A Living Room Refresh: Creating a Warm, Layered Look
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When we moved into our home 11 years ago, I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to do with the living room space. The space is a large open room that includes the kitchen, dining, and living areas, making it tricky to define its purpose and make it feel both distinct and cohesive with the rest of the house. The high ceilings, a big selling point for us when deciding to buy this house, were especially intimidating. They felt cavernous and made the whole space feel cold, rather than warm and cozy.
Faux Fur Throw Blanket | Marble Tray | Plaid Chairs | Sconce Shades | Antique Radio
After years or trying different paint colors (my husband will tell you that we’ve painted this room 10+ times), different furniture and layouts, I realized that I needed a plan. The goal was to create a cozy, layered space that felt intentional and lived-in and most importantly felt like it belonged with the rest of the house. The solution wasn’t to fight the open floor plan, but to embrace it and use smart design tricks to create zones and bring the ceiling down to a more human scale.
Making the High Ceiling Work
Instead of letting the high ceiling feel overwhelming, we decided to use it to our advantage. The key was to draw your eye up, but not let it get lost. We accomplished this by using dark paint, furniture and decor, and layered in lighting.
Bookcases | Plaid Chairs | Throw Blanket (similar) | Throw Pillow | Green Vase | Antique Radio | Area Rug | Sconce Shades
Dark Paint: The dark color (Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams) on the walls of the living space help make the large space feel more intimate and warm.
Verticality: By using a tall bookcase to highlight the height of the room on one wall, while using the TV, art, and mirror on the other walls to dray your eye upwards and help fill the height of the room, making it fell less empty.
Layered Lighting: Using the overhead lighting is a big no-no in our house. By layering in lighting at different heights, it helps cozy up the room. We installed two wall sconces flanking the TV and the table lamps help create pockets of light that define the seating area and give the room a soft, inviting glow in the evening.
Creating Cohesion in an Open Floor Plan
What has been the most challenging in decorating our open floor plan home is ensuring the living room doesn’t feel like an afterthought to the kitchen. Once we gave our kitchen a makeover, the living room felt out of place, and I struggled for a long time with how to make the spaces feel cohesive.
Eventually, I realized the solution was to create distinct zones while still maintaining a visual connection between them. By focusing on a few key design principles, I was able to transform a disjointed space into a cozy space perfect for our family.
Sofa | Stripped Throw Pillow | Checkered Throw Pillow | Blue Throw Pillow | Area Rug
Cohesion Through Color: We tied the whole space together with a consistent color palette. The light sofa balances the dark walls in the living room, and we repeated colors like the deep blue from the plaid chairs in a few accessories in the adjoining kitchen and dining areas.
Material Repetition: Notice the rich, black furniture pieces used on the console table and the bookcase. Repeating this material in other parts of the open space helps create a visual connection and a sense of flow from one area to the next.
Area Rugs: Probably one of the most important item in helping create zones in an open floor plan space is area rugs. It instantly helps define the living room zone and adds another layer of texture and comfort.
Sconce Shades | Area Rug | Plaid Chairs | Antique Radio | Green Vase | Marble Tray
By focusing on these principles, I was finally able to transform a pretty boring space into a cozy haven that’s perfect for family hangouts or entertaining friends.
I’m a mom of two and wife to a seriously supportive hubby, living our best life in our forever house by the preserve! I'm all about helping you create a stylish, Pinterest-worthy home on a budget. Let's obsess over interior design, home decor, DIY, and home improvement projects to help you create your best home. Follow along and say hello! I love hearing from you.
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