Designing the space: the living room
The living room is a central room in the home. It is certainly one of the most important and most used rooms. Your dining room may be close by – sometimes your table is even right in the living room, by choice or for lack of space – but the living room will always be more or less defined by clearly identified furniture, namely comfortable seating.
The basic elements that generally make up your living room: a sofa, one or more armchairs or pouffes, a coffee table and, for TV lovers, a unit designed for that purpose, which the furniture will face. To this, the more inspired will add: a rug, cushions, a side table with softer indirect lighting, plants, a bookshelf, frames and mirrors, and various personal objects to make it all warmer and more lively. Don’t hesitate to go through your home and make a little checklist of what is in your living room.
I would say it is always necessary to set an intention for each space in your home. For the living room, you may love entertaining, having drinks with friends, games nights; it may be a family space or, on the contrary, an intimate one where you retreat at the end of the day, far from work worries; it is also sometimes a space where you work (here I stress the importance of defining spaces even when they are in the same room: a small folding screen, a plant as a visual divider, a different decor, a desk that can be closed – so many tricks to separate the work area from the private space).
Once you have set your intention for this room, ask yourself what you want or need in terms of atmosphere: calm, introspection, fun, light, colour, joy, comfort… It is important that this is clear in your mind, because these intentions and desires will then guide your choices: the materials you want to use, the colours, the number of seats, the choice of images on the walls…
What matters is choosing to put things there that truly move you. Avoid adding an object just to please someone, or at least, if you live as a couple, make compromises so that you can both feel at home in the décor..
It is sometimes better to wait before buying an armchair so as to find the right one, even if it means spending a few weeks with a chair and a cushion in the meantime.. look for “the one you fall in love with” without overthinking it. The same goes for colour (article in progress): choose a colour that truly moves you. A darker colour does not mean a dull one. You can also paint the walls halfway up, or leave a white band to give your walls more height, or even pick just one column or a small wall – it is that pause that will catch the eye and keep you from tiring of it. Colour has a real effect on the mind.
Don’t neglect the lighting in your living room either: a central light, of course, but also several indirect lamps (small bedside-type lamps,..) for when you want to change the atmosphere. You can also play with softer fairy lights and candles, which raise the vibrational energy of the room. Invest yourself in your living room and keep a minimum of order too – it will make you all the more eager to spend time there. If throws, blankets and magazines are lying about on the sofa, you can also store them in a large wicker basket.
Finally, opt for curtains to shut out the outside world in the evening and add texture and cosiness to your space. What’s more, in winter they are an excellent draught excluder!
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