Decorating a living room is one of the most challenging design projects because it requires a delicate balance of functionality and aesthetics.
This article provides readers with guidance on how to deal with an awkward living room, which is too small, has poor functionality, or includes some unfortunate design elements that need a solution.
What are some common problems with an awkward living room?
There are several different kinds of problems that can come up with an awkward living room, including:
- The room is too small to be comfortable or functional with limited options for furniture.
- The space isn’t optimized to move around in comfortably and feels constricted or boxed in.
- The decor is too disconnected or lacks life, personality, and soul.
- There is too much clutter in the room, though everything needs to be there.
What are some of the solutions for an awkward living room?
Fixing any of these issues is going to require some work, but it’ll be worth it in the end. If you have an awkward living room, there are several things that you can do to help
Cold decor?
1. Add some plants.
Plants are great because they’re generally attractive, healthy, and bring something to the table that no other furniture can – life! They help awkward living rooms feel more inviting and relaxing. What’s more, the bright green tones of a healthy plant do wonders to the colorscape of your living room.
Plants also come with an added feature that is often overlooked in interior design and that’s the humble plant pot. These are the perfect way to adapt your decor according to your own sense of style. You can choose something simple and plain or something with a bit more flair, such as patterned pots.
Using plant pots to decorate your living room can be efficient and effective but many people often make mistakes with plants and decor.
2. Add some color
In order to use color as effectively as possible in your living room, it’s important to choose the right color to help make the room feel more alive.
Painting one of the walls in a bright color is a good idea to bring some light into the room and make it feel less uniformed.
Bright colors are an easy way to make a huge impact. If your living room is fairly depressing, then using bright colors can make things feel more exciting and fresh.
Soft colors are best for making the ceiling look higher and giving a sense of space. This can be especially helpful if you have low ceilings or if the ceiling feels particularly oppressive.
If you want darker colors like brown, black, or navy blue, use these as accent colors rather than the main color and It can also add some depth to your living room without making the room feel smaller.
Not enough space?
3. Use poufs for chairs.
Approximately just 2 feet in floor space, the classic footrest pouf doubles as extra seating for gatherings and can be stored away easily when not in use. Or if the space allows they are a gorgeous accent to your interior design.
They take up less space than a sofa but offer much more in functionality and efficiency making them a must-have for awkwardly tight living room spaces.
4. Use the walls and corners
If your awkward living room is quite small, push everything to the walls and the corners. This will allow the central area to be the main walkway in and out of the space. Make use of corners with square furniture such as tables that will fit right in and leave no space unused.
On the other hand, if you have an awkward living room with angled walls that don’t meet at 90 degrees, try decorating that space with a plant or something else that’s beautiful.
Ugly decor?
5. Add something to distract
If you have ugly things in your living room that you don’t want people to focus on, then it’s important to distract them by decorating in other ways.
You could add something that breaks up that ugly wall like a painting and draw people’s attention away from it. Plants are also an amazing distraction tool.
6. Try to forget about the floor!
If your living room has a well-used carpet, it might be easier just to cover it up rather than try and fail to clean it.
Try placing rugs down on the ground to create some texture and warmth to your living room and cover up some of those accidental coffee and wine spills.
Bad lighting?
7. Overhead lights that can be too harsh: use lamps for light!
It’s crucial to have adequate lighting in an unsightly living area. Lamps, rather than strong overhead lights such as spotlights, are the ideal option in this situation.
If you go with overhead lights, they’ll be too harsh on your eyes and might even accentuate the uncomfortable atmosphere of your living room.
8. Walls are useful too
Use light paint colors on the walls in your living room to make the area look more spacious and airy. Go for white if you’re not sure which color to choose as white will go with any kind of existing decor.
Living room awkwardly too big?
9. Divide it up into livable areas
If your living room is too big, then you’ll need to think about how to divide it up. You can do this by creating different spaces in the room with rugs or chairs set at angles.
Use side tables and poufs as well as chairs and stools around your different tables to carve out various seating areas for people.
10. Add more furniture
It sounds like a joke, but adding more furniture can both de-clutter and and help fix awkwardly big living rooms too. For example, try adding a bookshelf, dresser, or filing cabinet to restore a little order and provide places to store things that are always getting in the way.
These additions to your wall will superficially make your room appear more intimate too.
With a little creativity and our interior design tips, you can turn any awkward living room into something that is both functional and beautiful. It’s time to fall in love with your living room again!
For serious refurb, it might be a good idea to talk to an interior designer and lighting specialist. They can help with choosing furniture and decorating your living room in a way that makes sense for your home and you can sit back and enjoy the transformation!