Luxury Living Room Interior Design

Living room interior design is important because this is usually the space where most people spend their time indoors. A well-designed living room has to work for families, couples, individuals and guests. A living room should be both multi-functional and multi-generational. So how do you go about designing such a complex room? Juliettes Interiors specialise in exceptional interior design and provide luxury furniture for high-end, residential properties.

Owner Juliette is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design, and gives her top living room interior design tips in this article.

What Are The Principles of Living Room Interior Design?

A Cherished Piece

We often find that clients already have a cherished item, or they have one particular piece in mind when it comes to designing their living room. It could be an heirloom, a piece of artwork, a vintage rug or a new sofa they have their heart set on.

This gives us an insight into their tastes and style. We then work around this focal piece, using it to define a colour scheme and the style of the room. If you have an item that’s important to you, keep it in mind throughout your living room interior design process and use it to inspire your ideas.

Planning

This is the most important part of living room interior design. We recommend sitting down and thinking carefully about your living room and its primary purposes. This may sound like a chore, but it will make the next steps much easier to complete. Start by considering who, how and when.

Who Will Be Using The Living Room?

If your living room is just for you, the interior design process will be a lot simpler. However, you may have to consider a partner, young children, older children or grandparents. Their needs and tastes will need to be taken into account when you start designing your living room.

How Does Each Person Use The Space?

Is your living room purely a social space for chatting or watching TV? Or does it fulfil other functions as well, such as a quiet space, a workspace or maybe a children’s play area? Do you intend to do a lot of entertaining? How many people use the room at any one time?

All of these questions should be considered when working through your living room interior design plans.

When Do Various People Use The Room?

Is your living room used throughout the day and evening? Do children spend a lot of daytime hours in there? Do they do their homework in there after school? Or is your living room a place that is only used by you in the evenings?

All of these questions should be considered when designing your living room interior. If you have a separate home office, study or playroom, your living room will probably be a dedicated relaxation space. If it is a large, open-plan, multi-functional room, you should consider creating zones or rooms-within-rooms.

We recommend doing a quick sketch to mark out the different areas: perhaps a cosy seating area around a fireplace or TV; a quiet zone for reading; space for a desk; as well as a fun area where children can play.

Use furniture to demarcate each zone:

• Either a U-shaped sofa or a sofa and chair ensemble as the TV ‘room’
• Bookshelves or clever storage to separate a workspace or play zone (with the advantage that all the clutter and toys can be tidied away out of sight).

If you can, do several sketches and move things around to find the best way of positioning each of your zones. Think about natural light, windows, doors and walkways. You need enough space to move around, open doors and drawers, and be able to walk from one room to another without obstacles.

Invest in a Great Sofa and Seating

The main function of a living room will always be to relax. Therefore, we recommend investing in the very best seating. Whether you go for a giant, modular sofa with space for the entire family, or flexible seating with luxury armchairs, footstools, a chaise longue as a window seat, we recommend always going for quality and comfort.
Nobody enjoys spending time in a living room that is unwelcoming and uncomfortable. Once you have chosen your luxury sofa and seating, start to bring in coffee tables, side tables and storage. A TV or media unit, again, helps to define a zone. Don’t overstuff the space, but use cleverly-positioned pieces that look beautiful while performing a function at the same time.

Add Texture

Texture is an important part of any interior design. It adds depth, warmth and is visually interesting. Include layers of texture with your upholstery fabrics, rugs, cushions and throws.

It is not just about soft furnishings, though. Bring in warm woods in the form of flooring, coffee tables and storage solutions. Cool marble adds an air of opulence. Brushed or polished metals such as gold, copper, nickel and bronze gently reflect light and give a subtle glow.

If you have green fingers, healthy plants can add plenty of texture as well as a fresh, outdoor feeling. We’re talking cacti or giant Swiss cheese plants. Plants can also help mark out different zones in your living room – but too many may leave it looking like a jungle.

Luxury Living Room Lighting

A well-planned lighting scheme can make all the difference in your living room interior design. Get it right, and you have cosy nooks where you’ll want to relax, as well as specific lighting for work or play. Get it wrong and you either have a dull, gloomy space or something that feels like a dentist’s waiting room.

While most living rooms have a central ceiling light, how often do you actually use it? If your room can take a magnificent chandelier, go for it. A chandelier makes a superb focal point. Don’t rely on it as your only source of lighting, though.

Think of where you might sit and read, or watch TV. Use brighter, task lighting for reading and working, then add a combination of wall lights, floor lamps and table lamps to create warmth and atmosphere.

Add Personality

This is your living room, so the interior design should reflect your personality. That could be quiet and reserved, elegant, eccentric or flamboyant. Choose colours and accessories to bring your living room interior design to life.

An ostrich feather or palm tree floor lamp could make a fabulous, off-beat statement. Gorgeous cushions, vases, candleholders, books, clocks. Either ultra-modern, mid-century or vintage.

Decide on your style and stick with it, so you don’t end up with conflicting ideas. Collect images or create a Pinterest board and play around with styles to see what works together and what doesn’t.

Choose Things You Love

Last, but definitely not least, always choose furnishings that you love. This is your interior design, and you have to live with it. So, it’s fine to find out what is trending in living rooms right now but, if there’s nothing there that speaks to you, don’t think you have to follow the trends.

Luxurious Living Room Gallery

Why Choose Juliettes Interiors for your Living Room?

Living Room Interior Design, London UK