Top tips for decorating your living room

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the thought of decorating your living room?

Fear not, because these steps will guide you and will help you create a living space that will appeal to you and your family. Your living room is a very important space in your home: it’s the location in the house that welcomes visitors and guests, people gather in this space to chat, read a book, watch TV, or even entertain. This is why your living room needs to be a welcoming and comfortable room. Take the following into account before you start.

1 What size is your room?

You need to know the square footage of the room. This is so important when you are choosing furniture, rugs, carpet, window treatments etc. I would get a sheet of paper before you go shopping and do a rough sketch of the size of the room, add in where doors/windows are and add in the floor measurements. This will save you time and money, I promise. By doing this, you will not buy oversized items that you will have to return.

2 How do you want to use this room?

What I mean by this is, is it going to be a relaxing space, a place to watch TV or a place to sit and chat. Have this clear in your head before you begin. If there is a fireplace in the room, then this will be your focal point. This will determine your placement of furniture. I always say to my clients to style the room so that it will suit your personality. The last thing you want or need is a room that looks great, but is not functional. For example, if you have kids, make sure you have a durable coffee table – choose wood, not glass, in this case.

3 How do you want it to look?

Do you want it to look modern, contemporary, traditional? If you are unsure, I suggest look online, save a few images on your phone and check Pinterest. Don’t rush this: take your time and be sure before you start decorating.

4 Prepare a mood board

This helps you think about what furniture pieces you would like in this space, colours on the wall, window treatments, lighting fixtures, rugs, art, plants etc. Put them all together and see do you like the look of it. If items clash, go more neutral and have the art and rugs be your pops of colour. The mood board helps you see a mini version of your room, before you go out and spend your money.

5 Go shopping

I suggest you buy a sofa that is hard-wearing and comfortable. If your budget is blown on a statement sofa that’s fine, you can add the accessories later. This is a key purchase in this living space.

6 Add character to your space

This can be done by adding colour to your walls and some art pieces that give a burst of colour. From your art décor, you can choose the colours you want to have in your cushions, throws, window treatments. If your room is dark, add a mirror to reflect light around the room.

7 Add plants/greenery

Plants are a great way to decorate a room and make it look finished. Plants add freshness and a zest of life to any room without breaking the bank.

I hope this helps you create the living room you’ve always wanted.

Maura Mackey is an interior designer and home staging specialist based in Ballinhassig, Co Cork. For further information, call 087-769-9714 or visit www.mauramackey.ie