Living rooms tend to gather clutter and lose their charm as time passes. If you haven’t redecorated recently, chances are the living room could use at least a minor makeover. When you don’t have the time and/or money for a total transformation, look for other ways to renew the space.
With teleworking on the rise, you may have brought books, binders, folders, electronics, etc. from your office to your living room. If job-related materials are on your coffee table, how will you ever feel like the work day is ended and it’s time to relax? Not to mention, these things do little for the style and ambiance of a living room! If you have this problem, odds are you don’t have a spare room waiting to be turned into your home office. The solution? Clear out a corner of the living room and have a frosted glass panel installed to separate this area from the rest of the room. With the addition of an inexpensive desk, chair, and lamp, you have a home office AND your work items no longer define the theme of your living room décor!
Whether your living room furniture is brightly patterned or a solid neutral shade, you can update your color scheme with a rug and throw pillows. For example, if the furniture has a many-hued floral or geometric design, you can balance this with gray, cream, or white accent pillows and rug. On the flip side, use a bold stylish color to energize a living room dominated by neutral tones. If you want to experiment with different color combos before buying anything, upload a picture of your living room into a photo editing program and draw squares of different colors on the couch and floor to get an idea of how different colored rugs and pillows would look with your furniture.
If your living room is small, you can make it feel more open by replacing some of the surfaces with transparent glass. Possibilities include:
Working with a glass company such as ABC Glass & Mirror, you can order custom glass table tops, shelves, and cabinet glass, and have them professionally installed.
Have you ever bought something for a room and then felt the need to clean, declutter, etc. so that the new item could look its best? Sometimes you just need to look at your living room with fresh eyes, and buying a new accessory or piece of furniture helps us do this.
If you go beyond cleaning and decluttering, a new furniture arrangement can really alter the look and feel of the items you already have. Here are some tried and true tips for living room layout.
• Place seating options fairly close together so people can converse easily. In a large living room this might mean several groupings. In a small living room, it means having the sofa and chair(s) reasonably close to one another.
• Don’t push furniture up against the wall. (In a compact living room, the couch might have to be positioned like this, but try to place other furnishings at least a little ways out from the walls.)
• Consider traffic flow. If the living room is between two other rooms this is especially important since you need to leave space for people to walk through without having to sidestep the corner of the coffee table!
• Remember the “rule of three.” Basically, items are more attractive when grouped into threes (or another odd number.) This can impact how you arrange knick knacks on a shelf or how you group your furnishings in a large room. Also, if you have a very compact living room with just a couch and chair, try to add another small piece to balance things out. This could be a floor lamp, side table, or storage ottoman.
You might want to completely replace your ceiling light fixtures, but sometimes you can give them a fresh look by just changing the glass globes. Likewise, you can update lamp shades for the appearance of new table lamps. Adding lighting options could mean replacing heavy drapery with lightweight curtains, or you could buy some lamps if your living room is currently lit only by the ceiling light. Another cozy and inexpensive option is LED flameless candles.
If you’d like to use glass and mirror to update your living room, ABC offers a wide range of products and services. We will tailor each piece to your needs and preferences and professionally install it for an optimal finished look. Wall mirrors, glass shelving, and glass table tops are just some of the items we offer. To learn more or to set up a free in-home consultation, dial (703)257-7150.
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