Today I’m going to show you four easy swaps that you can make that can completely change the look of your living room without changing any of the big, expensive things like the couch or painting the walls.

I’ve seen a million transformations, as I’m sure you have, where they completely overhaul the whole room without disclosing the price—and it would be high. Not everyone can afford to do those kind of transformations. This is a lower cost approach.

And I’ll say, there’s one caveat: If you have a couch that is not neutral, this might not work for you. But if you follow my advice on choosing a couch, which I talked about in my design series, you have a couch that is basic enough that it is versatile. Let’s face it, a lot of us move frequently, so that’s why I really think it’s important to have a couch that can fit into lots of different spaces.

Keep reading until the end, and I’ll show you three different rooms that are actually all the same room with the same couch and the same paint, but they all have a completely different look based on these four swaps.

If you haven’t met me before, I’m Andrea and I create custom floor plans and mood boards for my clients to help them get a home that feels unique to them.

Swap #1: The Rug

The first swap that can really change the look of your room and in fact drive the look of your room is the rug.

A rug is a great way to really set the color palette of the room and to set the tone or the feeling of the room. Just switching out the rug alone can make the room feel completely different, and you can use the rug to help you set your style.

If you want a more traditional or a more cottage look, you can go with an oriental rug. If you have a more minimalist look, you can go with a natural fiber rug. If you want a more modern feeling, you can use a rug that has some geometric pattern to it.

The most common three mistakes that I see people make when they buy a rug is:

1. They get a rug that is too small. You want your rug in a living room to be big enough where all of the main pieces of furniture can sit with at least their front legs on the rug. The rug can really help define the area.
2. They pick a rug that doesn’t really go with their color scheme so that it looks like it’s a little bit out of place. I think a rug is a really important place to start with your color scheme.
3. If you’re using a solid rug, then your color scheme probably won’t come from the rug. But a rug is a really easy way to set the color scheme for the room, and it can immediately pull together the room.

Swap #2: Window Treatments

The second swap is window treatments. And this can either be curtains, roman shades, or a combination of the two.

It’s a great way to add color, texture, and pattern to your space. And the most common mistake I see with window coverings is that people hang them too low and too close to the window frame. You’ve probably heard you should hang your drapes high and wide. And what this does is it makes your windows look bigger.

In fact, most of the window covering for curtains or drapes will be hanging over the wall. And the other mistake I see is that people don’t get a wide enough drape. You generally want to make sure you have at least one and a half to two times minimum width of fabric as the width of the window. You can read more about getting the right size curtain here.

I had one client who made one change to her room, and that was adding a floor to ceiling drape, and that immediately changed the look of the room.

You can use curtains that have a lot of pattern if that’s where you want to bring in your color palette. Or you can choose curtains that have just a really warm and luxurious feel to them.

Swap #3: Lighting

The third swap is something that I’ve talked a lot about, and that’s lighting. Lighting is something that is often overlooked by people, but lighting is like the jewelry for an outfit. And if you don’t wear a lot of jewelry, it’s like your shoes for an outfit. It really helps to make a statement about the space.

And if you don’t have the budget to get an electrician and have new pieces wired in, there are lots of lighting options that can be plugged in, even overhead lighting.

Every room needs to have all three kinds of light and at least three sources of light:

• Ambient light, which comes from usually the lighting that’s in the room
• Task lighting, which is for things like reading or chopping or sewing
• Mood lighting and accent lighting, which is really what helps set the mood of the room

In the three examples I’m going to show you, I just switched out two light fixtures, an overhead light, and a lamp, and just those two things alone can make a big impact in a room.

You can go with a statement chandelier. There are lots of really interesting floor lamps that can also make a statement. And there are some really great sconces that can really take your room to the next level.

So if you have basic builder grade light fixtures, changing up the lighting is something that’s really going to make a big difference.

Swap #4: Accessories

The fourth swap is accessories, and I’m not talking about tons of accessories. You’ll see when you look at these rooms. Basically I’m talking about things like pillows, plants, and artwork.

Those are the main three. Pillows are a great way to add in more texture and color, and if you feel uncertain about mixing the patterns of the pillows, check out my guide where I give an easy formula for combining patterns.

You also want to make sure that every room has something alive in it. And if you’re not good with real plants, there’s some great faux ones out there.

And artwork. Artwork is something that is so personal and doesn’t have to be expensive. You can thrift a lot of artwork. You can make your own artwork, or you can buy really inexpensive prints and have them framed.

So these seemingly small items can add a lot of personal touch to your space.

See the Transformation

Now let’s take a look at the three rooms. You’ll notice it’s the exact same room. It has the same couch and the same wall color, but I’ve changed up these four things: the rug, the window coverings, the lighting, and a few accessories.

I did this because I want you to see the power of just changing these few things because that’s something that you can easily do yourself. So if you’re ready to transform your living room, try making these four swaps first, and you might not need to change anything else.

For those of you who want a little bit more personal help, I do offer virtual design plans, and I’ll link those below.

The post Transform Your Decor with 4 Simple Swaps (Budget Friendly) appeared first on Design Morsels.

I didn’t compare to Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, and here’s why. As I mentioned in a previous article about buying a couch, it is often the biggest purchase that you make for your house. I personally am not going to buy a sofa that I have not been able to sit in. Next to my bed, the couch is the piece of furniture that I’m going to use the most in my house. I don’t want to buy it sight unseen. It is next to impossible to send one back if we are being honest.

VISKAFORS – Chesterfield

We’ll start with VISKAFORS. This one comes in three colors and two sizes. It’s a classic Chesterfield style sofa. If you want a refresher on the five classic sofa styles, have a look at this sofa buying guide.

You can see here the comparison to a similar sofa at Pottery Barn. The advantage of buying at Pottery Barn is the fabric choices are virtually unlimited. It could be worth the price to choose a custom fabric because sofas are something you’re going to keep in your house, hopefully, for a while. The construction is pretty similar, though.

This one comes in three colors. What I like about this couch is the rolled arm. Also, it’s pretty deep, so it’s comfortable. It comes in two sizes: a loveseat and a standard 88-inch sofa.

UPPLAND – Traditional

Of course, we have to talk about the UPPLAND. This one does come in 13 different fabrics. What I love about it is that it’s a slipcover. You can take it off and wash it. It’s a traditional style sofa.

Here’s a comparison to a very similar look at Pottery Barn. The price and the construction are not only similar, but you can also buy slipcovers from IKEA. There are several great sellers, including on Etsy.

This UPPLAND couch has been the mainstay of IKEA’s couch offerings. It has a nice rolled arm, and this one is a lot more comfortable. It comes in multiple sizes. UPPLAND also comes with a hassock and it has storage built into it. You can get different covers for this too, so that can give you the opportunity to make it into an L-shaped configuration. You can kind of move the sofa and it makes it a lot more versatile than getting an L-shaped couch.

KIVIK – Modern

Sticking with fabric sofas, this KIVIK is a great looking modern sofa. It does come in a sofa and a sectional, and it is comfortable. Here’s a comparison of the KIVIK to the Pottery Barn Big Sur, including price and construction. This KIVIK line of couches is comfortable. If you like a sectional, it’s a nice corduroy fabric.

MORABO – Mid Century Modern

A lot of people love a leather sofa, and IKEA does have several real leather sofas. The MORABO has a classic mid-century look to it. For comparison’s sake, on this sofa, which comes in black, brown, and gray at IKEA, I looked at Joybird. In some cities, Joybird does have stores where you can sit in their sofas, and I’ve been inside one. Here’s a comparison of the price and the construction.

Parts of the couch have fabric. The main parts are leather and one that has the button detail.

FINNALA – Modern Leather

Lastly, is this FINNALA sofa that comes in brown and black. It has a very similar look to this Pottery Barn leather couch. They’re about the same size, about 95 inches by 38 inches deep. Here’s a comparison of the construction and price. If I was going to choose leather, I’d probably choose this one. This one actually feels nice and it’s comfortable.

You can judge for yourself whether IKEA sofas are still a bargain, but having said that, many of the sofas at IKEA I would not touch. Here are a few of those: 

1. FINNALA with Headrest
2. PÄRUP
3. GLOSTAD
4. SÖDERHAMN
5. BACKSÄLEN

BACKSÄLEN does have a slipcover but it’s not well-designed. If I was going to get a slipcover, I would probably wait and splurge on the UPPLAND. I do love that the HYLTARP couch has a removable slipcover and you can get slipcovers made for it. It’s not that comfortable, though.

Before you make your final decision on an IKEA couch or any couch, make sure you’re choosing the right size for your space. If you’re not sure about what style or size is right for you and what fabric would be best for your situation, check out my Sofa Buying Guide.

The post 5 Best IKEA Couches – How do they compare? appeared first on Design Morsels.

Most of them, if you wanted to try to emulate, you wouldn’t even have to break out a paintbrush. I’ll show you examples in every design style, from industrial to cottage and everything in between. Keep reading to the end, because I’m going to tell you exactly how to get started when trying to achieve the looks in the examples. 

What I want you to think about as you look at these images is how you would build your color scheme around burgundy. It’s not just a chance to see some pretty rooms. It’s a chance for you to see a way that you could work burgundy into the color scheme of your living room, if that’s something you’re interested in doing. 

One thing to notice in the mood of each room is burgundy, like every color, can lean cooler, where it has a bluer undertone and looks almost more purple. Or, it can be warmer, where it has more of a red undertone. Read more about why burgundy is popular in home decor.

Let’s get started with burgundy living room examples:

Example 1: Traditional Style with Complementary Colors

In this room, you’ll see burgundy paired with forest green, which is a complementary color (which means opposite on the color wheel). It’s a traditional style room. The burgundy comes in through the rug and the chair. 

Example 2: Industrial Style with Brick Walls

In this industrial-style living room, it’s more of a muted burgundy that’s coming from the brick in the walls. 

Example 3: Traditional Burgundy Living Room

This living room has a traditional style, and there’s no burgundy on the walls. All the burgundy is in the drapes, the rug, and the accessories.

Example 4: Modern Burgundy Living Room

This example is a modern style room, which isn’t typically a style that you’d associate with burgundy. You can see that it’s still possible to have a modern style and incorporate burgundy. The room is mostly cream, and the burgundy just comes in through some of the textiles like the drapes, the rug, and some pillows. As you can see, is a recurring theme when decorating with burgundy. 

Example 5: Academia Style Color Drenching

In this dramatic academia style room, you will notice burgundy color drenching. If you’re interested in color drenching your room, go check out this guide: Color Drenching! Is This A Trend Worth Trying. 

Example 6: Cottage Style Burgundy Living Room

This example shows you that even a cottage-style room can have burgundy in the color palette. It’s mostly creams and neutrals and softer colors, but there is a hint of burgundy throughout the color palette. 

Example 7: Mediterranean Style Burgundy Living Room

This Mediterranean style burgundy room looks like it comes right out of Spain. The burgundy comes in through the tapestry and the rug.

Example 8: Sophisticated Burgundy Living Room

This last example is one of my favorites because I think it has a sophisticated look. The walls are gray, which you don’t often see paired with burgundy. Notice the burgundy comes in just through the window coverings and a chair. I love the sophisticated look of the room.

Now that you’ve seen eight different examples of burgundy in a color palette in a living room, here’s how you can bring that into your space. 

Step 1: Space plan

The first step with any room is space planning. Knowing exactly how the room’s going to be laid out and used. The function of the room is important to look at before you start buying a bunch of things. You might not need to buy as much as you think. 

As you see in a lot of these images, you might be able to work burgundy into your color palette with your existing furnishings. Incorporate burgundy through the rug, the curtains, and the accessories. If you take time to space plan before you go shopping, it’s the difference between a room that looks curated and one that just happens to have burgundy in it.

If you want to master space planning in your living room, check out this article I wrote: Living Room Layouts that Serve Two Purposes. Comment below which one of these eight living rooms you like the most.

The post 8 Burgundy Living Rooms appeared first on Design Morsels.

She wanted three changes with her living room. Here is her wish list

• She wanted her room to be more cozy.
• She wanted to look more sophisticated.
• She wanted to change the color palette. 
• Keep the floors, paint color and sectional (which are all nice neutrals)

Here’s how we did it with six simple changes. This is her room before, which is nothing terrible. She was just ready for a change.

1. Rug

The first step that we took was to find a rug that gave her the color palette that she wanted to use throughout the room. She wanted to bring in that more dark, moody green.

Giada from Rugs direct

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this.  Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

2. Add Curtains

The second thing we did was to get affordable and light-filtering curtains. Curtains can give a room a lot more texture and make it feel a lot more cozy. Window coverings, like curtains, have a bigger impact than mini blinds, as you can see here.

3. New Light

The third thing we did was to order a light fixture that does a lot more for the space than the ceiling fan. A chandelier can make a space feel a lot more elevated. In this case, we got a brass chandelier to go with the brass in her mirror.

This light was the biggest ticket item, but lights can make a HUGE difference in a room’s look and feel.

You know that lighting shouldn’t be just limited to one type. There should be three different kinds of lighting in every room. You need the ambient light, you need the task light, and you need the accent lights. I’ll cover more about the accent lights later.

If you want to read more about how to add three types of lighting see this article I wrote: Lighting – The Tool Interior Designs Master.

4. Add art

The other thing this room needed was some artwork, and you got to have a TV. In this case, this is an ideal example of where a frame TV is the ticket. Now they make a lot of different frames for TVs where you just put the frame right over the TV, making it look like a piece of art. You can order any style frame that you want (here’s an example of a seller on ETSY that sells all kinds of different styles.

In this mini room makeover, we ordered a brass frame to go with the other brass accents in the room. I’m showing it here with some artwork that ties in the color scheme, but you can change the artwork as often as you want.

To make the artwork look even more realistic, we added some accent lighting right over the television that doesn’t need to be wired. It is battery-operated (I bought one for my office).

5. Green Chair

Next, we found a comfortable green chair to tie in the color scheme even more because she didn’t want to keep the blue chair that was in there. It’s important to use the color in lots of places. 

6. Credenza

Lastly, we added a credenza that’s from Ikea. This one is also green. You could go with wood here, but we liked the brass accents on the feet. It’s affordable and ties in the green color scheme.

The Final Look

This is an example of how you can change the look of your living room dramatically without buying a lot of new furniture. The only furniture purchased was a chair and a credenza. There was already wiring for the overhead light, so this isn’t a big budget transformation, but it is a big impact transformation.

If you’re interested in a mini makeover, check out my link: Mini Makeovers.

The post Mini Makeover: Living Room Edition appeared first on Design Morsels.

With a one thousand challenge, I’ll guide you to prove that with a little creativity and some smart choices, you can transform your first post-college space into a home you’ll love. We all spend a lot of time in our places. We all deserve spaces to be a relaxing place we like to be and to invite friends over to enjoy a well decorated room.

You might think this is the opposite of the sustainability argument, but it’s not. One of the things that can keep you in a tight budget is to find some of these items secondhand. But for the sake of this argument, these items that I’ve sourced are all new.

I got an email from someone asking for a little help decorating their first post-college apartment on $600 or less. And of course, that did not involve changing anything with the floors or the wall color. So, this is a classic example of why I think coming up with a design plan before you go shopping can save you a lot of time and money.

Living Room Design on a Budget

The first step to a design plan is going to be the floor plan. It’s important to measure rooms. You don’t want to make the mistake of getting something that is way too big or way too small for your space when you’re on a tight budget. 

For example, look at this room that is long and narrow. There just isn’t a lot of room for furniture. She already had the couch, so that was a big part of the budget. The rest was only $600. With that $600, we needed to find a rug, a chair, some artwork, curtains, and a lamp. You can see with just these five things, you can change the look of a space.

Walmart sofa

Living Room Example 1

She described her style as French provincial, Coastal, or Colonial. She knew that she wanted to incorporate green toile into the space, which is a traditional French style fabric. With this first look, it was a much darker rug, a brass floor lamp, botanical prints, and green striped curtains. The botanical prints are a traditional French provincial style art, so they created a cohesive feel just like the fabric.

Here is a list of the items I sourced:

• Rug
• Green Swivel chair
• Striped Cotton Curtain
• Botanical prints
• Brass Floor lamp

Living Room Example 2

In the second example, I used a chair from Walmart that is traditional French style. I also incorporated pale neutral drapes, Coastal artwork, and a table lamp instead of a floor lamp. In this case, the rug is a much lighter pattern.

You can see the contrast between these two rooms. You can change a lot just by changing a few small details if you are intentional about it and pull together the pieces before you go shopping.

Here are the furnishings for the second room:

• Machine Washable Oriental Rug
• French Country Chairs
• Framed Canvas Art
• Table lamp

If you’re thinking about working on a room and you just want a little bit of help, think about joining my weekly calls where we plan a room together. We cover everything from floor planning to putting together a mood board and coming up with your style inspiration. See this link to join the group.

Which one do you like? Or do you like neither? One reason why I think it’s important for people to learn to do this themselves is to get a design you like. You are your own best designer if you just take the time to figure out what style you like and do a little bit of homework at the front end. I’ve written a post about learning your design style. You can read about it here: What’s Your Style? Take the Quiz.

The post $1000 Living Room Challenge appeared first on Design Morsels.

Read to the end, because I’m going to tell you one kind of unpopular piece of advice about sofas that I like to give. 

1. Sofa Size

I’ve got three tips to help you pick out the right size couch for your space.

When you’re talking about sofa size, it’s not just about the length. There’s a lot of variation in the length, depth, and height. You should also really think about how you like to sit on your couch. For me, I’m short so there is no couch where I’m sitting with my feet on the floor. I like a deep couch so I can pull my legs up on a couch.

Maybe you like to sleep on your couch. Do you like to sit up straight? Do you like to sit with your legs tucked up? Do you like to lay down? How you will use your couch is important to factor into your sofa buying decision.

Let’s understand more about standard sizes. If you live in a smaller place, consider love seats. Love seats typically range from 48 to 72 inches in length. Standard sized sofas range from 72 inches to 96 inches. Larger sized sofas just go up to around 120 inches. 

Tip #1 Space Plan

Figure out your floor plan. I’ve done several posts about how you can do space plan online and on paper. Pottery Barn has a free floor planning tool if you like to use an online tool. It doesn’t mean you have to buy your couch at Pottery Barn. It’s a great software to use. You can put your basic dimensions in and try out the different sizes. You can also play with the arrangements. 

If you’re more of a pen and paper person, I have tips on exactly how to space plan on paper. I have a free downloadable PDF that has all the different size sofas so you can try it out on a piece of graph paper.

When you’re planning where to put your sofa, sometimes you need to think outside the box. Don’t always look at where the person before you had your couch. Try it out in all the different places and see what’s going to work best. 

Sometimes sitting against the wall is not the best option, even though it’s one that you see most frequently.

Tip #2 Balance and Travel Paths

When you’re looking at your space plan, you want to make sure it checks two boxes. One is called balance. You want to make sure that your room has balance to it. All of the furniture should not be on one side of the room. If you use a space planning tool, it will be easier to see how a layout is balanced.

You want to make sure your floor plan checks the box for travel paths. Look to see with your layout if you can get around the room. You need to allow for travel paths. The rule of thumb is three feet if there’s a travel path through your living room. You don’t want to feel like your sofa is getting in the way of the travel path.

Tip #3 How Many Seats on Sofa

Consider how many people are going to be sitting on your couch before you buy it. If you get a couch that has one bench seat, it’s more likely that more people can sit on it because nobody wants to sit in the crack.

Think about the number of cushions you get on your couch and try to match that with the number of people that you want to sit on it. With two cushions, probably not more than two people are going to sit on it.

Sofas For Large Living Areas

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about how to pick a sofa if they have a great room or a very large living area. The best way to pick a sofa if you have a large living area is to pretend like you don’t. Pretend the area is separated into different seating areas. 

You want to try to define the seating areas. The absolute easiest way to do that is with a rug. Pick out a rug for your great room and get a sofa that fits that rug. This method is the easiest way to separate a living room into seating areas.  

Unpopular Advice: Don’t Buy a Sectional

The reason I don’t like to use sectionals as often as a regular sofa is because sectionals are often really specifically sized to a room. If you’re planning on living in your home or your apartment for many years, try getting a sectional. But if you’re thinking, ‘Hmm, I might move in the next four or five years,’ I don’t recommend getting a sectional because they often don’t fit when you move.

Before you go shopping for a sofa, make sure that you look at your space plan, make sure that you consider travel paths and balance in your space, and make sure you think about how many people are going to sit on the couch. 

Now that we have covered what to consider with the size of a sofa. Let’s go over in depth how to choose the right style of sofa and the right fabric for your sofa.

2. Sofa Style

There’s so much more to picking a sofa than just sitting on it. A sofa is one of the most important pieces in your living room and one of the most expensive. Here are tips on choosing the right style sofa for you and the right fabric. 

Let’s talk about the big five styles of sofas (and there are more than five, but these are the main ones): 

1. Traditional
2. Modern
3. Mid-century modern
4. Chesterfield
5. Tuxedo

First, let’s take a look at some traditional sofas. Many of them have a rolled arm. They can either be skirted or have a wood leg, and they can have pillows or a tight back.

Modern sofas typically have more straight lines, a lower profile, and exposed legs.

Mid-century modern couches almost always have an exposed leg, but they also have a very minimalist style to them. It’s usually a squared shape.

Chesterfield sofas are very luxurious feeling. There’s often a tufted back and sometimes a tufted seat.

The last one is Tuxedo. This one gets its name because it’s very minimalist, clean, square style, and the upholstery is often very tight fitting.

There are a million different sofa styles. If you are looking for a sofa that can stand the test of time, stick to one of these main styles. It’s unlikely that it’s going to go out of style. 

I didn’t include sectional sofas because you can get a sectional in every kind of style. I have an unpopular opinion that you shouldn’t get a sectional unless you’re going to live in the place you’re buying for more than four or five years. They often do not move well with you to a new space.

3. Sofa Fabric: Natural and Synthetic

Let’s go over selecting a fabric for your sofa. There are two main categories: natural fibers and synthetic fibers. Natural fibers are things like cotton and linen. Synthetic fibers are things like polyester, olefin, and nylon.

When you shop for sofas, you’re going to start seeing the term ‘performance fabric’ a lot. That often means that there’s a synthetic fabric that’s been used with a natural fiber. This combination makes the fabric more durable and stain-resistant. 

For example, you’ll sometimes see Chenille as a fabric option. Chenille can be made from a weave of polyester and cotton. There are also velvet sofas, which are traditionally made from silk. Most of the velvets now are made of a synthetic material.

Natural Fiber Vs Performance Fabric 

You need to think about lifestyle issues. I think one common misconception is that natural fibers do not perform well. They can be cleaned just like synthetic fibers, especially if you have a slipcover. If you have a lot of pets or children, sometimes a performance fabric can be better suited to your lifestyle.

Solid Vs Pattern

After fabric material, think about solid versus pattern. I like to make the argument for a solid-colored sofa. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like patterns. I do. But, I like to use it on smaller pieces like an upholstered chair or throw pillows. We tend to get tired of patterns faster than we get tired of a solid color. Chairs and pillows are less expensive to switch out over time if you get sick of your striped couch.

Slipcovers

Slipcovers used to be thought of as something that only belonged in a shabby chic kind of style. That is not the case anymore. There are now slipcovered sofas in almost every style. 

The reason why I like a slipcovered sofa is it makes the natural fiber couches into performance fibers since you can take the cover off. A lot of slipcovers now are very tight-fitting. It’s almost hard to tell that they’re slipcovers. 

TIP: Don’t dry slipcovers completely

In fact, they’re so tight-fitting that when you wash them, you have to be careful not to dry them fully or you won’t be able to fit them back on your couch.

I’ve lived with a slipcovered couch for 20 years. I don’t take the slipcover off that often to wash it. When I do, I always put it back on damp. The advantage to me of a slipcover versus a performance fabric is that certain stains that cannot be washed out without being soaked.

If you’re trying to choose a sofa, I would try to get one that fits with the style that you’re trying to go for in your room. Stick to these five main styles, you can use them in almost any style of living room. If you are not sure of your style, take this design style quiz.

The post Sofa Buying guide: Size, Style and Fabric appeared first on Design Morsels.

I’ve got examples of eight different green living rooms, everything from Mediterranean to Modern, and all design styles in between. There’s one in here for everyone. The most surprising one is towards the end.

Green Living Room Design Tips

Be Intentional with Color Palette

What I think everyone can take away from these living room examples is the color palette is intentional. When you look at these green rooms, it’s very clear that the people who put them together had a crystal clear idea of their desired color palette.

In many cases, you can see what sets the color palette in the room. Often the decor setting the color palette is a rug, a specific piece of fabric, or art. This is an interior design tip you can do in your room. If you want to use green, pick one thing that you love in the room and use it to set the color palette for the whole room.

Set a Mood

The other thing I want you to notice is the different moods of the room because green can be versatile. There are warmer shades of green and cooler shades of green. If you want a cozy space, you can lean into warmer shades of green. But, if you want a more calm and serene kind of feeling, you should lean into the cooler tones.

8 Green Living Room Examples

Let’s get started with each example of green living rooms in different design styles. If you want more help to pick your design style, see this design style quiz.

1. Mediterranean Style

The first one is a Mediterranean style living room. The color green is set with the wallpaper. It has a very warm feeling. The rest of the colors in the room are warm neutrals. 

2. Dark Academia Style

In the second example, the color scheme is coming from the rug. This is a very dark, academic style living room. You could achieve the same sort of feeling without painting the walls all forest green because there are a few green items in the room. The design brings in green with the furnishings and the rug. It also has a very warm and cozy feeling to it.

3. Modern Style

Here is a more modern room that has a light color palette that’s being driven by the rug. You might start to see that as a pattern that a lot of designers use. The rug sets the color palette in the room. See how to use that tip here: using a rug to set color palette.

4. Traditional Style

This next example is more of a traditional green living room. I think the color palette is coming from the fabric, specifically one pillow. You don’t need something big to set your color palette. It can be one piece of fabric that you love that’s used in a small way in the room. A piece of fabric is a great way tool to help you bring all the colors in the room together.

5. Mid-Century Modern Style

This example is a Mid-Century olive green living room. This living room doesn’t have something clear in the room that is driving the color palette. This shade of olive warm green was used a lot in Mid-Century design and creates a warm feeling to a room.

6. Traditional Style

This second example of a traditional living room is a perfect example to demonstrate how you can get a lot of green in your living room without having the walls be green. Note the walls in this room are a neutral color, but there still is a lot of green present. I think the color palette in this room is coming from the painting. Notice the painting has a lot of the colors that are being used throughout the room and is an intentional color palette.

TIP: Use Color Multiple Times and the 60/30/10 Design Rule.

Notice when you’re looking at these examples of rooms the green is used in multiple places in the room. It’s not just used in one place, as are many of the other colors. Sometimes green is the dominant color and sometimes it is used as an accent color.

Learn more about the 60/30/10 Design Rule in this post: How Many Colors Should Go In Your Color Palette?

7. Eclectic Style

This is the living room that surprised me. This is an eclectic living room. It has pretty much every shade of green under the rainbow. I think its color palette is coming from the chair that has kind of a crazy green upholstery on it. It has lots of different shades of green that they pulled throughout the room.

I think that this room could be just as effective if the walls were white. You still use several different shades of green. 

8. Victorian Style

The last one is a cool kind of Victorian green living room. This one has a very calm feeling to it. Notice how the green sets the feeling of the room. 

How to Build Green Living Room Color Palette

If you’re looking to build your color palette around green, the first step you need to take is to plan your space. You can either do that on a piece of paper or you can do it electronically. It’s important to space plan to see what pieces fit in your space before you start to think about the color of the pieces.

If you want to try doing a floor plan on a piece of paper, I’ve got a free tool. The tool lets you print out all the different furniture pieces. Just cut them out and easily move them around on the piece of paper to space plan.

The post Green Living Rooms of All Styles appeared first on Design Morsels.

These five interior design tips will help you work blue into the color palette of your living room. Plus, you’ll see examples below for each one of these five tips.

1. You Don’t Have to Use Paint

If you want to use blue in your living room, you don’t have to paint the walls of your living room blue. In this first example, the walls are blue and they’ve used blue paint to set the color palette.

But in this second living room, the walls are neutral. Note the living room still has a lot of blue in it to set the color palette.

2. Decide the Mood to Set

Color can be used to set a mood. Blue is typically a cool color, but you can warm it up. In this first light blue example, the tone of the room is cool. It makes the living room feel more relaxing and serene.

In the second living room, where blue is still a big part of the color scheme, they’ve used more of a gray shade of blue that gives it a warmer feeling. They’ve also decorated with a lot of warm accents to make the space feel cozy.

Just because you’re using blue doesn’t mean the space has to feel calm and relaxing. It can feel warm and cozy. It just depends on the shade of blue that you use and what you pair with the blue.

3. Use 60-30-10 Rule

When you’re setting a color palette, you want to use what’s called the 60-30-10 rule. You can use this rule by picking a dominant color and then using some accent colors. If you want to use blue in your living room, it doesn’t have to be the dominant color. It can be an accent color. 

In this first example, the dominant color is white. They’ve used a turquoise blue in the rug and the artwork as the secondary color. 

Along with the 60-30-10 concept, there’s a design tactic about dispersing the color around your room. If you want blue to be part of your color scheme, don’t use it in just one place. You want to sprinkle it around the room in different elements.

In this example, the living room is pink and blue. They used blue in a lot of places around the room. Blue is incorporated in the living room with the curtains, chairs, rugs, and throw pillows.

4. Consider the Fixed Elements

The fourth tip is that anytime you’re setting a color palette in any color, you need to consider the fixed elements in the room. Fixed elements are items you can’t change and incorporate those into your color palette. 

In this example, the flooring is the fixed element. There are also wood beams that are usually expensive to change or paint. They’ve worked these beams into the color palette by using that same wood tone in some of the furnishings. They’ve used blue as more of a secondary color. It’s in the rug, upholstery, painted furniture, and throw pillows.

5. High Contrast or Low Contrast

The fifth thing is to consider whether you like a high contrast or a low contrast style of room. This coastal living room is a high contrast example. There’s a lot of contrast between the white and the blue in the room.

In this example that we saw earlier of a light blue living room, it’s a low contrast because the colors are in the same range.

I hope you’ll think about these five design tips if you want to use blue when you’re redecorating your living room.

Comment below on the color that you’d like to see, and I’ll try to find examples in every style. If you don’t know what your style is,

I’ve got a style quiz that shows you examples of all the different styles. Take the quiz to figure out which design style speaks to you.

The post 5 Ways to Get Blue Into Your Living Room Color Palette appeared first on Design Morsels.

If this is you, here is the five-step design process to help. This is the method I use when I’m working with someone who wants to get started on decorating a room, but can’t seem to take that first step. 

I wanted to share these 4 steps so that you can use them on your own room makeover.

Step 1 – Space Plan

The first step in the process with any room is going to be space planning. You don’t have to use a fancy tool online. You can space plan on a piece of paper. There are free online floor planning tools, and I show you these options here.

All you need to do to get started with your space plan is first think about how you want to use the room. Do you want to play guitar? Do you want to have a little workspace?

Then, you’re going to want to get out your tape measure and measure the length and width of your room. Mark on the paper where the windows and doors are located. You don’t have to be super exact.

You want to use a quarter inch scale. That sounds fancy. It just means every quarter inch is a foot. That’s an easy thing to find on any ruler. If your room is 20 feet, that means on your piece of paper, you’re going to draw 5 inches. If your room is 16 feet the other way, you’re going to make that dimension 4 inches. This helps you know you’ve got the right dimensions for your room on paper.

Next, print out a floor planning tool or you can buy one on Amazon. These tools typically are quarter inch scale. It helps you to draw the pieces of furniture onto your piece of paper. You can see what fits without physically moving things.  (Here’s an example of my paper floor plan for my living room).

When you’re working on your space plan, you’re going to want to consider some of the things that you’re going to keep in your room. Make sure that you draw those items into your space plan.

The reason why I like to plan with the PDF that I provided for you is because I like to cut it out. This way I don’t have to do a lot of drawing. I can just drag the items around into different configurations. 

This is the final floor plan that we came up with for the person I was helping. She had two couches that were definitely going to stay. She wanted to be able to watch TV, as well as, entertain and have good conversation space.

Step 2 – Find Color and Style Inspo

Step number two is a little bit more fun. You’re going to look for inspiration. Whether you like to look in magazines or want to look on Pinterest, you’re going to go through and pin or cut out a bunch of pictures of living rooms that you like.

Be sure, when you’re doing this, you don’t look at living rooms that have architectural features as the main thing you like about them. Select rooms where you like the colors or the style of furniture.  Do not select the rooms where you love a giant stone fireplace that your living room doesn’t have. Try to focus on 5 to 10 photos, not more than that, of living rooms that you like. 

Once you pin these images or look at these images, look at the descriptors on the pin or in the article. What is a common style that you’re seeing? For example, a client I was helping sent me her images, and I could tell right away that her style was mid-century modern. This helps you when you start planning your room. Look for those style cues.

The second thing is to look for your color inspiration. I’ve done a lot of previous articles about how to find your color inspiration. In this case, the color inspiration of the images she chose clearly had a lot of pink in it and some neutral colors. 

If you don’t have a clear picture of the colors in the images, then you want to use one of the hacks. Find a rug, a piece of art, or a fabric that you love. Use the color palette in those things to help set your color palette in your room.

Once you know what your style is and what your colors are, this makes shopping much easier. It also saves you money when you’re shopping. You don’t spend money on things that don’t fit with your style. 

I know some of you are going to say, “I don’t have just one style.” Nobody does. Nobody has just one clear-cut style and that is great. This is what makes your space more unique to you.

Most spaces that we live in are a combination of styles. You just want to use that style as a guideline. You will have things in your room, like your grandmother’s antique desk, that are not mid-century modern. You still want to keep them, and that’s perfectly fine. It will make your space look unique.

Step 3 – Take an Inventory Of What’s Staying

I want you to take an inventory of the things in your room and figure out which things you want to keep. Do you want to keep the sofa? Do you want to keep some chairs that you have? Do you want to keep a coffee table? Make a list of the things that you’re keeping and make sure that those go with your color palette. 

In the case of this person that I was helping, she just had two brand new couches. Those were going to stay and that impacted her color palette because the couches were a stony gray color. We incorporated that into our color palette.

Step 4 – Determine What’s Missing

The next step is you’re going to want to figure out what pieces you lack. Start shopping for those. When you decide what furniture or accessories are missing first, you tend to not overspend and waste money on items you do not need.

Step 5 – Put Everything On a Mood Board

The final step is to pull everything together on a mood board. If you have existing pieces, take a quick picture of them. Put them onto a mood board. Take screenshots of all the things that you’re thinking about buying and put those onto a mood board. I did a previous post where I talked about how to do a mood board in Canva. It’s something that even beginners can do. 

Once you have everything the way you like it on a mood board, you can start shopping. This is what my client’s mood board design looked like.

Now you’ve got a clear picture in your mind. As a result, your living room is going to have an intentional look to it. It’s not going to look like everything wound up there just because you randomly selected the items. It’s going to look like all the things go together well. You save money in the process.

The post Living Room Virtual Design: A Client Project appeared first on Design Morsels.

I have made these same mistakes myself.

1. No Space Planning

The first decorating mistake has to do with space planning. The mistake is not doing it. 

There are easy FREE electronic tools that help with space planning. You can also do it on paper (using this PDF that has all the furniture you can cut out). 

Often, a lot of us just move into our homes or apartments and put the furniture exactly where the person before us did. We don’t think through the best way to use the space. I have made this mistake myself. 

I put my furniture exactly where the person that lived in my house prior did. As I started learning and experimenting more, I realized it was not the best layout for the furniture. The layout worked better for my living room as I started moving things. 

As a result, I’m much happier with my living room. If you want to look at how to use these tools, I have another article about how to use space planning tools, and you can even plan on paper.

2. Wrong Sized-Rug

The second decorating mistake has to do with rugs. More specifically, not getting a rug that is big enough. If you get a rug that is too small, you can tell. 

Make sure that all of your furniture has at least the front legs on the rug. If you have a rug that you love that is too small, it doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it. You might need to layer a larger rug underneath it to make the space feel more cozy. Layering rugs is an easy design trick so it does not look like you bought a rug that’s too small.

3. No Color Plan

The next decorating mistake has to do with color. A lot of people start decorating their living rooms without thinking intentionally about the color palette. 

There are easy ways to set the color palette. I’ve have a lot of articles and tips about hacks to choose your colors. You can save time and money if you choose your colors before you start shopping for stuff in your living room. If you have things that don’t go with that palette you decide on, gradually over time swap those items out. If you don’t pick a color palette, your room tends to feel less pulled together.

4. Outdated Lighting

The next decorating mistake is really two mistakes about lighting. 

The first is that you haven’t updated your lighting. You’ve seen the outdated boob lights. It’s worth it to get an updated fixture or some updated lamps for your living room. It can make a huge difference. 

5. Not Enough Lighting

The second mistake with lighting is that you don’t have enough of it. Every room needs three kinds of light: ambient light, task light, and accent lights. 

Ambient lights are the ones in the ceiling. Task lights are lamps that you might use to read. Accent lights add a lot of mood to your living room. Hang accent lights over a picture or sconces beside your fireplace. Try to make sure that your room has at least three sources of light.

6. Artwork Hung Too High

Next, we’re going to think about accessories a little bit more. The next decorating mistake is with artwork, specifically hanging your artwork too high or too spread out. You want the center of your artwork to be at eye level. You don’t want it to be hanging way above your eye level. 

If you have your artwork hanging above a piece of furniture like a credenza or a couch, the artwork should be anchored to the furniture. It shouldn’t look like it’s floating in space above the couch. Try to keep your artwork with the center around your eye level.

7. No Closed Storage

For number seven, we’re going to explore clutter. Another mistake I see a lot of in living rooms is that you don’t have any closed storage. 

Everybody loves a little bit of open shelving to display things, but here becomes the problem. We all have a lot of stuff. Some of that stuff needs a place to go that’s behind closed doors or inside of a basket to be hidden.

If you have everything out, it tends to make your living room look more cluttered and less pulled together. Try to get some closed storage options in your living room.

8. No Plants

The next mistake is you don’t have anything green in your living room. You don’t have to have a green thumb (because I definitely don’t) to have a plant in your living room. It can add a lot of life to your space. 

If you’re bad with plants like me, you can get a low maintenance houseplant. Try getting a snake plant or a pathos. Those are, I would say, practically impossible to kill. If you do kill them, they’re inexpensive to replace.

9. Outdated Window Treatments

The next mistake is not updating your window treatments. You may live in a place where you don’t even need window treatments. If you love not using window treatments, great. If you do need window treatments for privacy, get some updated ones that complement your color palette. You can use window shades, curtains, or a combination of the two. 

10. Wrong Size Curtains

Another mistake I see is that people get curtains that are not the right length for their windows. You want the curtains to be hung above the windows and outside of the windows. This makes your windows look bigger. Here is a curtain size calculator.

11. Function Not Considered

We don’t consider the function of our living room and that is a mistake. The function of your living room might be 100% to watch TV. In this case, you want your living room to be set up where the TV is the focal point. 

Most of the time, we need our living rooms to also serve as places where we can have conversation and watch TV. Consider the layout of the living room to support both activities. (Back to space planning mistake #1.) Set up your furniture in a way that’s conducive to conversation.

Ready to move on to another room in the house? Are you making bedroom decorating mistakes?

The post 11 Common Living Room Fails and How to Fix them appeared first on Design Morsels.