Creative Tips To Transform Your Living Room

The living room is one of the most public spaces in your home. Guests, visitors, and family members usually gather here more than any other place in your home. So, it is essential to keep it looking its best. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t always know what to do with this space to make it cohesive. If you plan to sell your house fast, with or without the help of a realtor,  you will need to put a lot of effort into making this room look spectacular. Since it is one of the most critical parts of the house, it will set the tone for the rest of the house tour. Here are some creative tips to transform your living room whether you plan to sell or just want to spruce it up.

Choose a Design Style that Suits You

What is your design style? For some homeowners, the answer is easy. They may say farmhouse, traditional, mid-century modern, Bohemian, industrial, or minimalist. Others may not know their style, or it could be a combination of several of the most popular design styles. But the answer to this question is the perfect place for you to start planning your living room makeover.

Decide on a Color For Your Room

Once you discover the design you want in your living room, you can move on to picking the colors for your living room. If you are personalizing your space, you can choose to be as whimsical as you’d like with color choices. However, if you are preparing your space to sell, it would be a good idea to stick with neutral tones such as whites, off whites, grays, or beiges.

Create a Focal Point

Although it is a good idea to tone down the drama with colors in your living room, creating a unique focal point can help express creativity without going overboard. Here are a few options for tying the room together around a centerpiece.

Media Center

For a living room that also doubles as a family room, your focal point may be your media center. This is a traditional setup in which all the furniture surrounds the television, an essential part of the media center. If you don’t want the television to be the focal point, consider getting a media center with doors that disguise the television except when in use.

Fireplace

If you have a fireplace in your living room, consider making it the focal point in the room. To bring even more attention to this focal point, consider adding a beautiful piece of artwork above it.

Accent Wall

If you don’t have a fireplace and don’t want a media center to be the focal point of the room, consider creating an accent wall. This can be a wall with beautiful wallpaper on it, or it can be a gallery wall full of unique pieces of art.

Incorporate Hardwood Floors

While you can choose whatever flooring type you want for your living room if you want to add value to your home, consider adding hardwood floors. This flooring type is a pricey investment, costing between $6 and $30 per square foot, depending on the hardwood flooring you choose. But according to a recent study by the NAR (National Association of Realtors), the ROI (return on investment) on hardwood floors can get you upwards of 118 percent for new flooring and 147 percent for refinished wood floors.

Use Lighting For Function and Beauty

Lighting can be a game-changer for your space. Not only does it improve the entire look of the living room, but light fixtures and lamps can be a beautiful addition. Gorgeous lamps, whether they are table lamps or floor lamps, can blend in well with the overall decor of the room. Likewise, chandeliers or recessed lighting create the drama necessary to bring all room elements together.

Decide on How to Use Your Windows

To cover or not to cover the windows is a critical question when designing your living room. Draperies are a great way to dress up your windows and provide privacy for your home. But if you have a great view, or your living room has very little light, consider removing the window treatments. If you want to go all out and bring in the natural light, you may want to invest in a different type of windows, such as picture windows or bay windows. Not only will your new windows bring in a refreshing amount of natural light, but they may also add considerable value to your home if you plan to sell.

Add Furniture That is Functional, Beautiful, and Proportional

Once you have the living room space the way you want it, adding furniture will be the final touch to bring everything together perfectly. Whatever your design style is, make sure to include pieces that reflect this. For a farmhouse design, include tables or sliding doors made of reclaimed wood and include chairs that are carved or hand-crafted. For an industrial look, try including low, leather seating along with tables and bookshelves that have metal within their design. Also, ensure that you keep size in mind when purchasing furniture. Prevent a cluttered look by buying furniture that isn’t too big for your space. When possible, incorporate modular furniture into your design that allows you to move your furniture pieces around to accommodate the space.

Slip a Small Home Office Into Your Layout

Although home offices used to be an afterthought in the home layout, in recent years, with more people working from home, this is becoming an essential part of the home. Recent research shows that a dedicated home office space can add as much as 10 percent to the value of your home. However, if you’re not looking to sell your house but need office space, consider adding a small home office to your living room. It doesn’t have to take up the entire living room space to be functional. You can add an office in a small nook, take up a wall, place it in a corner, or add it behind a couch.

Call in the Experts

Some homeowners also have an eye for design and can make their living room area dazzle with pizzaz almost effortlessly. However, if your design skills make your room look like chaos, it may be time to call in an expert to help you get your living room looking its best. If you don’t plan to sell your home, consider hiring an interior designer to help you pull everything together with a personal touch. But if you plan to sell your home, hire a stager who will take away the personal effects and create a living room space that buyers will want to enjoy like their own.