Regardless of how spacious your living room is, you have to give it the attention it deserves. This is probably the place where you spend most of your time and it has to be absolutely perfect, whether it’s big or small. The living room is where you entertain your guests and spend time with your family, so it needs to be welcoming, cozy and enjoyable. However, with the fast pace of modern life, it’s hard to find time to renovate your living room as often as you’d like and it’s even harder to incorporate all the elements you want, from a new flat-screen TV to a bookcase, and from a comfortable sofa to a high-end coffee table. Combining all of these pieces of furniture with decorative elements can be tricky if you don’t have a master plan, which is why most people opt for a certain style and simply follow it. If you decide to do the same in your living room, choosing modern appeal might be the best way to go, so here are a few ideas and current trends that might help you bring your living room to the new century.
#1. Modern entertainment centers
With so many options on the market, tech lovers are facing more and more troubles these days deciding which model is the best and which one to purchase. However, you can’t imagine a modern living room without a TV, a stereo sound system, a DVD player and a gaming console or two. Since modern entertainment centers are usually packed with designated areas for each of these components, you can pick a unit based on the specific equipment you already have or plan to purchase. Additionally, if you aren’t satisfied with the rich offer in your local furniture store, you can always design and make your own entertainment center. There’s lots of inspiration online, so you can combine different ideas and incorporate the elements you need.
#2. Modern bookcases
Since the concept of an ultra-modern bookcase still raises a few eyebrows with some more traditional-oriented people, you might find a suitable model that easily. However, there’s nothing stopping you from designing your own bookcase and making it as modern as you want. Just make sure you’re using a combination of various modern materials—recycled wood, steel, iron, aluminum, copper and even bamboo are among the options you should explore—and you’re good to go. Alternatively, you can invest a few extra dollars and a bit more time into designing innovative and unique bookshelves that will quickly become the focal point of your living room and everyone’s favorite piece.
#3. Modern furniture
Even though classic furniture has been making a huge comeback onto the decoration scene in the past several years, a constantly rising number of people are opting for modern furniture to express their need for a fresh and new living room. Luckily, you don’t have to do much in order to achieve this effect; just a handful of carefully selected pieces will do the trick and turn your living room into something special in a matter of minutes. First of all, stick to the “less is more” philosophy and don’t overstuff your seating area with too many pieces; a modest sofa or a sectional combined with a couple of armchairs and a glass coffee table will be quite enough to accommodate all your guests at once. Secondly, mind the materials and, if possible, mix natural ones—preferably wood or metal—with comfortable linen and cotton in the upholstery.
Thirdly, don’t forget the decorations and details that will turn these separate pieces into a whole and give your living room a refined atmosphere—several decorative designer cushions dressed in warm colors and engaging patterns will be quite enough. Finally, pay close attention to the color of your furniture and try to personalize it as much as you can. Sticking to earthly tones might easily be the most effective solution, while picking an intriguing pattern for your sofa, sectional or armchair material will not only keep your living room constantly new but also open up a ton of opportunities for color coordinating your walls and furniture. Obviously, the cushions you pick should follow the same tones if you want to incorporate them with the furniture naturally.
#4. Modern wall colors
Speaking of colors, many people wonder whether they should focus on the color of their walls or the furniture first. Whichever tactic you follow is quite OK, but just make certain you’ve thought it through long and hard, as going back after already repainting your walls or buying the furniture isn’t easy at all. The only thing that could make this process a bit easier is investigating potential wall colors, discussing them with your family and narrowing down the choice. It ultimately depends on a number of things—the style of your living room, the amount of natural light it has, the size of the room and your own personal preferences—so take them all into consideration during this process.
Fortunately, no matter how big your living room is, how much light it gets, or what kind of person you are, there are literally millions of options to choose from. Most people opt for warm and natural tones—light gray, beige, orange, teal, taupe, etc.—while others aren’t afraid to mix things up a bit and, for instance, paint one wall differently, usually in a bolder and darker color. This accent wall is then easily turned into a focal point of the room and can help you a lot with spatial orientation and decoration, which is why this idea is so great. It also allows you more freedom when combining walls and furniture—if your sofas and armchairs don’t match the main color, you can always combine them with this new one!
#5. More modern trends
In the end, some of the most popular trends that are present in millions of homes around the world at the moment are the eclectic style that combines numerous separate pieces into a homogenous whole, the aforementioned minimalistic style that gives you the freedom to get creative with the decorations, the Scandinavian style relying on simplicity and meticulous organization, various geometrical patterns on the walls and the furniture, as well as unexpected color combinations that will grab your visitors’ attention instantly. Of course, you mustn’t forget one of the most popular colors right now: Pantone’s color of the year, Greenery. If you use it in your living room, you’ll not only create a warm and calming space but also show the world that you follow trends and aren’t afraid to explore new ideas and unusual color combinations.