5 Tips for Decorating the Living Room

A living room is to be a comfortable, welcoming place in the home. But there’s an art to decorating it, according to a new article at Houzz, a home remodeling website. Houzz offers up some of the following designer tips on how to decorate a living room to make the space more inviting and stylish:

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1. Mix light and dark colors.

An all-white living room can feel too “clean” and unapproachable, while a dark living room can feel like a cave, the article notes. But a combo of mixing darker and lighter colors—such as white with black–can bring depth and balance to a space.

2. Contrast neutrals.

Decorate a living room using several contrasting neutrals to make it feel more luxurious. For example, white walls can mix with caramel leather, brass hardware, gray sofa, and blue-gray cabinets. The contrasts can highlight the different finishes and undertones.

3. Add in texture.

To make a living room feel more cozy, add some various textures to the space, such as a plush throw near harder textures, like metals and stone. Pillows can be one way to easy way to add texture. But also look to include leather, cotton, wool, metal, stone, glass, plants, and other textures, the article notes.

4. Bring in some color.

Adding shots of color can make a living room feel more relaxed and inviting. For example, the article notes that blue tends to be a universal color that most people like and that easily contrasts with warm elements, like leather and wood. It also can sometimes work as a neutral up against other accent colors.

5. Watch your distance.

Even in the largest of living rooms, be mindful of how spread out the furnishings are from one another. Make the space feel like a place for intimate conversations and cozy gatherings. Houzz designers say a good distance between seating areas is about 8 feet. “If you have several sofas or a sofa and side chairs, the seating area should have a diameter of 8 feet, or 4 feet out from the center,” the article notes. The article also notes that fewer and smaller seating pieces closer together tend to work better than one supersized piece, like a 12-seat sectional sofa.