Large spaces are primal in our lives. We never want to feel contained. And while larger than average rooms can be luxurious and cozy, they come with a set of challenges. Bigger may sound better, but it’s often difficult to fill all that space in a cohesive way that doesn’t feel awkward.
A report titled The Things We Do In Our Living Rooms, released by John Lewis and partners, sheds light on how the living room has reclaimed itself as the heart of the home. Most people do nearly everything in the living room, thus the need to give it life.
So how can you make the best out of a large living room? Let’s look at various tips that will help you navigate around decorating a large living room.
Light Creatively
It’s of no use having a large, embellished living room when dark corners tend to fade into the background.
Fortunately, larger rooms tend to have more windows allowing more lighting during the day. At night, dark corners can be haunting. You should always be smart with your choice of lighting to ensure that your standout design ideas are well lit from all angles.
You can incorporate stylish overhead pendants and gallery lighting along the walls in your living room to ensure every part of the room gets the attention it deserves without leaving behind even a single detail.
If you only have one center light, it may not be enough to keep every corner well lit. You can perhaps pick two or three lamps with similar shades to bring lighting all around the room. However, be careful not to add too many lamps as they may clump up the room.
Divide Visually
Large spaces often seem asymmetrical due to unclear division. Creating clear distinctions between different zones in the living room makes everything look intentional. Say you want to have an entertainment space as well as a conversation space. A large area rug works wonders to create parameters and visually close off a space designated for a certain purpose, thus keeping the design from running off into other areas of the room.
You can add ceiling beams, pillars, or room dividers to split up a room visually in semi-permanent ways. For flexibility, you can use curtains and furniture placement to help create visually cozy spaces within the larger room. A bench or a sofa with its back to another space, an attractive screen, or large lamps can all help divide the spaces.
Dividing bookcases and shelving units are another familiar stylish way of dividing your living room. They make it look as if they are there to just store books and other items, while the main aim is to set apart one zone of the living room.
Incorporate Built-ins and Anchors
Large living areas can end up looking cluttered and messy if you put too many small pieces in the room without a couple of anchoring pieces.
an anchor item is simply a starting point from which you can build the design of your room around. The item should have the style, pattern, personality, or color components that you want to work into your space.
A sectional, large sofa, large coffee table, and even built-in bookcases or a piano will help anchor a room in such a way that smaller pieces can be tucked in there as accents if necessary.
Additionally, built-ins can take up a lot of space, but what’s the stress when you have room to spare. It’s the perfect time to incorporate a custom design. For example, you can decide to build a modern entertainment center that incorporates wood and marble elements on one wall. The materials hide all traces of electronic cords and provide you with tons of space for storage and displaying your favorite décor.
Hang a Large Wall Mirror
There are various options of large wall mirrors for living rooms, running from simple state-of-the-art designs to over-the-top statement vintage mirrors. Having a mirror in your living room serves to brighten it, reflecting interesting parts of your room and filling a large wall space.
However, make sure not to place the mirror anywhere where it might unwittingly accentuate a surfeit of space.
Embrace Wall Art
Large living rooms equal lots of blank wall space and these large, unbroken spaces can appear imposing and stark when not handled correctly.
An effective solution to this challenge is to get your art on and hang a large canvas or another piece of wall art. A large painting, print or photograph creates a grand focal point in your space.
