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Redecorating a room can feel like a daunting prospect. While it may be fun and exciting to choose the colour palette and deciding on what furniture to keep or change, actually performing the task can be difficult and time consuming. Follow these simple tips and tricks of the interior decor trade and you will be well on your way to redecorating your living room with flair and ease.
Step back and take stock
Before you start buying wallpaper and cushions, remember to step back and take a full-view look at the space you have to work with. This will allow you to envision how the room will look once all the changes are made to it.
Doing this will also help you plan the design and layout of the room properly, so be sure to measure the room correctly, in case you will be purchasing new lounge suites, end tables and other essential furniture. Stepping back and taking stock will also allow you to see where these pieces will fit, before simply buying a couch or table that catches your eye.
Choose a colour palette
This is a vital step in the redecorating process. The colour palette often sets the tone of a room, so you will have to choose this very carefully. You will be seeing these walls on a daily basis, so be sure that the colours you choose are something you want to look at all day.
Blues and greens are calming and revitalising, while reds and oranges are energising. If you want your living room to be a relaxing space, go for blue and green hues with accents of white. For a space that is full of vitality, go for vibrant red and orange colour blocks with black accessories. You can also base the colour palette of the room on an important piece of art, matching the colours of the room to the colours in the piece.
Let there be light
Lighting plays an important role in setting the tone of the room. You should have different light sources with different ambient levels. One light source should be for task work, meaning it should be brighter, while another should be dimmer for ambient lighting during the day. The final light source should be accent lighting, such as desk and wall lamps.
You do not have to have a room full of lamps and lights in order to achieve the perfectly lit room. Use your windows for daytime lighting by keeping curtains light and airy. Use side lamps for ambient evening lighting,but be sure that the lamps match the decor of the room. Introducing natural light will make the room appear bigger and more airy, creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests and family alike.
Arrange your furniture well
Many people, when arranging or rearranging a room will simply push their lounge suites into a corner to make up more floor space. If you have a bespoke piece of art or furniture, you could try to arrange the surrounding pieces of furniture around it to make the room flow and feel more cohesive.
Create a conversation starter by placing couches around a unique table, rather than simply putting couches facing a television. Use wall art to focus a room, and arrange other pieces of art around a central piece. Do not forget about traffic flow, and be sure to leave room for people to walk around in. You could use a large picture window as a feature and place chairs and couches facing the view too, if you prefer not to have them facing wall art.
Inject some personality
Your living room should reflect your own personality and style, so be sure to include pieces that do so. This could mean something as simple as displaying family photos in a unique wall art collage or putting souvenirs together in an interesting table centrepiece.
If you do not want to make the room too personal but rather keep it as a family gathering space, you can use cushions in unique colours and designs to add pops of colour and interest to the room. Be sure that the cushions do not clash too much with the tone and style of the room, and buy cushions that are functional as well as decorative.
Don’t overthink it
More often than not, people tend to overthink when redecorating a room. Have fun when revamping your living room and be sure to make it your own. A project such as this does require some planning, but it should not be a rigid process. Your living room should be lived in, after all!