Learn clever decorating tricks for giving your living room a more spacious feel and a bigger personality
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A small living room can work just as hard or harder as a large space. Once you have all of your key living room furniture pulled together, try using one or more of these space-changing ideas. Done right, they can help upsize the personality and functionality of your living room.
by Lisa Petrole Photography
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Paint your walls a darker color. We know that light colors make a room look larger, but using the right dark color can make the walls disappear, creating the same effect.To counterbalance a dark wall color, use lighter pieces of furniture and introduce metal and reflective surfaces, like the coffee table and light fixture in this room.Tip: Getting just the right black can be tricky. Experiment with colors on one wall first. If you love one, paint the others in that color too. Keep in mind that cooler blacks tend to recede more than warmer blacks, and satin or low-sheen paints are more forgiving than semigloss paints. Your local paint shop is a terrific resource, so ask for help.Houzz guides to working with black
by Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs
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Add extra seating. Stools or ottomans work wonderfully in small spaces. Easy to move in, out and around your living room, these multitasking pieces will never be out of work in a small living room.Tip: If you can afford to, hire a decorator to design a custom-made ottoman. Ask for an ottoman that is soft enough to put your feet on but sturdy enough to hold a tray, and can also store books or blankets and tuck into a corner when necessary.If you prefer to purchase off the floor, darker leather, vinyl and rattan are durable material choices. Make sure the height of the ottoman doesn't exceed the height of your existing sofa or chair seat cushions.
by Melanie Coddington
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Wallpaper your walls. A bold wallpaper in a small living room draws attention away from the size of the room and injects instant personality. Tip: Wallpaper has come a long way in design and application. Removable wallpapers are easy to find — but do your homework, as some work better than others. Applying two different wallpapers on adjacent walls can help make a room look bigger, too. Make sure the two papers are similar in color or pattern so the look doesn't feel too disjointed. Wallpapering just the ceiling is another clever visual trick, although you may want professional help for that.
by Molly McGinness Interior Design
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Design a window seat. Extra seating is a bonus in any living room. If you have a window, you can maximize the view and the space with a window seat — even if you don't have a bay window.Extra storage under the seat cushion is especially helpful in small spaces. Don't forget to use a good-quality insert in your seat cushion — your friends and family will thank you.Tip: If cost is a factor and you have the space, a freestanding bench seat or love seat can give you a similar effect. Often backless, these furniture pieces don't take up as much room as a built-in. Add a few cushions and you'll have plenty of additional seating.
by Tobi Fairley Interior Design
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Take your curtains to the ceiling. Whether you prefer curtains, draperies or blinds, window treatments can make a room appear larger. Position the curtain rods just under the cornice, as with the drapes in this inviting living room, to imply a larger sense of space.Tip: Use a vertical striped fabric to accentuate the height of your ceilings. Don't use a stripe that's too thin, or it will lose its effect.More: The Narrowest House in the World?Get ideas from beautiful small homes
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Ideabook published on May 30, 2013.
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- 2013
- 06/04
- Interior Design
An antique clock lends an element of class and charm to your interior decor scheme. Sneha Saloni lists out the varieties of antique clocks available, from grandfather clocks to carriage clocks.Time might fly, but timeless clocks have made their way back to the walls of contemporary homes. Decorating the home with antique clocks has become a top choice for many. Antique accessories add personality and charm to your home So, it’s time to flaunt the range of clocks you have collected over the years or get these decor pieces from any of the antique shops in your city and add more value to the beauty of your house. While grandfather clocks enhance the huge traditional styled living room, cuckoo clocks are fun to have in any home decor scheme. From contemporary glass clocks to huge round clocks with Roman numerals, there are also artiste-made time keeping instruments with a range of colours and shapes, suiting the aesthetics of your home interiors. These clocks have been an inseparable part of our childhood. A City-based architect, Monisha Colaco says, “A stylish accessory like an antique clock can enhance the interiors of your house by lending it a stark, modern, contemporary look. However, it is imperative to note that one needs to find the right space for the clock. The clock can be too large. A suitable place like the living room and a perfect wall need to be kept in mind before placing it.”Grandfather clocksThe most popular time piece for more than 50 years, these clocks add elegance to the decor. The wooden work, which is mainly of rosewood or mahogany, has an exquisite charm, and embellishes your home. These clocks are heavy and huge, and most suited to be placed in your king-size living room, giving you the account of each passing second with its tick-tock. Tall empty spaces can be occupied by grandfather or grandmother clocks (smaller version).Cuckoo clocksThis clock is unique and can find a place easily on one side of the wall of one of your rooms. This might be the perfect accessory for your home. Available in a variety of vibrant colours, sounds and different pendulum styles, they are just perfect and add more colour to your walls.Art-deco clocksAntique clocks of any era have their own charm and bring an element of nostalgia, catching the viewer’s eye and imagination. Relive the vintage era by displaying the beautiful art deco clock varieties on the shelves of your rooms. Placing two to three clocks in a scattered way can add interest. Antique-cast bronze clocksThese are usually called mantle clocks which can be placed on a mantle piece or shelf. These clocks are elaborately designed with motifs surrounding the timepiece. Carriage clocksThe casing for the original carriage clocks was made of brass with glass and porcelain panels. These clocks are usually rectangular, but are many times closer to the shape of a square. Fine woods, metals and glass are used to provide a sharp accent to these diminutive clocks. Carriage clocks can be found on a desk, table and sometimes on a mantle, if the mantle is not too large.No longer is a clock just a functional time-piece in a room. It is an opportunity to make a statement about your interior decor style. The older the better. The cadenced ticking and chiming of antique clocks not only augments the splendour of your home, it also offers benefits. Unlike most things, antique clocks go up in value. The longer you keep them, the more their worth. Nothing can match the class of a house in perfect sync with the interiors. Bringing an aesthetic value to the house, antique clocks are a sure short move to give your house vintage styling.
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- 2013
- 05/17
- Interior Design
Who says a kitchen has to be cold and clinical? With elements of rough wood, stone, concrete, and brick, these kitchens exude an irresistible rustic warmth.
1. Earthenware dishes, pots and pans, those wood shelves â all make for a lovely palette of textures in this kitchen from Country Living. 2 & 3. A concrete countertop provides a nice counterpoint to rough-hewn beams. Nuevo Estilo via Delight by Design.
4. Rough wood cabinet fronts provide a lovely contrast with the more modern elements of this kitchen. More photos of this kitchen (and of the rest of the house â it's all very nice) at Behance. 5. A rustic black kitchen from Elle Interior via Apartment Therapy.
6. A concrete ceiling and floor (and a beautiful farm table) add warmth in this kitchen from Freunde von Freunden.
7. I love the rock wall in this little kitchen at Stone Creek Camp, as seen on Arch Daily. 8. Concrete countertops, wood cabinets and a Spanish tile floor, from Jonah Samyn via Compleet Keukens. 9. Rough walls and an industrial kitchen in a French home from The Style Files.10. Brick, wood, and stone for a lovely, warm, old-fashioned space. Cousaert-Vanderdonckt Interior Concepts via Keukens.
11. Rough beams lend weightiness to a modern kitchen from Emmas Designblogg. 12. Sleek appliances and a concrete countertop balance out rough cabinets in this Parisian loft conversion from Roxane Beis. 13. Stone walls and wood cabinets give this kitchen from Miss Design a lovely rustic warmth. 14. Wood ceilings and walls make this kitchen cozy. House and Leisure via Delight by Design. 15. Dream kitchen. 'Nuff said. Living Agency via Graine Ficelle and The Kitchn.
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- 2013
- 05/17
- Interior Design
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- 2013
- 05/14
- Interior Design
The post Modern Kitchen Designs Modern Kitchens appeared first on Just The Design Living Room, Staircase, Kitchen, Bathroom And Bedroom Interior design Inspiration.
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- 2013
- 05/02
- Interior Design