Do you have in mind a decoration seen at friends’, in a shop or in a magazine and you would like to reproduce it at home? Yes, it is completely possible ! Pinterest-style magazine, TV show, and website decor can be replicated in your home. What is your favorite decorating style? Minimalist, vintage, a mix of genres? Before tackling the decoration of your dreams, here are 10 tips for your living room. Ready for the perfect scene? Knowing that it will never be a 100% reproduction of what you have in mind, because unlike shops and magazines: you live in your house. And your vacuum cleaner, your cereal box or your charger must find their place there!
1 – Have fun
Since you don’t live in a hotel, but in a house full of memories, approach the question of decoration with fun. Take the time, do this with a friend or family member who will enjoy doing this with you. Review the basics of decoration together!
2 – Start over
Start from a blank page. Especially if you are not used to decorating, clear your mind to better understand the whole space. Even to drive a single nail into a wall, remove whatever is already hanging there. Thus, it will be more obvious to you to realize the dimensions but also the effect that you can create.
3 – Get inspired but find your style
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Look around what you like. What decoration styles do you like in others? What associations do you enjoy? Create a mood board by printing out photos and putting them together. So you can think about how you can reproduce them with your colors, your objects and possibly some new pieces.
4 – Have a centerpiece
Start by finding a centerpiece that sets the tone for your living room decor. If you have this type of room, then the rest doesn’t have to be perfect. This largely applies to your entire living room, but also to your shelf. Go in search of your very beautiful objects that stand out in terms of color, size, material or shape.
5 – Watch out for associations
To combine tastefully and elegantly, beware of similarities and differences. Color, shape, material, style – at least two of these must go together. If you opt for three vases, they must be at the same time, present the same shapes or the same sizes: not all three at the same time of course!
6 – Multiply some parts identically
Although… Your three vases can be identical. Together, they look great, they bring unity to your decoration and perfectly highlight the rooms around them. And these don’t have to be incredibly expensive. Be creative with the things you already own. It can be glass bottles, dishes, natural materials or just boxes covered with paper. Decoration doesn’t have to be expensive. The simple fact of placing the same object in several copies is already very chic.
7 – Find the right color combinations
The combination of colors is not an easy subject in decoration. There are simply magnificent associations, worthy of a work of art. Others a little less happy. Classically, you can mix a maximum of two colors by associating them with a so-called neutral color such as white, black, gray or even brown. Repeat these same colors throughout your living room to ensure consistency.
8 – Keep the right balance
It’s not just the colors that are difficult to handle. Finding the right harmony isn’t easy either. Purify, overload, it is easy to fall into one or the other excess. It’s all about finding the right balance between symmetry and asymmetry. Always look where to hang a frame above a piece of furniture, it can change its balance. Make sure the volumes are proportional. Purists will think of the golden ratio, this perfect proportionality which makes beauty and makes everything harmonious. In general, always take a few steps back, take some distance to see if the decoration you have just put in place suits you.
9 – Treat yourself to new pieces
If you follow decorating trends, you can treat yourself to new pieces for Easter or Christmas, especially small, inexpensive items. But you don’t have to wait for special occasions. You can regularly change your frames, your dishes, your cushion covers or your curtains. Of course, do not overload. What you no longer need, remember to store it elsewhere, in a cupboard or in a place that you dedicate to storage.
10 – Opt for minimalism
Less is more: probably an essential advice but very difficult to implement. First see if this advice speaks to you. There is no rule per se. The decoration of your living room must satisfy you. It should reflect your personality and your way of life. So if you think your living room is overloaded, start by emptying it. And if your very personal objects that remind you of precious memories are not at all in the current decoration trend, keep them anyway if you enjoy seeing them on a daily basis.