas would be complete without talking about greenery. If you’re on a budget or live in a rental where you can’t spend much on decoration, invest in some plants. Greenery breathes new energy and vitality into any room and doesn’t cost very much. 

Anthurium

Anthurium is a conversation starter with its beautiful heart-shaped crimson or pink blossoms that endure for weeks! It requires plenty of bright and indirect light, but never direct sunlight. Allow it to dry somewhat between waterings.

Peace Lily

The gleaming leaves and intriguing spoon-shaped white blossoms of the peace lily bring flair to any arrangement. They thrive in low to moderate light, but blossom best in bright light. Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.

Maranta

The maranta plant, often known as the prayer plant, has lovely, veined leaves that curl upward at night, as if in prayer. It’s a low-maintenance plant as long as it receives adequate light. Allow it to dry somewhat between waterings.

Moth Orchid

These delicate-looking orchids, also known as phalaenopsis, are more robust than their delicate appearance would suggest. They have a month-long blooming period and can live for years. Provide them with ample, indirect light. Add water on a weekly basis, until the water drains from the bottom of the pot.

Spider Plant

The spider plant’s arching, strappy leaves look best on shelves or hanging baskets, where they can dangle down. While they prefer bright light, they can adapt to dim light. Trim the little plantlets that form and place them in another pot of dirt to create new plants.

Living Room Decorating Ideas With Simple Techniques

The main piece of furniture in the living room is usually the sofa. This can also take the form of a couch, a sectional, a loveseat and so on depending on how much space you can dedicate to it and the overall layout of the room. Rather than complicating the space with unusual or original seating options, stick with the basics instead and focus on comfort.

Living rooms that have an elongated shape can be difficult to furnish. A clever and at the same time practical idea can be to create two or more seating areas that complement each other rather than trying to concentrate everything in one spot. This way you can have separate conversation areas but you’d still be allowing everyone to easily interact with each other.

Dividers are really great for living rooms, especially the ones with large open floor plans. They’re useful for creating visual separations between areas with different functions. For example, a divider can be placed between the seating area and the dining room. This one is made of glass which still allows the two spaces to remain visually connected.

Most often than not, the main focal point of the living room is the TV. Its placement is very important because it also pretty much dictates where the sofa and the rest of the seating should be. Be sure to place the TV at a proper height and distance based on the configuration of the seating area.

As mentioned before, organizing the living room into several smaller seating areas can sometimes be a good idea. Each can have a different configuration and can be used for slightly different purposes. For example, a small nook with a couple of armchairs and a side table can make a nice reading area.

It can also be nice to have a little one-person lounge area with an armchair and a footstool where one can sit down, unwind and relax. It’s something that you can add to a corner of the living room and use as a reading nook. You can also position this in such a way so you can watch the TV from your favorite seat.

Dark colors can be used strategically in a living room to create areas that feel warm and cozy. For instance, this lounge area has a nice corner sectional and dark brown walls as a backdrop. That creates a very intimate and comfortable ambiance. The mirrors are decorations meant to brighten up the area and make it seem bigger.

A lot of times what makes a living room truly feel welcoming and inviting is the little things. There’s a lot that can go into this category, like the more general elements such as the throw pillows and the cushions on the sofa. The area rugs and the window treatments also change a room quite a bit.

Rather than having a sofa that’s facing a wall, it could be nice to add more seating in front of it, like a couple of chairs or a pouf. These can sit there temporarily whenever you want to create a cozy conversation area and the wall behind them can still be a focal point.

The layout and the decor of the living room have to be in harmony. That also includes elements such as the color palette and all the different materials, finishes and textures. going crazy with lot of different contrasting elements can give the room a disorganized look and makes it feel less inviting and relaxing than a simpler decor would.

Filling the living room with lots of matching furniture pieces can end up looking overwhelming or dull. However, if used correctly, this design strategy can also help to make the room look and feel more pleasant by adding a sense of familiarity to it. Notice the subtle little details in this chic seating area setup like the golden tips of the tapered legs.

This living room setup takes simplicity to a new level. Rather than the typical sofa or sectional with padded backs and lots of cushions this space features sleek and stylish benches. The dark leather upholstery and the pattern add visual interest to the room and go really well with the blue and gold accents.

Versatility and flexibility are important when designing the living room. Ideally, this space could be used in several different ways. For example, it could be a place where you can sit down with some guests and chat, where you can play board games, watch TV, lounge and so on. Being able to easily switch the configuration of the room is very helpful.

Focus the lighting at the center of the sitting area is possible in order to create a pleasant and harmonious effect. That usually works if the room is large enough to have multiple light fixtures. In a small room, an offset chandelier can add a messy vibe to the space. You can also rely on lamps to complement the ceiling fixtures and to balance out the lighting.

Finding a suitable placement for the sofa is a big part of creating a harmonious and comfortable setup. A lot of times the sofa is pushed against one of the walls which is definitely space-efficient. If you want to try something a bit different and less common you can pull the sofa away from the wall a little bit and fit a table or some shelves back there.

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