The living room is supposed to be the most functional and best arranged room in the house, since most people spend more time in it than in any other room. Also, you guests are invited to it and it’s often the first and only room they get to see. If you want to impress them, you need to dedicate a lot of attention to decorating your living room.
What most people go for these days is the minimalist style, which is all about functionality, brightness and freshness. Such rooms ooze positivity and elegance, since they are free of clutter, which is so common in many homes, and are quite minimalistic. In terms of colours, there are various shades of black, grey and white, although it’s not uncommon to find traces of bright colours, such as green or orange.
The fact that such rooms don’t feature a lot of furniture means they are much easier to clean, which is another great benefit. So, what do you need to do if you want to have a minimalistic living room?
Furniture
As we’ve already said, less is more. Stick only to the most necessary items, such as a sofa or armchairs, and a coffee table. The items should feature straight lines and they should be devoid of any elaborate decorations.
You may wish to add a centrepiece if you want to achieve the dramatic effect, but you need to select it carefully, so that it provides contrast, either in terms of its size, colour or material. For example, stained glass is increasingly popular, since it makes the room much livelier, particularly when natural textile is used in the room.
Colours
Although the most popular colours are black, grey and white, you may wish to add details in bright colours to provide a dramatic effect. If you choose some neutral colours, you might want to consider adding a green detail to achieve such an effect.
Another thing you probably need to do is create contrast between the colour of your sofa and your new floor rugs. For example, you can have a very nice combination of black and white furniture with a circle, patterned carpet.
Lots of people have opted for a combination of red and black furniture, but in that case you need to paint your walls in a very light colour.If you’re short of ideas, check out some of the thousands of pics available on the internet.
Other Features
Ideally, you living room should have large widows or, at least, enough of them to provide a lot of light, since modern minimalism is all about brightness. Bright rooms are more inviting and positive and people feel relaxed when spending time in them.
Since one of the characteristic of such living rooms is that they are clutter-free, you need to get rid of any unnecessary items or hide them well. If you arrange for your storage to be well-hidden, the impression everyone will get is that your living room is neat and organised.
Sometimes you can’t use your old furniture if you want to turn your living room into a minimalistic one, which means you have to buy or have new items custom-made. If that’s the case, think carefully about how you’re going to arrange them and whether you’ll be able to maximise the use of space. If you feel helpless and all the ideas you’ve browsed are simply too overwhelming, you might want to hire an expert interior designer, who can help you achieve your dream of having a modern living room.
In conclusion, your shapes need to be geometric, you need as much light as possible, while the floor should be quite bright. The dominant colours should be neutral, but some details in bright colours are more than welcome. Those are the basic rules, but it’s your living room, so you’re the one who’ll have the final say.