Have you ever wanted to redo your living room but don’t know where to start? It’s easy enough, as there are literally hundreds of designer tips for a stunning living room out there. There are also countless websites offering even more design ideas and tricks to help you get there. But how do you know what is new and trendy and what will just look out of place? Luckily, there is an easy way to know if something is worth putting into your living room – you just have to check out what’s new.
One of the most popular trends in home interior design right now is to utilize the use of “pop wall” furniture. This simply means having a grouping of furniture arranged in a specific way that allows you to enjoy the visual appeal of a wall, but still have the functionality needed to create a nice seating arrangement. Because these items typically take up less space than regular sofas and tables, they work well with small living rooms.
Wall-to-wall: Most designers recommend using a one-by-one configuration in which all walls of a given room are utilized. However, this works particularly well when using the corner spaces in your living room as the walls. It works best when you include one long wall, usually at the front of the room, and two short walls, at either end. You then have a long central “anchor” wall in which all the furniture is arranged.
Uneven Grounding: Another tip that can really lend a contemporary air to your living room layout is to arrange your furniture around uneven ground features. Rocks, holes, and other landscape features can be used to great advantage when arranging your furniture around a particular feature. If you have an arch, for instance, place some of your furniture around it. Alternately, if you have a porch or deck, make use of it to create interesting patterns by placing your chairs and tables on varying heights. By doing so, the furniture will appear more complete and dimensional and will truly enhance your outdoor living area.
Dense Collages: Arrange all your furniture pieces, even the ones that do not have doors, next to one another in what is known as a dense collage. In order to create one, simply group similar pieces together. For instance, if your sofa is a love seat, then group all love seats together along with a couple chaise lounges, then group them again along with a few tables. This type of arrangement creates a wonderful effect, as the attention of the viewer is drawn right to the focal point, rather than a seemingly unconnected grouping of furniture items.
Cohesive Wall Decorating: Hang curtains, throws, and wall accents like picture frames or wall plaques where they will serve as the focal point of your living space. Arrange your accent pieces so that there is a cohesive flow from one area to another. For example, place a grouping of candles on the coffee table, then finish with a grouping of accent chairs or armchairs placed in the same manner. Coordinate colors, but make sure they don’t clash. Also, experiment with putting one accent rug in one room and another in another to achieve a similar effect.