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With permission from the terrace, the living room has been the most valued stay in a house during confinement due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We show you five exemplary spaces to inspire you.
The study “Perception of our home after confinement” carried out by Sigma Dos for IKEA shows that the confinement in our houses due to Covid-19 has modified our perceptions and the value we place on the rooms in our homes.
In this sense, it is clear that the room in which we have felt the best during the pandemic is … the living room! Yes, it has been the preferred one for the majority of Spaniards, 52.6% declare it. Although the kitchen has always represented the nerve center of our homes, this period of uncertainty, in which the house has been our best refuge, has shown that the nexus is the living room.
Set of textures
The play of materials and textures used for the design of this room is remarkable: tropical wood slats on the ceiling and on the wall that occupies the fireplace, made of black sheet metal. The shelf that runs the entire width of the living room is made of stone, while the floor has been opted for granite slabs with a polished finish. The combination of all of them creates a network of textures, ranging from the warmest to the coldest, providing a great visual and tactile richness to the environment.
On the other hand, the furniture is distributed according to the fireplace, the true protagonist of the space. The leather of the armchairs are added to the repertoire, along with the gray upholstery of the sofa; the virgin wool of the hand-woven carpet and the sheerness of the cotton curtains.
Art Gallery
White walls that reflect the light and allow the works of art that enrich the living room of this house to stand out, designed in 1975 by the American architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen and later renovated by Richard Williams. The interior design is signed by the New Yorker Jim Luigs, who has chosen in the living room for a repertoire of designer furniture from different decades. His commitment to sobriety and gray tones aims to allow architecture and art to “shine” above all else.
Four Seasons
The Hourglass house, as it is known, is the work of the French architect Julien Veyron, from the Atelier Arcau studio, located in the middle of nature with the aim of fully enjoying the environment from within. The color is set by the vegetation, while the interior opts for gray, with some pieces of furniture in shades that dialogue with nature. More than opening up to the landscape, the living room is part of it. For this reason, the sofas have not been placed facing the landscape, but are placed in parallel.
Flavored with the sea
The views of the sea and the vegetation are the protagonists of this spectacular room, which is part of a house located in São Paulo, next to the beach, the work of the architects Thiago Bernardes and Paulo Jacobsen. To make the most of the views, the two huge windows that close the living room are left free: a chaise-longue without a back has been installed against one of them, so as not to interrupt the views.
The suspended fireplace frees up space on the floor and has been strategically located, allowing you to enjoy the view of the fire from all seats. On the other hand, the lighting has been solved with spotlights that allow the light to be directed to the desired place. Note ‘Architecture and Design’: in the furniture, highlights the Jangada armchair, by designer Jean Gillon, an icon of Brazilian design, made in 1968.
Leading the way to the library
The sofa, by Artek, and the two armchairs, by FritzHansen, are accommodated in front of the white library without vertical partitions. She is the essential piece in the living room of this 80 m2 Finnish apartment, expressing her ‘Nordic’ ancestry with her style. It is precisely the books that are in charge of adding a touch of color to the room. The touch? The lamp, by Moooi, which, despite its large size, transmits lightness.
Tidy up the room to purify the space
We avoid massive, bulky furniture that shrinks the living room; the choice of light and streamlined furniture with a light and airy appearance will be able to release the volume and therefore the visual effect (minimalist decoration).
If the budget does not allow us to buy new furniture, let’s not forget that dressing furniture with patina, removing doors or changing the style gives us a new and interesting decoration: the restoration of furniture and second-hand items are increasingly implemented with excellent results. . When buying, always choose furniture adapted to the size and height of the room. A good option is to combine open and closed furniture so as not to lose storage places.
Bring light to refresh the environment
Modernize the living room also playing with natural or artificial light, a fundamental factor in interior design. First of all, we will make the most of natural lighting.
We analyze the curtains. Pick up the sides or remove the thick curtains and install thin and vaporous curtains that allow the light to pass through, adding design and intimacy to the modern living room. In current designs, Japanese panels or different types of blinds are a trend. They bring freshness without losing style and perfectly fulfill their purpose when decorating the windows.
The mirrors. They are also a smart solution: placed in front of a window the effect doubles the brightness of modern living rooms. You can choose a single large-sized mirror that decorates an entire wall or the placement of several independent small mirrors forming a whole that will provide different very interesting light beams.
Bet on accessories to refresh the room
To bring inexpensive modernity, play with decorative accessories; cushions, rugs, vases, frames, objects of all kinds that add personality and color to the decoration of the modern living room. We have the option of always using the same decoration style and the same color in monochrome or combining them, but don’t forget the simplicity and elegance. We can buy these accessories or decorative complements in decoration stores, markets, souvenirs from our trips, but we can also make them ourselves.
Renovate old furniture and rejuvenate the mood of the room
We will save money for a house and update the living room cheaply with a makeover in the decoration of our old furniture. Old furniture can give us a lot of style if we renovate it; We are going to consider repainting, covering with fabrics or vinyl papers and even transforming our furniture. With a little interest and determination we can achieve it. We have a lot of friends who can help us and guide us in this work comfortably through the web.
We can start restoring furniture for the simplest thing: a low table or old wooden chairs can be modernized: fine sandpaper to remove the outer layer, a suitable pre-treatment and paint in a neutral color along with the touch of fantasy: a few lace trim. in one color, a freehand drawing with stencils, using decoupage techniques …
Another option, daring each chair painted in a different color respecting a certain harmony of tones. And finally, do not throw away your old and large cabinets, updating them by eliminating the doors, repainting the shelves and giving a fresh air ensure a great success in the decoration of the living room and modern living rooms.
combination of styles for a low cost decoration
Choosing a decorating style for modern living rooms doesn’t have to be fixed and boring. All the subtlety, elegance and personality of your environments you will apply knowing the dose of mixing the styles of different furniture playing with “the rules and fashion trends in decoration” that on the other hand do not exist, especially when the result is harmonious and to your liking.
The classic design pieces and furniture together with a wrought iron leg table inherited from your grandmother, a comfortable and soft sofa, united in the same environment, imply an appropriate game. Base of shabby chic designs.
