Your living room is one of the central points of your home. Alongside the kitchen, it’s one of the rooms that you’ll spend the most time in. So if you’re going to invest time, energy, and money into any room, it would make sense to begin with the living room.
Thankfully, there are some rather simple ways to upgrade a boring, cookie-cutter living room and transform it into a space that feels beautiful and luxurious.
Try These 5 Design Tips and Tricks
You don’t have to spend a ton of time or money to make your living room look and feel expensive and luxurious. It’s all about strategically adding and removing certain elements.
Let’s explore several helpful tips.
1. Declutter and Simplify
Clutter and luxury don’t go together. If you have lots of tchotchkes and knickknacks lying around, it’s impossible to achieve an “expensive” look. Instead, your living room will be characterized by words like “down-home” or “homey.” There’s nothing wrong with those descriptors, but it’s a far cry from the look you’re trying to achieve.
When renovating your living room, start by removing everything that’s not a piece of furniture. You can then slowly reintroduce the right elements as you redesign the room. Subscribe to the mantra that less is more.
2. Upgrade Your Fireplace Surround
A fireplace is an important part of a living room. (If you don’t have one, there are ways to add certain types of electric or gas fireplaces without having to do extensive renovations.) However, sometimes certain designs can make your living room feel dated. This is when it pays off to upgrade your fireplace surround and mantel.
When it comes to fireplace mantels, there are plenty of different options. Stylistically, you can go with a floating mantel, mantel shelf, or even a full mantel surround. As far as materials go, you can get as creative as you’d like.
However, if “luxurious” is the goal for the aesthetic, keeping it simple is usually best. Materials like stone are great for an elegant look, while wood can be used to introduce some rich texture into the room.
3. Add a Large Area Rug
Whether you have hardwood or carpet in your living room, you can glam things up a bit by adding a large area rug. Not only does this add visual interest, but it also creates the illusion of having a larger room (which people usually equate to being expensive and luxurious).
Using large area rugs makes the space feel more prominent. Just make sure not to go too big for the space. The rug should come within 12 inches of the walls on all sides. You also want to ensure that the rug is large enough so that all furniture – including chairs, sofas, and coffee tables, are placed on top of the rug. At the very least, the front legs need to be on the rug.
In terms of the rug’s design, simplicity is once again a primary objective. Neutral colors and soft pastels are always a good choice. You can certainly use rugs with patterns, but be careful not to get too crazy. An intense pattern on a surface area this large can easily feel overwhelming.
4. Opt for Larger Artwork
Nothing screams “luxury” like large pieces of artwork hanging on the wall. A single painting with a floating frame on a wall looks a lot better than a bunch of different pieces thrown together in a gallery wall. (If you do choose to go the gallery wall route, try to use consistency. For example, black frames and white mattes.)
5. Use Layered Lighting
Most homeowners completely ignore lighting. Or, if they do pay attention to it, they’re so focused on the design of the fixture that they forget about how all of the lighting fits together to create a certain ambiance.
To create a luxury vibe, you want to invest in a layered lighting scheme. There should be overhead lighting (on dimmer switches), task lighting, and accent lighting. Choose bulbs with warm hues and avoid harsh whites.
Give Your Living Room a Makeover
Transform your living room into a beautiful space that you’re proud to call your own. You don’t have to do it overnight, and you certainly don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars. With the right approach and an eye for detail, you can take your current living room and transform it into a luxurious space that makes people say, wow!
