09/28/12 - 0 Comments
Living Room Revamp: Five Ways to Spruce Up Your Space
The living room is the heart of the home and the prime gathering ground for friends and family, yet also needs to function as a personal oasis. A major overhaul may be too time-consuming and feel overly permanent. These five chic changes are simple, elegant ways to breathe style into your space and reinvigorate without radically refurbishing—please do try these at home!
Make Over Your Mantel
Lucky enough to have a fireplace? Use it as the focal point of your living space. As the central spot for intimate gatherings post-dinner and the perfect spot to cuddle up with a mug of tea and a book, the mantel is the prime place for a quick update and can change the whole look of a room. Ready to declutter? Start with a clean slate and prop one framed piece of art against the wall. Add a vase of fresh flowers, a few candles and voilà! Sweet and serene. Need to create the illusion of more space? Add an oversized mirror, small ceramic containers in various sizes (time to break out those flea market finds) and a few cherished knickknacks or favorite reads. The best part? If you don’t have a fireplace, a tall bookshelf can easily play the part. Or try completely unattached mantels, like these.
Get Crafty with Corks
Leftover wine corks from dinner, parties, memorable nights out or quiet evenings at home are hard to throw out—they represent time spent with loved ones, after all! Instead of tossing them, get make-it-yourself savvy. Cork art is the new craze in crafting, dominating Pinterest boards and yielding an endless supply of DIY dreams. Create a cork board for mounting favorite photographs. Load a vase with corks for a unique candle holder or simply fill small mason jars and glass containers in various sizes with corks to perch around the room for a rustic vibe. Feeling extra ambitious? Make a multicolored mural, inspired by the gorgeous window displays at Anthropologie.
Add Texture
Adding small elements of texture is a simple way to bring a stale space back to life. Throw blankets are luxurious and easy to stow away each season. Try rich jewel tone shades for the colder months and bright pops of coral, turquoise and marigold for summer weather. Keep it simple by embracing white paint, but spring for a single wall covered in textured wallpaper (a perfect backdrop for neutral furniture). Bring nature indoors by housing driftwood or shells and rocks from a beach walk or white feathers from a craft store in oversized urns adorning the sides of your couch. Comfort is key, and the softer a room looks, the more inviting it becomes.
Use Trays for Chic Displays
Long gone are the days when trays were relegated to breakfast-in-bed or sick day occasions. They are now a sleek, chic and functional way to display not-so-glamorous items. A television remote control? Not so cute, but stick it on a lucite tray next to a stack of glossy magazines and a metallic paperweight and the functional becomes fierce.
Lighten Up with Lampshades
If decor is the personality of the room, lighting is the mood—the brightness, intensity and tone of the light in your living room can make or break the aura. Switch up the lighting by opting for unique lampshades, or stick to clean neutrals for a refreshing vibe. Mix up the height of the lamps in your room. Place a floor lamp next to the comfiest armchair, and small ones on end tables. Even try two different-height lamps on one table for an eclectic mix-and-match vibe.
Photo credit: La Dolce Vita, The Glitter Guide, CasaSugar, The Coveteur, Country Living, Design Sponge
