5 ways to revive your living room
You don't need to rip down a wall or get out the paintbrush to freshen up your living room.
These simple steps will help you reinterpret what you have, and add a little liveliness to your living area.
1. Review your activities
Interior designer Nicola Manning suggests evaluating what you use your lounge for before you begin a makeover.
"Be aware of how use the room," said Manning. "Is it sitting with friends and family talking, or is it watching TV? Or is it reading? Because that can really influence how you consider a room and the furniture that you need in there."
How you use your living space may also change seasonally. To keep in step, she suggests you change out cushions and throws and perhaps move furniture.
2. Find the focal point
"It's an important thing to sort out the focal point," said Manning.
"People find it difficult if the focal point of a room is split; if they have a fireplace and a TV that aren't in the same place."
To remedy this, if you have a fireplace that you like to gather around, it might be worth wall-mounting your television above it.
Or if you prefer your living area as a conversation space, consider relocating your television to a smaller alternative space such as a den, study or breakfast nook.
3. Reframe your art
Got art you already love? Give it a new look.
"The other thing that I think can make a huge difference, and actually I've just done it in my lounge, is look at the art that you've got and see if it needs reframing," said Manning.
“Reframing doesn't actually cost that much but can really transform art."
"Say if you've moved and brought art from a previous house, maybe the framing doesn't suit the new house. It may make a significant difference to how it pulls together the room."
4. Coordinate colour
Anthea Baker, director of Homebase, suggests making your living room exciting again by bringing in a lively, feature colour.
"I think just adding colour is always the best thing," said Baker, "and probably the most inexpensive way would be to add some cushions or some artwork or a few accessories, just to brighten it up."
For triple the impact, choose one colour and bring it throughout the new additions.
"Coordinating the three would certainly help," she said.
5. Add a feature chair
Baker also recommends recovering an existing armchair in a contrasting fabric, or adding a feature chair and ottoman in two different shades.
"If they have a neutral sofa, they could bring in a single chair with a different fabric on it. There's some beautiful velvets and things around at the moment, so maybe even an ottoman as well, which could be done in a separate colour."
Colours to consider are bright jewel tones.
"So you might bring in something in a bright purple or a chartreuse, something that's just going to add some vibrancy to the room."
What are your living room decorating tips? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Anabela Rea. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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