Empty rooms that echo with disinterest can suck the life out of your contentment, robbing you of your relaxation. Nobody wants to twist the key in the door at the end of a long day and enter a sad home, where the smallest creak in the floorboard whispers “You being here? Yeah, look, it just isn’t working for me”. If you’re lucky enough not to have experienced a home that feels like an impersonal cave, take it from yours truly, it’s no fun. Especially in an apartment, which is one dimensional, flat, open, and crying out for a personal touch.
The solution? You need big style ideas. Big cosy warm ideas that look lived-in and welcoming. Something that says “Got a couple of cold ones chilling in the fridge, friend, pull up a seat”. But how?
Canvas Prints
A collage photo frame from hello canvas can tie-in a room and implant emotion where before there was a big plain ugly open wall. Implant emotion? Yes. think about it. Art hasn’t gotten by all these years because the price of wallpaper was too steep for many of yester-century’s common folk. It’s stuck around because people actually like it.
As much as you may feel that people with developed opinions on art can sometimes disappear behind a smokescreen of wordy pretentious fluff, we all have something to say about what we like and don’t like. And what do we like? Something that makes us feel something. Something that gives us an emotional response.
To that end, choose a canvas print of a time in your life when you were truly happy. A joyous occasion that stands out. It could be an image taken on a once in a lifetime trip. It could be related to your interests, like cooking or space or sports. Whatever it is, choose something that invites emotion. Otherwise, you might as well have drawn on the wall in crayon.
Warm Lighting
Light bulbs aren’t just light bulbs. These days, they come with a colour temperature scale. You’ll see it on the side of the box. But what does it mean? Well, it’s measured from 0 – 10,000 but don’t be put off by the large numbers. Increments of 1,000 are widely used. Therefore, despite the huge numbering system, bulbs are one of 10 different colour temperatures.
Here’s how it works.
Any bulb measuring from 0 – 5,000 is going to produce warmer light than bulbs registering a colour temperature of 5,000 – 10,000. In essence, the closer to zero you go, the warmer the light will be. Shop around for great deals and fill your home with warm and welcoming light.
Try a new sofa shape
The shape of your sofa sets the tone for the living room. Higher, more structured sofas (like the chesterfield) are generally more formal, while lower, squishier sofas tend to give a more laid-back vibe. Low modular sofas (like the one shown here) are perfect for lounging and can be reconfigured to suit the activity. You could face them all one direction for movie night, for example, but turn them to create multiple conversation areas for a party.
Rugs & Cushions
Big rugs and big cushions. They fill a space, dampen any echoes, and turn a shell of an apartment into a den of life and laughter. If you want your home to be cosy, you have to go for the jugular and buy the things that turn the cosy dial up to 11. And what are those things? Big rugs and big cushions.
Customize your shelving
A wall of shelving, whether custom-built or free-standing, is useful and makes a design statement. Floor-to-ceiling shelving also works surprisingly well in a small space since one large, perfectly fitting piece makes a room look more spacious and less cluttered than multiple smaller pieces would.
Consider adding a mix of open shelves and closed cabinets, so you can hide items that are less attractive (like a video game system) behind closed doors. If you are using free-standing shelving, be sure to have it properly anchored to the wall for safety.
Expand the space with a massive mirror
A large mirror is, in essence, like adding another window to your room, making your living room feel lighter and more spacious. Evaporated Coatings Inc can help out in supplying high precision optical coatings to your mirrors. which can boost the effect even more by positioning plants or a lamp in front of the mirror to reflect greenery and amplify the light.
Take the focus off the TV
If your room has a beautiful fireplace, let that be the focal point. And if your living room is the only space where you can put the flat screen, position it to the side on a swivel mount, rather than above the mantel. That way you can still comfortably watch TV when you want, but when it’s not in use, the screen can step back from center stage.
