If you want to modernize your living room, there’s plenty of design ideas online to give you some inspiration. Start by thinking about what you want to achieve and how you’re going to use your modernized room, and start pricing up the options. If you work out what you can afford first, you’ll be able to look at items in the right price range rather than falling for expensive items that you can’t afford.
Layout
One popular current trend is the idea of zoning your room, which is especially good in larger spaces but can also work well in certain smaller rooms. The idea is to create focused areas within the room, so, for example, you could create a reading corner, where you have your bookshelves, a comfortable Chair or two, and a small coffee table. This is the area you go to when you want some quiet time to read in comfort. Redesigning your layout and making cost-effective changes like adding bright new rugs allow you to modernize your space even on a tight budget.
Furniture
One of the primary functions of the living room space is to provide somewhere for everyone to gather and share time together. Seating arrangements are therefore crucial to your design, but you don’t need to be limited to the traditional couch and two chairs model. In the modern home, alternative ways of relaxing in comfort include hammocks, swings, hanging chairs, and ottomans.
Square-shaped furniture designs and low couches with backless sections are in keeping with a contemporary feel, or you could create two smaller seating areas, one formal and one informal, using floor pillows and bean bag chairs. One of the contradictions in modern design is the use of retro furniture, so a piece that would have been discarded forty or fifty years ago is now the height of chic.
You can mix your modern furniture with echoes of retro design too, for a more eclectic style. Eclecticism is one design trend that endures regardless of other fashions coming and going, but there’s a fine line between being eclectic and having a room full of mismatched oddities! It’s quite a challenge to meld disparate styles together to form a pleasing whole, so you’ll need to do your research if you want the eclectic look to work for you.
Storage
Don’t forget the functionality of the room when you’re thinking about design. What kind of storage capacity do you need, and where can you fit storage neatly into a room? If you have a blank wall, you could create shelving spaces that are hidden behind doors that look like walls. You won’t notice the slight loss of floor space, and you’ll gain an immense amount of storage that reduces the need for furniture in the room. You’ll then be able to keep the room looking crisp and minimalist while still avoiding the problem of clutter.
Modern design doesn’t conform to strict ideas of line and form, but the overall feel of your room should be one of being clean and uncluttered, a functional space that’s comfortable and homely, but looks stylish too.
