Liven up your living room

The living room is where we spend most of our time. It’s where we relax, watch television, spend time as a family and play with the kids. The fact that the living room is often a very functional place means that it’s easy to overlook interior design in the living room. If your living room feels stale, then here are our top tips for livening up your living room without breaking the bank.

Brighten Up the Sofa

A good quality sofa is a major investment, and not something which people can change every year as fashions change. A neutral or leather sofa is a good choice in that it goes with everything, allowing you to change wall colour or accessories easily. There are lots of ways of giving your sofa a whole new look, and one of the easiest ways of doing this is with new cushions. This is your chance to go bright and bold with your choices. Why not choose a vibrant colour like pink, lime green or orange and then pick out a range of different cushions in that shade? Alternatively, pick out a range of cushions of different shapes and sizes to create interest and completely change the look of your sofa.

If your sofa has seen better days and you’re saving for a new one, then consider options such as removable covers which just slip over the frame and cushions. An easier and cheaper still option is using brightly coloured throws and rugs on your sofa to give a splash of colour and make it a more relaxing place to sit too.

Add Some Greenery

Flick through the pages of any glossy interior design magazine and you’ll see plenty of fresh flowers. Flowers are the ideal way to brighten up any room, especially if you choose vibrantly coloured varieties. If you don’t want the expense of buying fresh flowers each week, think about getting some good quality silk flowers instead – they’re practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

Any type of plants will brighten up a living space by bringing the outside indoors. There is a huge number of studies showing the health benefits of having houseplants – lower blood pressure, better indoor air quality, reduced fatigue and increased productivity. Get the maximum effects by choosing a range of houseplants of different shapes and sized. If you’re not green fingered, then some of the easiest plants to look after are lavender, spider plants, peace lilies and yucca plants. Choose brightly coloured plant pots for your new greenery for an extra splash of colour in the room.

Let the Light In

When it’s dark and rainy outside, it’s tempting to draw the curtains and just forget about what’s going on outside. However, one of the best ways of making any home feel brighter and more welcoming is to open the curtains and let the sun stream in. Even in the depths of winter, natural light will add energy to your home.

If privacy is a concern, then there are ways of letting light into your home while still screening off the room from the outside world. Blinds are a modern alternative to curtains, and there are many different options for having your blinds made to measure to fit any colour scheme and size of windows. Another good option is wooden shutters, which can be opened to let the light in during daytime, then close over at dusk for privacy. There are other options too, such as opaque film which sticks onto your windows letting light stream through but blocking the view in for anyone walking past.