Living Room Decor Ideas

Tips for Designing Your Own Gorgeous and Affordable Living Room

Living rooms serve as the heart of the home – a hub for relaxing, spending time with family, and gathering with friends. Thankfully, living rooms are no longer stuffy, formal areas reserved for special occasions. Today, living rooms are inviting, livable spaces designed with active families in mind. Check out these living room decor ideas to help style your space.

Although living rooms can be one of the priciest areas in the home to furnish, you don’t have to break the bank to create a welcoming space that fits your lifestyle and reflects your personal design aesthetic. Whether you are looking to refresh an existing room or start from scratch, applying basic elements of design will help you create a beautiful, comfortable, multi-purpose space on any budget.

I hope these design concepts and Do-It-Yourself tips will help allay doubts, foster creativity, and help you unleash your own design style. These four living room mood boards contain links for easy access to a diverse mix of save-and-splurge items and shoppable pieces to help you find the resources you need to create beautiful living room that is uniquely yours.

You can do this! We are here to help with free design consultations.

Neutral Living Room | Modern Classic Living Room | Organic Modern Living Room

Chose a Focal Point

One of the first steps in planning a well-devised room is to choose a focal point – a compelling element that draws the eye into the room and sets the overall tone for the design. Focal points can be any attention-grabbing element, including architectural features such a floor-to-ceiling window, an oversized fireplace, or a dramatic staircase. Focal points can also be created by accentuating ancillary items such as a statement chair, a unique art piece, an oversized sofa, or a specialty chandelier.

Creating a striking focal point is essential in providing the eye a place to land and establishing a visual hierarchy with the other design elements in the room.

Pick Your Colors

Perception of color is subjective. Some people are drawn to cool colors even as others embrace warmer tones. While you should always opt for colors that reflect your individual taste and personality, applying the rules of color theory can help you unify your design and set the prevailing mood for the room. Most importantly, choosing a good color palette can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Although many people associate the thought of a neutral color palette with boring beige tones, today’s neutral palettes are not limited to beige, and they are anything but boring!

I like to think of neutrals as the colors of nature – shades of gray, sable, mushroom, ecru, peach, walnut, sage, and even charcoal. There is a good reason neutral colors have remained a staple of interior design; they evoke a sense of nature’s tranquility.

Choose a Variety

Whether you prefer, light colors or dark hues, subtle tones or high contract, I find that incorporating three to four colors distributed in roughly a 60/30/10 ratio around a room creates a sense of harmony and balance. Choose a main color to weave throughout 60% of the room. Use a secondary color in 30% of the room. Finally, add one or two colors as accents in the remaining 10% of the room. This allocation of colors helps anchor the room and create harmony.

Colors communicate emotions. Vibrant colors express energy, vitality, and liveness while dark and heavily saturated pigments lend to a chic, sophisticated atmosphere. Greens and blues promote calmness, and red is stimulating. Don’t be afraid to choose colors that express your personality.

Because colors cycle in and out of style, I recommend choosing a timeless, neutral color for upholstered pieces and other expensive items. Introducing color into the room through pillows, throws, accessories, and other reasonably priced items, allows you to change the look of your room seasonally and keep pace with current trends without a total remodel.

Designer tip: Choose a neutral color on splurge items (sofas, coffee tables, etc.), and save by adding color in less expensive accessories, lamps, pillows, and paint.

Add Artwork

Artwork can add panache and character to your living room, but scale and placement are vital for success. There is no more tragic design fail than a tiny, unanchored picture hanging pitifully alone on a wall.

First, consider scale. Choose artwork that adequately fills the wall without overwhelming the space. If forced to choose between sizes, keep in mind that slightly oversized artwork generally looks better than dinky pieces that get lost on the wall. Second, consider placement. Artwork and furniture should relate to one another. Anchor artwork by hanging it 6 to 8 inches above a piece of furniture, behind the sofa, or over the fireplace.

Include a Rug

Rugs are a cozy and inexpensive way to layer texture, color, and pattern. Larger rugs cost more; so, to save money, I start with an inexpensive jute, sisal, or other neutral rug as a base and layer a smaller accent rug on top. The juxtaposition of the natural texture against the smooth pile of an accent rug creates interest and delivers a big bang for the buck.

Use rugs to visually anchor furniture and define separate living zones within the room. Lastly, choose a solid, floral, patterned, or geometric rug that complements the room’s color palette for a cohesive, finished look.

Hang Curtains

The consensus regarding curtains in interior design has waned and waxed over the years, but I personally find that framing a window with a long, striking cascade of a fabric is the perfect way to soften hard edges, highlight dramatic views, and introduce a sense of luxury to any room.

While blinds and shutters provide privacy and block light, there is no reason you should not add draperies, too. Even non-functional, decorative panels hung on the outer window molding harken to the splendor of regal homes and luxury hotels. I like curtains that hang as high as possible (just under the ceiling) and fall gently to the floor to lift the eye and accentuate the height of the room.

Living Room Option 1

I created the focal point of this room design by paring an oversized, wicker light fixture and a large, round coffee table. Using similar shapes and colors creates visual balance while opposing textures add an element of intrigue.

The olive greens, muted grays, and sable tones in the patterned rug extend a warm invitation into the room. However, subtle hues help to visually ground the lighter upholstered pieces.

Grouping accessories in odd numbers mimics nature and is more appealing to the eye. In this room, I grouped three accent pillows. I started with a large, gray Bohemia-inspired pillow. Then, I added an olive-green pillow. Lastly, I included a smaller sable and tan floral pillow. I thought this last pillow added charm. Repeating the muted colors from the rug in the pillows unites the overall room.

The white exterior against the contrasting natural wood interior of the 72” tall Promontory cabinet adds vertical mass to the room. It gives a beautiful aesthetic and displays well-curated accessories.

I love the structural details featured on the side of the Asian-inspired occasional chair. The light wood finish with rattan inlay elevates the room’s design while preserving its relaxed style.

The low profile of the 95-inch slipcovered sofa is the perfect combination of modern style and traditional comfort.

The Italian-style Fresco adds a touch of understated charm with muted colors echoed throughout the rug and accent pillows.

The quiet colors and varied textures work well together to balance clean lines and soft accents throughout the room.

Living Room Option 2

This is one of my favorite living room mood board designs. A large, sectional sofa with oversized chase is upholstered in a light, neutral linen textile that forms a striking focal point in this peaceful room.

The luxurious sheen and silky texture of long, flowing drapes create a perfect backdrop to the decor and softens the hard lines of the window.

The detailed tufting in the chair adds a tailored element to the masculine leather upholstery, effectively counterbalancing the visual heaviness of the large sofa.

The mid-century-inspired console features strikingly clean lines. I love the dark wood, and contrasting wicker inlay. I chose this console for its sophistication and ample storage.

The round coffee table and similarly shaped side table are both practical in design and beautiful in form. Also, I like to add an organic touch by bringing a bit of nature inside. Greenery infuses any space with liveliness. This faux olive tree is an inexpensive way to add luxury and sophistication. It’s the perfect finishing touch to any room.

The gentle landscape print complements the room’s serenity.

Lastly, I round out the room’s design with an organic-inspired lamp for a warm glow and welcoming ambiance.

Living Room Option 3

This predominantly monochromatic room is the perfect example of how to create a soothing, Zen-like atmosphere by layering varied textures.

As a foundation to the overall design, I chose the knobby quality of a Berber rug. It is the first layer of texture that complements the smooth, velvety upholstery.

I love the style of of mid-century modern side chairs juxtaposed with the olive-green and lighter colors in the room.

Incorporating layers of texture in diverse finishes results in an intriguing design. The drum-shaped overhead jute light is an unexpected accent. Additionally, it casts a dramatic and warm light throughout the room.

The light-color curtains hanging from ceiling to floor pulls the eye upward and adds a hint of grace to the room.

LIVING ROOM OPTION 4:

Textures similar to the jute pendant are repeated in the natural-fiber sisal rug and wicker inlaid console doors.

The earthenware finish of the lamp and vase supports the overall natural scheme of the room.

The hanging rattan chair adds a touch of quirkiness to the room. Also, it echoes the colors in the throw pillows and upholstered bench-style of coffee table.

Also, including plants like the faux olive tree and cut greenery is an affordable and impactful ways to accent any room.

Finally, the cane-backed occasional chair, with delicate legs and soft cushion, adds a touch of elegance to the room.

Give It a Try

By effectively contemplating colors, textures, shapes, and composition, you can design your own inspirational, compelling, and inviting custom living room. We are here to help. Start a chat today. I hope you enjoyed these living room decor ideas.