How to make your living room to be alive. A place where you are there and you feel that it is there. A place of communion rather than commotion. The idea comes from different perspective, but still as in any 5S concept it is a step by step process.
1. Take inventory of your furniture and decor
The 1st step in 5S is removing the unnecessary items. As such, if you’re working with a living room full of furniture and decor, start by taking inventory of your furniture. This the the first step.
Once you have identified all your furniture and decor, then it is time to decide what you want to do with it. You could use the feeling or mind concept to determine what to keep, what to donate or sell, and what to sent to trash. Think reduce, reuse, recycle in everything that we do.
Use this time to let go of worn-out items like your broken-in easy chair or that scuffed-up coffee table that’s on its last leg. With only the essential pieces left, you can start fresh and build on your design from the ground up. This whole process is the Step 1 of 5S, Sort.
2. Arrange your living room furniture
The aim of the 5S is to achieve a Zen level. So, with that in mind, look for opportunities to create seating areas that encourage conversation, or situate your furniture around a focal point like your TV or fireplace. Don’t forget to think about how people will flow around your furniture. One of the key element of 5S is to reduce motion way. Optimized your room spaces and people will enjoy them.
Your living room is typically the most-used room in your home and the place you go to relax at the end of the day. Make sure furniture is situated in such a way that it’s not difficult to maneuver around everything, or look for lightweight pieces that can rotate throughout the space.
If you’re not starting from scratch, begin decorating your living room by rearranging your furniture. If you’ve been living with the glare on your TV for the last few years because you’re already settled in, now is the time to change things up. Moving your furniture around can make your space feel new and interesting again.
If you don’t like how things are, change it! You‘re not a tree.
Jim Rohn
3. Refresh your color to set the tone
In one of my previous post, I have covered the need of a color wheel when deciding the tone of what you want to match. Thus, before buying all new decor, artwork, and accessories, it’s important to figure out your living room’s color scheme. The color of a room will ultimately determine the mood and energy of the space. If you want to create a calming, soothing space, consider shades of blue or green. For a more energetic, lively space, think about warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows. Neutral shades of beige, grey, tan, or white will give you more versatility when deciding what secondary colors to bring in.
Dark-colored or patterned pieces with tight weaves will prove to be the most durable in a living space, especially for a busy family. If your color palette feels too one-note, switch up your fabrics and finishes for a richer, fuller look.
The choice of colors would definitely make or break you in the long term. Think this carefully and bring the family as well for the discussion. It is their living space as well. You can’t be a dictator in your house and expecting a vibrant and happy feeling in the house. Take suggestion and discuss.
4. Make your living room design cohesive
The 4th step in 5S is to have a standard. This could mean cleaning standard, but also me some cohesiveness in the design choices especially for your living room. Although every member of the family may have different taste and style, it is still important to have a cohesive McDonald feel in the room. You just need to figure out how to those out of cohesiveness visually obvious.
Moreover, your living room’s style will often set expectations for the rest of your home, so the next step is finalized the design style that you want to achieve. If you love the look of low-slung sofas, tapered legs, and geometric shapes, you’ll love you make love the mid-century modern style. Or if you prefer distressed furniture, vintage decor, and floral patterns, shabby chic style is your cup of tea. For the modern minimalist who loves clean lines, practical decor, and streamlined design, you’ll revel in the simplicity of modern style.
You may want to include a feature wall for your living room. Dulux have a great article on this.
5. Lighting says it all
Previously, I have covered that lighting play a pivotal role when we want to choose furniture online. This is also true, we we want to make sure that our living room come alive.
Lighting is an often-overlooked part of redecorating a space, but it’s essential when setting the mood of your living room and illuminating your decor. To learn how to use a mix of ambient overhead lighting and task lighting to give the room a warm glow, checkout the lighting design.
Maximize natural light with sheer curtains that softly diffuse sunlight. Table and floor lamps are a great way to punctuate your design style while adding functional light to your room, so don’t be afraid to go bold with your lamp choices. Lamps are also a way to integrate secondary pops of color into your living room design.