How To Spruce Up Your Living Room On A Budget

A living room should be homely, comfy and more importantly, perfectly you! 

The living or sitting room in a house can be one of the most used places in the home and, therefore, it is vital that it is fit for purpose. It should be homely, comfy and more importantly, perfectly you! It doesn't take a lot of money to create a fabulous space, but it does take some imagination and consideration of what you want to achieve. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Mirrors – You may not be aware of this, but interior designers often place mirrors in certain areas to give the impressions of space. If you have a smaller living room this may be a good idea to open up the area. There are some cool mirrors on the market in lots of different shapes and styles to play around with to achieve the right look for your space.  
Think of paint and colour – Colour does matter especially if your living room is large or small. Neutral colours work for smaller spaces whereas more bold colours can look fantastic in a larger living room. You may like grey, yellows or bright blues for example or the more neutral colour tones of white, cream and powdered colours.
Think of the space you need – Consider what it is you need or want from the living room. If the space is only for occasions you could dress it up smartly and invest in some imaginative décor and objects. However, if this is a daily living room with the incomings and outgoings of children you may need to be more practical and ensure it is safe too for the nippers.
Be creative – Don’t be afraid to play around with different concepts and do some “mix and matching” with diverse themes or layouts. Look at the types of rugs you could use and how to add texture to the room with cushions, curtains, throws and mats/rugs. You may want to draw the eyes into a certain area with a vocal point and you usually do this with a statement piece that can be a stunning piece of art or ornament. A stylish/large rug could work too in this case. Add lots of plant/flowers as well as scented candles to create your own beautiful haven.
Think smart – Depending on your space available you may need to be smarter with it to get what you need from it. Think of light weight furniture and consider the positioning of pieces to keep the living room spacious looking even if it is a small area. Look at open shelving and lots of it to pop colour and objects onto it easily without losing ground space. Invest in good lighting and don’t go for the norm either. Create the ambience you want and reflect your lifestyle in it. There are loads of funky lamps and lighting solutions available in shops now.
Play with it – If you want to go crazy you could consider doing things differently by even building a bar at the back of your living room. It can look cool with a nice bar, stools and shelving. If you have the space for it. You may prefer to use the space as a play area for the kids so allocate an area for it and add bean bags, stylish toy boxes and block off the area with a room screen to hide the area too. It really depends on the life you lead after all. What works for one won’t for another.
Good luck!
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.

 

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Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes is a busy mum to two girls aged 17 and 11 and is married to her childhood sweetheart.

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