Furnishing and redesigning your living room

Furnishing and redesigning your living room is an exciting part of interior decorating. The centrepiece of any home, this room is an essential living space where you can relax, entertain guests and create unforgettable memories. To successfully transform your living room, it's crucial to follow certain key steps such as choosing the right furniture and taking inspiration from the latest decorating trends.

Essential steps for a living room makeover

Before embarking on a makeover project, there are a number of steps to follow to ensure that the result lives up to your expectations. Start by analysing your needs, setting your budget, and identifying your style and colour preferences. Accurately measure the available space and, if necessary, make sketches to visualise different layouts.

Decide on your living room style

Style determines the overall feel of the room. There are many current and on-trend styles for you to choose from, including Scandinavian, contemporary, rustic, bohemian and minimalist. Each has its own characteristics, ranging from colours to the materials used. Wooden, parquet or tiled floors, as well as painted walls in light shades or patterns, can create a harmonious base for the centrepiece of your home.

Choose the right furniture

Furniture plays a crucial role in living room design. The sofa is the key element, so it must be comfortable and in keeping with the chosen style. You might choose a sectional sofa if space allows, or a sofa bed for extra sleeping space. Coffee tables, shelves, TV stands and storage units also play an important role in creating a space that is both functional and visually appealing. Furniture with inbuilt storage is a particularly good idea for smaller living rooms. In any case, keep in mind that it's essential to choose furniture that fits with the size of your room and meets your daily needs.

Decorate to suit your taste

Decoration is the key to personalising your living room. Explore trends in this area: natural materials, varied textures, designer objects, patterned rugs, green plants and more. Colours also play an important role in creating a unique atmosphere. Neutral tones, for example, provide a soothing ambience and a feeling of lightness, while bolder hues add a touch of energy and an assertive style. Try mixing colours and adding a few colourful touches to your interior with cushions, curtains, rugs and other accessories. The possibilities are endless!

The walls of your living room can also provide a blank canvas on which to express yourself. You can embellish them with paintings, photos, mirrors or decorative shelves that also provide extra storage space. Wallpapers and wall coverings are also very trendy, and are available in a wide range of patterns and textures.

Maximise your living room

To maximise the space in your living room, you can use modular furniture, in-built storage and practical organisational solutions that blend in with the decor. You can also create different spaces, such as a relaxation corner with footstools and a decorative room divider, a work area with a desk and chair in a bright corner of the room, or even a reading area with a bookshelves. A reading area also provides plenty of storage and space to display ornaments. You can even create a dining area, where you can host family and friends with a space-saving extendable dining table.

Restyle your living room

Whether you've already decided on the style of your living room or are looking for inspiration, there are a multitude of ways to freshen up your interior. Light is essential for creating a warm, enjoyable atmosphere. Combine different light sources: floor lamps, pendant lights, free-standing lights, string lights, candles and more. You can also add dimmers to create the desired mood using the lighting level in your living room, whatever the time of day. Combine trendy ornaments with plants that purify the air and introduce a touch of nature to your home. Use colour with cushions, blankets, rugs and curtains to brighten up your living room and add character to it. You can also showcase one of the room's walls with original wallpaper or a different colour of paint. Mirrors are an excellent way of visually enlarging the space and reflecting light around the room. Try a large wall-mounted mirror facing a window, or combine several small mirrors in a jumbled arrangement for a more modern look.