HOME AND HAPPINESS (2/5) : LIVING ROOM FOR STRESS FREE LIFE?
- Nishita Chopra
- Sep 30, 2020
- 6 min read
In today's day and age, we are all looking for more modern, sleeker, minimalist designs. Incorporating them into our homes leaves us with questions and doubts as to what goes well where and more often than not, we combine patterns and combinations that do not go together.
Each week we will hit on each room and try to breakdown what that room and you as a user might require the room to reflect. Today we focus on the main entry and seating of the house. Since modern design is up and coming, lets explore the various design techniques that can be used and done artistically to make your room chirpier yet sober.
The design of a modern living room revolves around the principle of ‘less is more’. Therefore the overall décor needs to incorporate minimum and functional furniture to create a fuss-free space. Upon entering a house, the first thing that strikes your eye is the main entry to it and what the immediate surroundings it is you step into. With lifestyle changes, a lot of new additions or even just replacements can get a little heavy on the pocket or even just time consuming, so in most cases, you find many home projects half done waiting for that vacation or that little more time to devote.
Here we discuss the ways we can improve our homes to our taste and to the times of today that is environment friendly, pocket friendly and even time friendly. We will be disusing reasoning to our judgements and give a cheat sheet on how to make your home entrance just the way you dream them to be!
THE DOOR TO THE LIVING ROOM:
The entrance into the house almost marks the statement the house delivers. It can reflect personality with practicality and gives one, the first view into what lies ahead.
1. The Front Door: If your front door is looking a little worse for wear, consider freshening it up with a coat of paint. Carefully considered features in materials, such as this stunning timber pivot door, simple planter and built-in doormat, create impact while maintaining a subtle, low-key vibe. Using bold colours stating your personal style can be used. Colours such as zesty yellow will make a neutral exterior pop. Other appealing, dramatic hues include fire-engine red, soothing jade green and glossy black. You can also use textural contrast to draw the eye. Using, for example, wooden cladded walls with a sleek glass door and some green plants to the side add to the levels.
2. Hard Wearing Floors: Whether you operate a shoes-off-at-the-door-policy or not, flooring in your entryway, infact throughout your house, should be hardy and low-maintenance. Timber, tile, vinyl, concrete and laminate flooring are all smart choices for this spot; they’re easy to clean and will withstand heavy foot traffic. Darker floors tend to show more dirt and dust.
If you yearn for something softer underfoot in your entryway, a runner can be a great addition. Style-wise, a traditional design in soft, muted colours would work well in a classic home, while a contemporary interior gives you free license to have fun with colour and pattern – think bold stripes or a bright, artisan runner.
3. Stain-resistant finishes: For an entryway, you’ll want a durable paint finish that can withstand scuffs and scratches. This no longer limits you to high-gloss paint that you see ever so often – you can now find washable and stain-resistant paints in all manner of finishes, including matt.
4. Wonderful white : Do you have an entry way that comes off as dark and without as many windows? Painting the walls and ceiling in light colours, such as whites and neutrals, is a great solution as these shades will bounce the available light around and make the space appear larger than it actually is. A mirror can be a great addition to a dark entryway as it will reflect the available light around and make the area feel brighter. In a hallway with lots of straight lines, a large round mirror can also help smooth out the sharp edges and add softness to the space.
5.Family display zone: Entrances are a great way to show a little peek into your personal world. Use the walls next to your front door to display family photos, treasured moments and important milestones. You can have simple snapshots framed and hung or some large ones evenly spaced out. You can space them and hang in rows depending on the height of the ceiling.
You can also experiment with a vase or a candle, somethings that creates a story to your house.
6. Well proportioned furniture: A bench can be a smart choice for providing a handy furniture near the door. You can use a section of the bench to create a fun casual display or add boxes as storage underneath. Check the dimensions before placing so as to not let the furniture swallow up your whole space.
7. Statement Lighting : If space is particularly tight in your entryway, bypass furniture altogether and make lighting the key feature. If you’ve got high ceilings, a fabulous pendant will draw the eye upwards and detract from the cozy dimensions of the space. For standard 2.4 meter ceilings, consider a lighting style that sits closer to the ceiling so there’s no risk of anyone bumping their head. If your hallway is long, consider hanging a series of ceiling lights to illuminate the full length.
LIVING ROOM
Living room is a space where guests are entertained. It is also treated as a family room where tv can be watched or board games are played.
1. Some planning considerations to be given: the number of persons to be seated and the size of the furniture needs to be kept in mind in accordance to the height of the ceiling.
Heavy dark wood furniture can to be used when there is enough light entering the room and the living room offers abundance of space. otherwise, the furniture tone should be kept in light wood tones.
wood helps to relieve stress, hence it is generally advised to go with wood furniture.
Furniture should be placed with enough space given among each piece and with the passage way.
The traffic passage between the maid door and other doors to the rooms should be kept in mind while placing of furniture.
2. Consider an Open Plan Layout: In an open plan layout, you have the freedom of using the negative space effectively. Have a complimentary design scheme to give the space a uniform look. The best part of an open-plan design is that it creates a sense of spaciousness.
3. Let Natural light in : Making use of french doors and windows helps to let natural light inside the room more effectively. Natural light and fresh air are essential components of a modern living room design as they make the space look bright and airy. The use of right textured curtains or blinds can help one adjust the intensity of light entering in.
4. Colour Palette : For small spaces, it is best to make use of a neutral colour palette so as to not make it look like the room is closing in. Colours such as whites, beige or muted greys can be seen to. Light colours reflect maximum light and the space seems larger. To be break monotony, some pops of colours can be added to rugs, cushions, or one part of the wall.
5. Furniture: Use of sleek, minimal furniture gives a modern look to the room. Avoid ornate furniture if you want a modern look, and pick pieces based on the size of your living room to prevent clutter.
6. Natural Materials : Use of wood, bamboo and stone can add warmth to the space and sustainability. Use of natural fabrics for the furniture upholstery can add textures to the room.
7. Built in storage and minimum accessories : To keep your living room clutter-free, choose furniture pieces with built-in storage. A book shelf, a TV unit with drawers, a couch with hidden storage are some ways to ensure there isn’t too much stuff lying outside.
Decorate the living room with sleek accent pieces and plants which also add softness into the space. Make a choice of using one large modern painting instead of filling the wall with rows of paintings.
8. Add metallic finishes: Create a high-end, modern decor with polished metallic finishes like chrome and stainless steel within the mirror frames, wall accessories and so on. These finishes can also be used on the door knobs, cabinet handles and photo frames to add uniformity.
Taking some small references from our first article of the series, where the placement of the room and their doors and windows are explained, you'd be better able to grasp the utmost pleasure and optimise the use of the room to the user.
We hope this helps to make your living room the first place to utmost relaxation and positivity and help you make good memories. After all, the Living room is the heart of the home!
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