3 ways to make your living room feel interior designed!
Interior Design Guides by Melissa Bolivar
20 August 2023
It’s often I’ll be invited over to a friends house for dinner and suddenly half way through the Cacio e pepe I’m asked “Mel, something about this living room is just totally OFF, but we can’t figure it out.” At this point I’m half way through my second glass of vino and trying to be a good guest, friend and designer I look around the room and awkwardly navigate the short comings of their living room, alas not much is remembered or improved after this impromptu wine fuelled consultation.
For you my friend I write this blog, only this time I am completely sober and can give you some valuable advice! Here are 3 main reasons your living room is missing the mark and how to fix them so your living room feels interior designed.
THE RUG
If you’re going to have one, go big or go home. What I see too often is a small rug in the middle of the living room, this makes your room feel small and draws your eye to the awkard little rug in the middle. If you imagine a rug creating a frame around your seating zone the bigger the rug, the bigger your space will look and feel.
You want grandeur to make the space feel bigger and cosier! A beautiful faded Persian rug is a great option to add character and a touch of colour.
Designer Tip: The rug needs to cover at least half of the under side of the furniture including armchairs, sofa and side tables.
Here are some sexy rugs that I’ve found for you:
THE ART
If you open a glossy interiors magazine, the one element each project has in common is big art work.
This is usually quite hard to find, artwork is expensive rolls in eyes* starting from £500 and going up to the tens of thousands, it is one of the most difficult items to source. It also must connect with you personally making the buying process much harder.
A space can live without big beautiful art, but once you add it, it elevates the space to another level and gives it that designer feeling that interior designed homes have.
Designer Tip: You want the art above your sofa/ console table to be 2/3rds of your sofa/console width.
Here are a few beautiful art pieces at different price points:
THE CUSHIONS
Now, believe it or not cushions are a big deal.
They are art in themselves and will add colour and pattern to your space adding to the overall feeling of the room. They can transform your space, especially if you are able to coordinate the rug, the art and the cushions. If these three accessories work in harmony, you are on your way to having a beautiful interior, shock*.
I’ve made sure all of the pieces in this guide coordinate, so feel free to buy them individually or combine them!
