April 4, 2019
Living rooms can get a bad rap. Depending on an abode’s layout and its inhabitants’ lifestyle, living rooms can be seen as stuffy, staid surroundings that don’t often see the light of day, or they can be messy, disorganized catchalls where people conduct most of their life without much thought about the look and feel of the area itself.
If the kitchen is known as the heart of the home, think of the living room as the persona — often the first place in a residence that guests experience, but also a room where you and your family can really let loose and relax. It’s an interior design balancing act to be sure, but by injecting your personality into the space, your living room can be the place in your home where you can really live.
Here we’ll explore several current living room trends that are giving living rooms the freedom to be interesting spaces that truly reflect the people who inhabit them.
So Mod
The return of modular seating is a boon for interior designers and their clients alike — never has a piece of furniture offered so many possibilities! We like flexible seating configurations because they revolutionize the living room. With modular seating, you can center around a coffee table and face each other, and you can enter from different directions, making these seating arrangements more conducive to daily living and the overall flow of the room. Manufacturers are even making these sofa backs more attractive and even functional — look for built-in bookcases and shelving.
Fire and Ice
What’s more appealing than a roaring fireplace serving as the centerpiece of a cozy living room? A glass-enclosed fireplace that can be viewed from multiple vantage points. These elegant hearths add an atmospheric element to the home, providing an entrancing focal point while also creating an inviting sense of warmth and comfort.
Hide and Seek
The mainstay of most living rooms is a TV, but when the set is not in use, it can be an eyesore. Today’s TVs now play with the eye — hiding behind mirrors, rolling out on hydraulics and projecting onto cinema-style screens. Gone are the days of pointing all of your living room furniture towards a television the size of a small vehicle. Sleek and sophisticated sets now rule the roost.
Make it Personal
Most importantly, you want your living room (like all of your rooms) to be an expression of who you are and what you’re passionate about. Are you a musician? Put your instrument on full display (even if you haven’t picked up a drumstick in years). An avid gamer? Collect vintage arcade games that your guests can get in on. An art aficionado? Your collection will really shine in a shared space where it will spark conversation and inspire others. Put your personality and your passions in the pieces you place in your living room, and you’ll never want to leave.
We love getting to know our clients and their lifestyles so that together we can create spaces that truly dare you to live. Contact us to find out how we can collaborate on your next dream project.
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