One of the most important rooms in any house is that, of course, of the living room. The room that’s meant for relaxing, for family time, for entertaining and more, you want to make sure that it’s fit to purpose. This can include making sure that it actually has enough space for the people that you invite to spend time in it. Here, we’re going to look at some of the ways that you can open up a little space in the living room while making sure that it’s not so devoid of personality that it looks more like a showroom than an actual space that people live in.
Modular storage systems can be your best bet
Storage furniture tends to be the type that people are most eager to get rid of when it comes to opening up space in the living room and it’s understandable. It doesn’t have much of a purpose but to hold things, so if you can give yourself fewer things to hold, you can reduce your need for them. However, if you do have things that require storage, then you should look at modular storage furniture to hold it. These are customisable pieces that you can add and remove to fit your exact storage needs, making it much easier to use just as much room as you need to, no more or no less. This can help you make the most efficient use of your space.
Go with more space-saving furniture
A grand suite is going to take up a lot of space in the living room. You don’t have to get rid of your favourite sofa to make space, of course, that’s not going to help anyone. However, if you do plan on adding any more seating, you can make it much more convenient, even opting for something as simple as a beanbag armchair. Not only does this offer a comfy seat that doesn’t take a lot of space (that can still easily be styled up with accessories such as a throw), but it also is very easily moved from one room to the next. As such, when you don’t need it, you can simply tuck it away to open up more space in the living room.
What about furniture that multitasks?
If you want to talk about furniture that helps you save space, however, you should look at the furniture that can do the work of two pieces. A lot of living rooms have storage furniture in them and these can be helpful for keeping all of the bits and bobs that can be useful in everyday life but would become inconvenient if kept anywhere else. To that end, you can look at options such as chairs with built-in storage such as drawers that can allow you to keep the things that you need but tucked out of sight and with less of a need for as much storage furniture around the room.
Use movable and temporary storage
If you’re looking to downsize your reliance on bulky storage furniture, then you might want to look at other ways to replace its storage capacity as well. One way that might sound relatively simple but can actually be very useful is to use wicker baskets. These baskets can be placed underneath anywhere that may already have something over it that takes away standing space, such as below your TV stand or cabinet, or below your coffee table. Like the humble beanbag chair, these are space-saving and convenient for their purpose, but can also be moved out of the room when the need arises.
Create a walkway around the furniture
The space that you free up in the living room should be used as responsibly as possible. You want to make sure that it’s actually being put to helpful purposes. One of those is to make sure that people have the room to move through the room easily and without getting in the way of those already using it. How you position your furniture tends to play the biggest role in this regard. A lot of people have their furniture plush to the walls so that they can have as much space in the middle of the room as possible. However, if you move your furniture closer to the centre or focal point of the room, such as a coffee table, then you can create a walkway that goes around the room instead of through it, making it easier to not disturb those who are socialising in or enjoying the living room.
Make use of your architectural anomalies
This isn’t a tip that’s going to apply to everyone. However, there are plenty of people who have these architectural oddities in their homes. This is especially true of older homes, which may have once had small additional rooms or cubbies that were integrated later into the main room. These little nooks, crannies, and corners that have seemingly no use can become a lot more useful when you are able to transform them into in-built closets or drawers. You can build recessed storage spaces so that you have storage furniture that doesn’t take up any standing room in the middle of the floor.
Make use of your vertical space for decor
If you’re trying to downsize on your storage furniture or unnecessary pieces, then you might find that you’re losing places to put your knick-knacks and decorative pieces. The coffee table is always good for a little centrepiece or vignette, but this isn’t the only space you can make use of. Your vertical space can be just as useful. We’re not just talking about the walls, either. A little shelving that’s out of the way can do a lot of good. A radiator table is a great example, too. This uses space that already can’t be used since there’s a radiator directly beneath it. Not only can you use it for some display purposes, but you can make it safer around the radiator, too, without blocking off the heat.
The appearance of spaciousness can be just as important
While giving yourself more room to use practically should be your first and foremost consideration, you might also want to look at what you can do to open the room up a little more, visually, as well. There are a variety of ways to do this, but good use of colour and lighting will always triumph. To that end, you should consider making use of neutral colours. Good use of accent lighting can help banish the dark shadows that can crowd corners, making the room seem darker. Opening up your windows by replacing bulky treatments such as curtains with more space-saving and contemporary options like blinds can help as well.
Leave a wall open
If you have the option, consider not decorating from wall to wall. Instead, separate your room into two spaces, the space that is to be used, and a space that’s to be left free. Floating furniture such as shelves and the wall space itself can be decorated to add some visual appeal, of course. However, keeping it free of any furniture that takes up floor space can make it feel much freer. What’s more, if you’re entertaining guests, it can be just as important to have some standing space as it is to have enough seating space for everyone that’s there.
With the help of the tips above, you can make sure that you have space that matters in your living room, while still maintaining its style.