The one room in the house long known to be where we spend most of our time is the living room. That being true, making your living room as comfortable as possible becomes particularly important to living your best life. Why stop at comfortable, though, when just a few changes can bring your living room from livable to luxurious? Here are just four exceptional ideas that will give your house an extravagant feeling.
Home automation is convenient and helpful
Many homeowners are using technology to hide televisions and movie screens. A remote will quickly whisk the screens behind a wall or into a piece of furniture, removing the distraction of a large screen if you want to settle down with a book, work on your art, or even play a board game or puzzle with friends and family. These adaptable features give you versatility allowing you to use your living room for work, study, or play. Home automation also can be applied to sound systems and lighting, making it easy to customize the brightness of the lights or provide a surround-sound experience for your movie night.
New flooring
Realtor says you can add five percent to the value of your house with new floors. You can choose whether you want tile or hardwood, and you have options for features like in-floor heating and stunning patterns like herringbone. If you want the luxurious look of wood without the maintenance needs, you can even get stone or ceramic tile patterned to look like wooden boards. Throwing a plush area rug can add an extra air of luxury, as well as give your feet a soft cushion that is easy to clean and replace as needed.
New lighting can set the tone of the room
Chandeliers are gorgeous features that enhance any room. Why not put one in the living room? When you have cathedral ceilings or wood beams, a large, crystal chandelier can soften up the space and fill up that empty ceiling space with a grand display. If you have lower ceilings, then you can achieve the same ambient lighting with wall mounted lights shaped like shells or sconces. Clean, bright lights in trending materials and finishes like brushed nickel can change the atmosphere in the living room and make it easier on the eyes.
Stone fireplaces create an immediate focal point
One classy and functional way to upgrade your living room is with a fireplace. Hiring professional masonry services to assess your home and give you options in your budget can help you design a luxurious feature everyone wants to gather around and enjoy when visiting. When you have the house to yourself, a fireplace sets the perfect atmosphere for curling up with a good book or adding a cozy warmth to your weekend television binge time. If you aren’t keen on having an open flame in your living room, natural stone can be put up around gas or electric fireplaces to create the same rustic feel while still utilizing the safety features of modern technology.
High-end accents
You do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars creating a beautiful living area. While we’ve already talked about plush throw rugs, you can also decorate with a $15 plush throw blanket, comfortable but decorative pillows, and simple but classy wall hangings. Ornate accent mirrors on either side of a door, above a piece of furniture, and along the entrance will help make small rooms feel larger, while also bouncing light around to brighten the shadowy corners. Even something as simple as a picture frame or an antique-shop dinner plate can give a more sophisticated feel to your living space.
Updating your home can actually increase your overall lifestyle satisfaction. Wealthy or not, adding a few luxurious touches to the most-used space in your house will help give that little reminder that life is good and you’re doing alright. Decorative touches that incorporate the tactile sense, like heat from a fireplace or the subtle vibrations of a solid bass in your sound system increases the comfort and functionality of your decorations, as well. Even on a budget, a quick trip to the department store can give you the comforts of soft throws and cushions for decorative appeal.
Meghan Belnap / Blogger, Researcher and Freelance Writer
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
The one room in the house long known to be where we spend most of our time is the living room. That being true, making your living room as comfortable as possible becomes particularly important to living your best life. Why stop at comfortable, though, when just a few changes can bring your living room from livable to luxurious? Here are just four exceptional ideas that will give your house an extravagant feeling.