Although many of us think of the living room as a place to wind down on the sofa at the end of the day, there are plenty more uses for this valuable space in your home.
Rather than decorating and furnishing your living room as a single area, consider all the different activities it gets used for and how you could best section it off to create areas dedicated to each activity. You’ll get far more value out of your living space and your family will love having their own individual spots to relax, play and study.
1. Perfect your seating area
For watching TV and relaxing, use a corner sofa or two smaller sofas to create a comfortable sectioned-off seating area. The Dallas light grey chaise sofa is the perfect choice as not only does it fold out to provide a generous sized bed for guests to sleep on but it also has hidden storage for guest bedding, DVDs or whatever you need to tuck out of sight.
Provide a coffee table or a nest of tables for drinks, snacks and magazines – the Simmy is a fantastic choice as it not only provides plenty of space for everything you need close at hand but it also has hidden storage for you to tuck away all your bits and pieces.
Light your seating area with an overhead light and a table lamp or uplighter. Providing different lighting choices allows the space to be used for different purposes such as reading in the day and relaxing in the evenings.
It’s a great idea to invest in some headphones for the living room TV as this allows the family to get the most use out of the room. While one person is watching TV, others can use the room to study, read or play. Wireless headphones are the best option as you don’t have to bother buying an extension cable that reaches over to the sofa – and you won’t find yourself constantly plugging in and unplugging them.
2. Make room for dining
If your home doesn’t have a dedicated dining room, create a dining area in one section of the living room. Hang lights over the table and choose either chairs or, if space is at a premium, benches which can tuck away right under the table. If you enjoy entertaining, it’s worth investing in an extendable table that allows you to seat more people when you need to, such as the ultra-modern white gloss Stuart table which has two extension sizes for maximum flexibility. When both are used, you have up to 260cm of seating space, plenty of room for the extended family.
3. Find a spot for reading
Most people will use the sofa for reading but this is tricky when others want to watch the TV, especially if you have little ones who aren’t too good at sitting still. Consider creating a comfy area in the living room to cosy up with a book, as far away from the TV as possible. Even if someone’s using the TV with headphones, there will still be a bit of residual noise so creating a little distance helps tackle this. Your reading area can be as simple as a cosy rug, a bright lamp and an inviting armchair such as the gorgeous Milan that is just begging for you to snuggle up under a blanket and lose yourself in your favourite adventure. A divider can also help to create a little private space away from the rest of the room where you are less likely to be disturbed.
4. Create a kid’s corner
If there are small children at home you might find yourself constantly clearing the living room of all their little bits and pieces in a never ending tidying spree. The simple solution to this is to give them their own area of the living room where they can relax, play and leave their things at the end of the day. This might include a small table to sit and draw, a cosy rug, their own seating and an attractive place to store their books such as this lovely natural wood book tidy. Consider buying an ottoman or two as well – they come in a range of brilliant bright colours and are perfect for keeping your child’s books and toys out of sight when they don’t want to play. As a bonus, they can be used as seats when you have guests over.
5. Make room for studying
If you have older children it is a good idea to provide an area for studying and this can double as a small home office when you need it. The Sienna is a fantastic choice for a desk – it has a durable white high gloss finish and has a depth of just 55cm so it tucks neatly against the wall, taking up very little space. The desk drawer offers a little storage for pens, clips and other small items.
It’s a good idea to provide some shelving for books, folders and papers near to your desk so that these don’t get left lying around in piles. These fantastic multipurpose storage cubes are perfect for turning even the narrowest of spaces into useful storage. You can order the cubes you need to fit your exact space and mount them on the walls or use them floor standing to meet your needs.
If you don’t have space for a separate desk, consider positioning the dining room table near a corner of the room and creating a study/work area at one end of the table. Create shelving on the walls nearest to the table and provide a bright lamp that can be angled to provide light in the evening.
Have you got any tips to share? Let us know your thoughts below!
Images sources via Pinterest. Credits: apartmenttherapy.com and domainehome.com
Priya Dharshini
Amazing tips! After this pandemic, I am planning to turn my living room as a home office, and these tips can be really helpful in shaping my office. Thanks for sharing these ideas here!