Your living room reflects who you are or who you’d like to be. From the choice of colors, furniture items, and lights to any decorative elements, every aspect, more-or-less, can speak volumes about the person or people who enjoy it.
Those more well-off are likely to hire an interior designer, who’ll try to include all the homeowner’s ideas and not spend more than the budget allows. The homeowner will have several ideas before them and pick the one they feel most passionate about and work from there. Minor adjustments are then made, and a final design is agreed upon.
Before We Begin
Professional painters, electricians, carpenters, and other experts enter the stage after the design has been finished. Depending on the works required, in a matter of days, weeks, or months, the happy homeowner has a living room to enjoy and, possibly, show off.
Does that mean that those of us who are keen on the idea of modernizing our living room should give up the whole purpose if you don’t have enough money? Most certainly not! A lot can be achieved with a minimal budget, provided you implement the right ideas. Let’s look at some options, shall we?
Colors
This is something most of us can do on our own. By giving our walls, ceiling, doorway, and window frames a touch of fresh and modern paint, we’ve immediately achieved a much more contemporary look. What most designers nowadays recommend is to use various shades of white. Also, if you’re bold enough, you might want to choose an element in the living room and make it a focal point by applying a color that is bound to attract attention. That element can be an accent wall or a doorway, for example.
Woodwork
Windows, floorboards, doors, crown moldings, etc. all provide excellent opportunities for improving the overall look of your room. By installing them, or only by painting them, you may achieve an effect that is much greater than the investment you made.
Carpets and Rugs
This is an ideal way to provide a contract to your flooring. If it’s darker, go for a brighter rug. On the other hand, if the flooring is bright enough, a more colored rug will provide the necessary warmth to the overall feel. Those with kids or pets, or both for that matter, might have a look at carpet tiles. You know it’s only a matter of time before the carpet is demolished beyond repair, so you might think ahead and have a spare tile or two ready to replace the ruined one.
Furniture
Possibly the most expensive elements to change. Luckily, there is no rule telling you that you can’t use a vintage item and restore it. Also, changing a coffee table is much cheaper than replacing a sofa, but the effect can be equally amazing. So, choose wisely, see what you can afford and go for it!
Other Elements and Accessories
Other elements commonly present in living rooms today include TV sets, home entertainment systems, and air-conditioners, to name but a few. “If you look at how design has improved and developed in recent years, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to indoor units. When choosing where to install it, you must take into account both the aesthetic and practical aspects order to achieve this”, advise Sydney’s air conditioning pros.
New cushions can also do wonders when it comes to giving a place a revamped look, and so can lamps. However, be careful. The most dangerous trap you can fall into in your attempt to modernize your living room is to put too many elements and clutter it. Less is indeed more sometimes, and that is the case here.
The key to success in this process is to adjust your wishes to your budget. If you’re short of ideas, there are tons of pics available on the Internet, often accompanied by stories and tips about the redecorating process. Take your time, plan carefully, and see how much you can do. And if your outcome doesn’t satisfy you, think of it as a stage in a process. Who can call your bluff?
