The living room is, as the name suggests, the room in which we live. We relax, we socialise, and we spend time with our hobbies and creative pursuits. The room should define the type of life we try to lead and that is why we should consider a makeover when it no longer suits our needs or senses.

If your living room is a touch on the boring side and no longer brings you a sense of satisfaction, consider what you might need to do to bring new life into this part of your home. For most of us, this means adding new decor and features that can better accommodate our tastes and lifestyles, so think about this for yourself. Do what you can to make changes but be sure to avoid these common living room furnishing mistakes in the process.

Here are just a few ideas.

Start from the ground up

Has your carpet seen better days? Are your rugs tattered and faded? If so, replace them with something new. You don’t need to go for carpeting at all, of course, as wooden flooring might be a more practical choice. Especially if your living room receives a lot of foot traffic, natural or engineered wood could be a perfect choice, or even laminate, which can replicate the look of wooden flooring. If you do choose from these options, pick a design that appeals to you. If you do go for carpet, choose something that matches the colour scheme you want in your home. And perhaps add a vibrant rug to add an extra burst of colour, especially if the shade of your flooring is a little muted.

Add contrast to the room

Bright patterns and colours on dark objects can dynamically improve the look of a room, and the reverse is true as well. We have already discussed this with reference to your flooring, but consider the other areas of your room too. Bright throw pillows and blankets can bring about a dramatic change to a dark sofa, and a brightly coloured sofa can do much to improve a room that has a darker colour scheme. You don’t need to match colours when adding new features but for the sake of your room’s feng shui, you should try to choose those that complement one another. Using a colour wheel to shape your home’s interior design can sometimes be useful.

Improve your lighting

While most of us choose lighting for practicality, remember that it can also be used for aesthetic purposes too. Accent lamps can look very nice, and they can also highlight your living room furnishings and decor. Elegant ceiling lights, such as a Murano Glass Chandelier, can add a touch of luxury to your room. And picture lights can highlight the artwork and decor that adorn your living room walls. You can switch out your light bulbs for something more colourful too, such as the smart bulbs that can change colour when you speak to your Alexa.

These are just a few ideas but consider your living room. Do you need to change the colour scheme? Do you need to add more features to improve the practical nature of the room? Could you do something new with your living room walls? Think about it and breathe new life into the room where you can.