9 ways to improve your living room

This is a collaborative post. 

Are you a little fed up with your living room? Is it lacking in style or is the space no longer working for you. Interior design trends are changing all the time, and it may seem like your living space is a little dated compared to all the stylish living rooms that you’re seeing on Instagram or in the glossy home magazines.

If this is the case fear not, there are many things that you can do to improve your space. It could be a simple quick fix solution like updating the colours, or a full blown rip it out and start again job, or simply updating some of the furniture to include new luxury couches, new cushions or new pictures. I recently heard that rooms should be refreshed every 3 to 4 years so you keep seeing and appreciating  the changes you’re making to your home and ultimately so you’re not getting bored with your home interior. Below I’ve listed 9 ways for how you could start improving your living space.

The Wall Colour

This is a fairly cheap and simple, although time consuming fix. There are literally hundreds of colours that you can choose from. If your current space is lacking style and you want something to make a statement, then consider darkers tones such as blues, green or even a near black colour. If your space feels dark and dingy then opt for something that will naturally make the room feel light and bright. Whatever colour you choose make sure it works with your furniture. It’s also best to try a couple of tester pots on the walls first, and try these in different corners of the room as the light may vary from corner to corner.

If you are not sure about how to go about choosing it is a good idea to hire a painter and decorator to help you make the right choice. The fact is that you are going to be spending and if you don’t get it right you may have to either return items or buy new ones which can be costly. Hiring a professional can help you avoid hassles.

The Flooring

If you currently have carpet in your living space and you want it to feel more modern, you could consider a wooden floor or an engineered wood floor. There are so many styles that you can choose from; be it straight boards, herringbone or chevron, and all are available in many different colours and grains. Flooring can completely change a room and make it a key feature at the same time. If you have young children do consider the practicalities of different flooring, carpet may get really dirty, whilst wood floor may mark easily. Definitely consider your options and work out what is best for you.

The Fireplace

Many older houses will tend to have a chimney in the living space, whereas newer houses may just have a fireplace rather than a chimney breast. If you’re lucky enough to have a chimney this can create a focal point in the room, and also be styled in a traditional or modern way to match your home style. We have just opened up our chimney breast and made it a feature. It isn’t going to have a fireplace inside, instead we will use it as a feature of the room with vases, logs and lanterns etc.

The Furniture

Now depending on how much money you want to spend a really good way to spruce up your living space is to invest in new furniture, or you can even upcycle your old furniture. The main items of furniture in the living area are the sofas which can be pricey, you could have it re-upholstered or shop around for a new sofa to suit your budget. You can also change the style and theme by replacing tables with gold or brass glass topped tables, or simply replace the doors on existing cupboards. We have an old IKEA Besta unit in our living room that we are going to restyle with new doors and gold legs.

Clear away the clutter

If your living space is cluttered with kids toys, the random stuff that should be hidden away in the random drawer, and various other bits, it is time to clear away the clutter. Use this opportunity to get rid of items that you no longer need, and find a new home around the house for other items. I believe that the living space should be a place where you can relax, and I find that clutter does nothing to help me relax at all. So spend an afternoon de-cluttering and Marie Kondo-ing, whatever you want to call it, banishing the clutter.

Invest in a new rug

Purchasing a new rug has the ability to change the look of the room completely. Think about the size of the rug that you need, I read that placing the rug under the sofa will instantly make the room appear bigger and longer. Choose a colour that will lift the room whilst matching everything else. Choose a texture that creates a cosy environment.

Accessorize to the max

This is key. If you want to make changes to a room you need to accessorise! Big chunky cushions can dramatically change a room, and add colour in a really quick and way. Can you add plants to the space, and can you update your photos and vases. I always think here that less is more. It’s best to go big rather than have lots of little things, which just adds to the cluttered look and feel. There are so many gorgeous home accessories and stunning house plants on the market that the world is your oyster when it comes to accessorising.

Update your lighting

Decent lighting has the power to change a room completely. There is a trend at the moment for exposed bulbs and fancy chandeliers (not the traditional style, but more a sputnik style). These lights will add far more light that a normal bulb and shade, whilst adding style to the room at the same time. Consider adding table lamps or those tall lights that arch over a table or sofa. Lighting can make a room feel bright and then cosy to suit your mood or the time of day.

Consider your window

Think about the window. One way to easily style up the window is to change the blinds or curtains, or change from blinds to curtains or vice versa. Even though the window may seem pretty mundane it is a really important part of your room for letting in light and creating impact in your living room. We’ve recently updated our old and tatty venetian blinds to shutter blinds last year, they look brilliant and instantly transformed the room.

So that’s it those are my 9 ways to help you improve your living space.

Claire x