In what room of your apartment do you pass most of your waking hours? If you invite guests into your apartment and they only see one room, which is it? For most of us, the answer to both questions is the same: the living room. Because of this, it’s especially important for your apartment living room to feel inviting, warm, and welcoming.
Invest in comfortable furniture
A comfortable arm chair or sofa can make an otherwise uninviting living room feel very welcoming to a guest. A guest who spends five minutes sitting in a comfortable living room chair may leave your apartment feeling impressed without making a single observation about your decor. Then there’s your own comfort to consider. If you want to enjoy cozying up in your living room, comfortable furniture is key. To be sure, you shouldn’t ignore all other elements at the expense of your living room furniture. But comfortable furniture really can make a difference.
Opt for a non-digital focal point
In the modern, tech-driven age, it’s natural for the TV to be a room’s focal point. If you would like for your living room to be an inviting place where conversation is welcome, try to avoid this. You can do this by concealing your TV behind its console or other cabinetry and drawing attention to a particular decorative element. A prized work of art is always a good call. If your living room has nice views, you can position seating and orient other elements around the window.
Use earth tones and other natural elements
Sleek, metallic surfaces have a sophisticated air about them, but can come across as cold and heartless. Earth tones, handwoven rugs and tapestries, and non-linear seating surfaces and furnishings generate warmer, more welcoming vibes. Anything made with wood or good faux wood can help accomplish this. House plants, which improve air quality and can boost people’s moods, are another way to make your apartment living room feel more welcoming.
Acquire adjustable lighting fixtures
Adjustable lighting may accurately be described as trendy, but it’s probably here to stay. The ideal living room is bright, but not too bright. And since natural lighting varies with the seasons and time of day, it’s nice to have light fixtures whose brightness you can control. You might not have any control over lighting controlled by wall switches in your apartment, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo flexible lighting. Many floor lamps, table lamps, and other cord-powered lighting fixtures now come with three or four different brightness settings.
Throw blankets and pillows
A nice, soft throw blanket is great to snuggle up under when the indoor temperature is a little cool. But throw blankets are not just functional. They’re also a great way to add color and life to the decor of a room. Pillows can make an apartment living room more inviting for similar reasons.
Leave space
Even if you follow all the other tips in this article, your apartment living room will probably not feel inviting if it’s cluttered. Don’t over furnish or over decorate. Remember that empty space can make a room feel tidy and larger than it is. And any time your apartment living room starts to feel too chaotic, think about how you can work to create a little more space.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst