Decorating your living room can come with a lot of challenges and uncertainty. This is where you spend a large portion of your time, so it’s important to choose functional décor that fits in with the rest of the elements but also allows you to express your personal style. When it comes to interior design, both the big picture and the smaller details are equally important. A bad choice of home décor can give off a tacky impression, but a few simple elements can often transform your space from boring to beautiful.
Accessories to Create a Stress-Free Environment
Today we’re all living a fast-paced lifestyle that often causes us to feel stressed and tense at the end of the day. Instead of looking for various methods of relieving stress, why not opt for living room accessories that can do this for you?
Throw Blankets
Throw blankets are comfortable and functional homewares that can provide plenty of visual interest to your living space. The soft and quality materials are skin-friendly, so they make a great covering for your sofa or chair. These décor elements are ideal for any type of interior design, ranging from contemporary to traditional. They’re viable for indoor spaces, but you can also take them outdoors to warm yourself up in the cold winter months.
Apart from providing comfort, throw blankets make gorgeous aesthetically pleasing elements. Using a throw, you can easily jazz up a tired sofa, inject a bit of colour and pattern into a monotone living room or create a contrast with the existing colours. Even a simple single-coloured throw can create a big visual interest in your living room. In modern spaces where there are a lot of harsh metallic and black elements, a throw blanket will serve to soften the atmosphere.
Throw Pillows
Similar to throw blankets, throw cushions are another versatile and stylish accessory that improves the comfort of your living room sofa. Despite the upholstery of your furniture, adding a few well-combined cushions will make it the most comfortable place to sit. Cushions in materials such as cotton or linen are soft to the skin and low maintenance.
Cushions can give life to any type of furniture. They’re a great way to include texture to create visual interest. Texture in a living room is a good stress reliever. It easily grabs your attention and diverts your train of thought. The best way to accessorize with cushions is to combine a variety of different models and colours. Even though this is a bold move, the end result will look playful and soothing for the eyes. Don’t be afraid to mix and match cushions in different shapes, sizes and textures. You can even combine pillows with various details, such as tufts and tassels.
Rattan Accessories
Rattan accessories are another creative way to diffuse the tension in your living room. Rattan is one of the fastest-growing trends in interior design these past couple of years. It’s popular for its sustainability, but also its aesthetic value. Rattan creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere in your living room with its soft earthy and peachy tones. It creates a calming atmosphere and goes well with indoor plants.
When it comes to homeware accessories, rattan is quite versatile. You can include it as stylish wall décor, lighting fixtures, baskets or other elements. Rattan is durable, low maintenance and quite sturdy, which means you can use it in the outdoors as well.
Indoor Plants
No matter the size of your living room, it’s never too small for a couple of indoor plants. These décor pieces not only soothe your eyes and calm your mind, but also provide health benefits. Studies have shown that plants have an almost meditative effect on the brain, while the sole use of the green colour in interior design is proven to relieve stress. On the other hand, plants purify your indoor air, eliminating harmful pollutants and protecting your health.
Before You Start Decorating
A successful interior design requires a fair bit of planning. Before you decide on a piece of décor, make sure to cover a few simple steps that will help you in the process.
Firstly, take into consideration the measurements and colour scheme of your living room. Surely you don’t want to buy a piece of décor only to later find out that it doesn’t fit or it makes the area crowded. Similarly, you will want to include colours that are already present in your home, or go for a vibrant colour if your setting is mostly monochromatic.
You will also need to determine how you will like to live. There is no right or wrong answer to this question as it solely depends on your own preferences. You need to determine which direction you’re taking in your home design, whether it gravitates more towards modern or traditional, formal or relaxed, and visually warm or cool.
Lastly, you can always turn to others for advice or inspiration. You can include your friends, family, or adopt the ideas of famous interior designers.
What to Consider When Buying Homewares?
Take ergonomics into consideration. Whether you’re buying a sofa or accessories to go along with it, you need to make sure they’re comfortable. If you’re buying cushions, make sure they have a proper filling and that they can support you when you sit down, instead of only providing aesthetic value.
Buy durable homeware. Buying something purely based on its looks will surely come back to haunt you. As important as the appearance is, so is durability. Instead of rushing to decorate as fast as possible, take your time and choose high-quality homewares that will last you for years.
Choose materials that work best for you. There are plenty of different fabrics that are being used for home accessories. They range from synthetic ones like nylon and polyester to natural fabrics like cotton and linen. You should always choose fabrics that are skin-friendly and don’t cause irritation. If you’re planning to bring the accessories outdoors, it’s ideal to choose a synthetic fabric that is waterproof and more fade-resistant.