It’s the heart of your home. It’s where you catch up with old friends, entertain family and come to unwind after a long day – on your favorite couch, of course. Your living room truly sits at the core of your home and the center of your life.
You don’t, however, have to participate in the shabby chic trend when it comes to the most communal living space in your house. Read on to learn a few simple yet unique tips and tricks to add a sumptuous air of luxury and comfort to the hub of your house.
Gather ‘Round the (Electric) Fireplace for Chic, Cozy and Clean Fun
Wood-burning fireplaces can be dirty. Soot and sparks can make quite the mess, and any flame indoors carries with it danger, risk, and less ominously, an increased insurance rate. Let’s face it: soot and logs in your home don’t exactly give it a modern or chic feel.
A realistic electric fireplace can give your home all of the ambiance and even warmth of a real fireplace without any of the maintenance, clean-up, or frustration of a log fireplace. Most models require nothing more than a wall outlet and standalone units are often ready to use out of the box.
Typically utilizing LED light projections and a screen, some electric fireplaces can even offer rather stylish adjustable color options including white, blue and green in addition to the more traditional red, orange and yellow hues.
They’re often also more than just pretty adornments for your living room, too. Many models also offer built-in heating options that allow you to operate the “flame” independently of the heater – meaning that you can add a bit of blazing panache to your get-togethers year-round and in any climate. Blue flames to match the blue summer sky, anyone?
If you do choose to use your electric fireplace for heating purposes, you can also save some money on your central heating bills – just as you could with a wood-burning fire – but with no splitting logs or smoke included!
Many homeowners also love electric fireplaces for their safety. When the “flame” is a projection on a screen, you don’t have to worry about children or pets playing with fire. They’ll stay cool to the touch, and can even be installed into a wall, cabinetry, or under a TV with a relatively small clearance.
Tie the Room Together
A large area rug, placed strategically, can add the perfect accent to your living area. Highlight the seating area and coffee table with a rug large enough to fit all furniture legs underneath it. A good rule of thumb, when sizing the rug is to measure the shortest wall in your living room and select a rug that’s two feet shorter than that.
Incorporating different textures is an excellent idea when it comes to floor coverings, as they can help give you an exotic, more natural feel and incorporate tactile variety into your room. Not only will your living room be a feast for the eyes, but interesting quirks in texture can spice things up when walking from one area to another.
Jute rugs offer an easy and appealing way to jazz your floors up. They’re made of a natural fiber that’s soft & durableand are also used in other products such as burlap fabrics. The rugs can either be found in their natural tan color or dyed so that you can work their stylish, comforting feel into your color scheme.
Tell Your Story on the Walls
A large, tasteful piece of artwork is a wonderful way to avoid that “just moved-in” look and add a bit of flair. When you sit down for tea and conversation with your guests, you want something more than just nice to look at. While it can be nice, avoid generic art that doesn’t tell the viewer anything about yourself.
Try looking for a work of art that has a personal connection to you, even if the artist wasn’t your uncle or mom. A scene from somewhere you used to live, a portrayal of your favorite pastime, or even a vista from your favorite travel destination or your family’s ancestral homeland can add that special touch and make for a great conversation piece.
Get in on the Ground Floor
Consider changing your flooring to add extra flow and elegance to your living room and home with wood. A wooden floor adds a touch of class and timelessness to a space and can always be warmed up (while preserving the general look and feel) with the use of rugs.
Exotic woods like Brazilian Koa and Siamese Rosewood give the feel of an artistic backdrop and are, of course, natural and varied, giving a dignified but natural look to your abode. Tones range from blonde to brown to dark red and beyond, giving you an assortment of options.
Installing a wooden floor in your living room also affords you a great opportunity to remodel your entire ground floor and allow for trip-free travel to the kitchen and back. Having one type of flooring over a large swath of your house will make it look larger, less chopped-up, and more inviting than having unsightly, protruding thresholds between each area.
Hit the Lights
The dull “on/off” dichotomy just won’t do for your swanky salon: stand out from the crowd with dimmable lighting!
Installing dimmer switches with the appropriate bulbs gives you the ability to create your own mood lighting – later evenings in the armchair with a drink and a book shouldn’t be splashed in light like the after-dinner gathering around the coffee table to play “Go Fish”!
Being able to dim your lights also has an economical upside: dimming your light bulbs as little as 10 percent can double their life and save on energy costs, too.
Dimmable switches also allow you to ease back into full-on lighting after a movie and can help set the mood. More succinctly, dimmable lighting is the final touch to your living room because it gives you the versatility of being able to (literally) cast your room in a different light.
Luxurious Living Can be Yours
A little bit goes a long way when it comes to your home. A few considerations made towards heating, ambiance, lighting & decor can give your living room a refined feel with a touch of your style. Don’t overthink it, and sophisticated style can be your lifestyle.
