How to make the most of your living room space

Whether you’re building a brand new house, or moved into a different one or you’ve just decided to rearrange your current living space, every room comes with its own unique set of design challenges. Space planning is very important, especially when you’re working with one that’s the property’s focal point. Living spaces are usually the places where we spend most of our time inside, so it’s important to make it as comfortable, practical and inviting as possible.

Regardless of the size, your living room must be able to function as a space for relaxation, dining and entertaining. Balance, symmetry, function and traffic flow are all equally essential areas to focus on. You want to make the space feel as cozy and aesthetically pleasing as possible, for you and your guests.

Making the most of your living space means smart layout planning and decorating it in a way that maximizes both light and space. It’s the little things that can make a big impact, that’s why we have prepared a few tips to help you make the best out of your living room.

See it in your mind before you move it

Space planning is probably the most important aspect to consider for a succesfull living room layout. Once you review the room you’re working with, you will have the opportunity to assess any structural constraints that might come your way. It’s vital to take exact measurements and determine where the windows and key traffic areas are. If you can, stage the living room with an online tool or app that allows you to virtually display your living space. This can be very effective in showing how you can manipulate the area and check to see if you chose the right furniture and the right ideas.

But visualising the space and how it’s going to look with your furniture inside it can be quite a challenge in itself. There are plenty of apps like Roomstyler, 3d Home Planner, Design a Room and HomeByMe that can save you from the drama of buying something that looks amazing in the shop, but doesn’t really work in the room. The apps also give you the chance to play around with colour schemes, décor options, finishes and laying out the space.

Determine your spatial needs

Analyze the way you currently spend, or intend to spend, time in the room. This will help you determine your space needs, in order to prioritize everything when you finally start planning the furniture. You should consider the size of the furniture you will be adding to the room and how many people will be occupying the space on a regular basis. Also, you’ll want to allow for enough room around the furniture, for ease of traffic flow, so take this into consideration when you are planning the living space.

It’s essential to create natural paths for a good traffic flow and avoid any dead spaces in the middle of the room, which can leave a space feeling uncomfortable. You want all the spaces in your house to be cozy and perfect. You should establish traffic patterns should before you stage the space. Watch for door swings, window coverings, windows and allow enough room for guests to maneuvre in and around the furniture. Take note of where the power sockets are for lamps, the TV and various entertainment units. Consider storage and organization options for small spaces. It is ideal to find multifunctional furniture that can be utilized for storage too, so you don’t have to keep unwanted things in plain sight.

Consider design-focused elements

A great idea is to use different furniture styles to create design-focused elements in the living space or in any other key focal points you want to draw the attention too. That’s why you should invest in bespoke fitted furniture, which are pieces that can be customized to suit your tastes and spaces layout. They can also give the room a unique appeal and be visually pleasing to the eye. For the balance ratio to be practical, you should divide the room into multiple sections and make sure you distribute the furniture evenly across all the areas. Use the middle of the room or a spot at the back to create a focal point and add design-focused elements within the space.

Use mirrors to give the Illusion of more space

Is your living room small? If your area is lacking in space, you can make the room feel larger by decorating it with mirrors. Make sure you place them in a way that they reflect as much light as possible and add a nice ambiance to the room. Hanging a large mirror in a central location can create a stunning focal point and help to give the illusion that there’s a lot more space than it actually is. Depending on the layout in your house, try and position a mirror across from a window. This way, the mirror will reflect the view outside, giving the impression of an extra window. This can be a great way to make a small space feel less boxed in and crowded.

Be smart about the colour scheme Colour schemes have a great potential to completely transform the look and feel of a room. For example, smaller spaces work better with neutral colours on the walls, floor, ceiling and furniture upholstery. If you’re feeling creative, you can always add pops of vibrancy by using colourful throws, wall arts, cushions, or plants. Neutral paint colours like beige, off-whites, grey and coffee tones are probably the easiest colour schemes to work with. Grey is quite a sophisticated colour and can be paired beautifully with brighter shades. This will provide the perfect backdrop and will allow them to shine.