Your living room is where you gather around and create your favourite moments together. Whether it's big occasions with your guests or simple Netflix dates and playtime with the kids on your sofa, your living room should be a conducive space to bond and do the things you love. What is better than creating moments in a memorable space? With these simple steps, you can design your own cosy and welcoming living room that your family and friends will love.
Declutter
One of the most important yet overlooked steps in creating a cosy living room is keeping it clean and uncluttered. A cluttered space gives you so much stress and makes it difficult to do your daily tasks. Clutter takes away the area where you are supposed to move or keep the important items in your home. A cluttered home becomes overwhelming and is not conducive to healthy home living. As for your guests, clutter takes away the welcoming atmosphere that your home is supposed to have.
Decluttering helps you organise and preserve your items. It saves you time from getting the things that you need, gives you more space to move into your home, and the sight of a clean home helps you clear your mind.
Clutter does not only concern your living room but your whole house as well. Although it is inevitable to have your items piled up at some point, especially if you have kids at home, it is necessary to manage your items and only keep those that are beneficial.
You do not need to declutter your space all at once. You can begin by making a checklist or a schedule that you should follow to avoid transferring clutter from one location to another by attempting to organise everything all at once. Separate the items you must keep from those you discard to free up space for only the necessities.
For small living rooms, get multi-functional storage solutions to keep some items out of sight while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your space.
Create a Clean and Welcoming Entryway
Whether you have a spacious foyer for your flat or a small one, having a clean entryway makes a big difference in designing a welcoming space. Since the first thing your guests will see in your flat is your entryway, it is important to make it remarkable. Make sure to clean your surroundings, including your door and the ceiling. Nothing is more impressive than a clean and well-organised home. Set up a shoe cabinet or a rack and avoid piling your shoes on the doorstep. Add simple wall decorations and greenery to your shoe cabinet to set the mood.
Choose a Welcoming Sofa and an Elegant Coffee Table
As its focal point, your sofa is in charge of uplifting the ambience of your living room.
Get a stylish and functional sofa that will work as a statement piece for your living room. The style will solely depend on your needs and style preferences. If you want to create a cosy minimalist living room, opt for a monochromatic sofa and spruce it up with accent furniture and textures.
For a more striking design, do not hesitate to explore different colours, designs, and materials. Velvet sofas, for example, are not the intimidating furniture you think they are. Sectionals also provide a cosy appeal to your living room. As for your coffee table, it is important to get one that complements the visual weight of the sofa while providing ample space to entertain or store items underneath.
When it comes to coffee tables, there are numerous styles to choose from. Do not be afraid to experiment and step outside the box.
Add Accent Furniture and Accessories
Even for minimalist living room designs, accent furniture and decorations bring character to your area. This is where you get extra creative with your extra items, this is where you give your space a touch of your personality.
Create a relaxing corner for your me time with a comfortable recliner armchair with generous padding and an ergonomic build. Add a twist to a monochromatic living room with a cute coloured accent chair. Play with scale with a tall and slim side table to anchor your sofa.
To make it more noticeable, you can create an accent wall and paint it a colour different from your base. Add minimalist wall art or other decorations like memorabilia to make your home more distinctive and personal.
Create a Conversation-Friendly Furniture Arrangement
The most exciting part of your living room's interior design is probably arranging the furniture. The way you put your furniture pieces together does not only have to focus on the visual aspect. Your furniture arrangement, more than anything, should encourage conversation and entertainment. Ensure you have a focal point to anchor all your furniture pieces. If your focal point is your television, gather your furniture around the unit. Keep the proper distance between your television and your furniture, placing your television at eye level. For L-shaped sofas, creating a conversation-friendly arrangement is easier since it naturally closes the space. For individual sofas and accent chairs, set an angle where people can converse at ease.
You can go for a symmetrical furniture arrangement where you place pieces facing each other, giving enough space for the traffic. You can also arrange a 2 to 4-seater sofa and two additional chairs on each side of your coffee table where snacks and drinks are within your reach. Add some ottomans or stackable chairs and place them strategically if you need extra seating options.
Freshen Up Your Space with Air Cooling Appliances
Aside from the looks of your living room, your air quality also matters in maintaining an inviting ambience. The heat in Singapore usually becomes uncomfortable, even indoors. That is why it is essential to get cooling appliances like an energy-efficient air conditioner, a dehumidifier, or an air cooler to maintain healthy indoor air quality.
Getting potted indoor plants is another way to freshen up your living room. Place your indoor plants in strategic areas where they can add to the visual value of your living room while ensuring that they do not obstruct traffic areas. If you are busy, don’t worry because many potted indoor plants require less maintenance.
It might be a bit daunting to visualise the final look of your living room, let alone do the actual work. The important thing is to share your personality through your design.