Decorating Styles for Your Living Room

The living room is one of the most important areas of your home. It's the place you relax, spend time together as a family, watch TV, and play games.

When you entertain, your living room is likely the place you have your guests spend time before or after a meal. Many times, it's the most comfortable room in your house, and you'd probably love for it to be one of the most stylish.

There's a reason that the living room is the most common room to have on the cover of a magazine. It sets the tone for the home's style. It's inviting atmosphere just makes you want to stretch out on a sofa and have a cup of coffee.

There are a variety of decorating styles you can choose from for your living room. Let's look at the most popular now!

Traditional

The traditional style is one of the most popular living room décor choices. It's classic – comforting, calm, and orderly. When you decorate your living room in a classic style, you get predictable styles that feel soothing. There's nothing chaotic.

The drawback is that if you don't choose your traditional furnishings carefully, your room can feel fussy or outdated. But it doesn't have to be that way! Done right, the familiarity of traditional furnishings can bring a sense of predictability and comfort.

What you will want in your traditional living room are matching pieces with classic lines and understated details. You can mix vertical and horizontal lines with gentle curves. Choose upholstered furniture that is functional and unfussy. This article can help you find the best sofa bed, for instance.

No one piece should stand out on its own. Edges should be soft and blend into the whole. Florals, plain colors, muted plaids or stripes, and tone-on-tone are all perfect.

Modern

On the other end of living room décor is the modern style. Modern means different things to different people. One common theme, however, is clean, uncluttered layouts with a lot of straight lines.

Some people take their modern style toward industrial, focusing on paring back to the bare essentials. Modern industrial style celebrates humble materials and has a working-class feel. Your furnishings will be minimal and strong, with clean lines and no excess.

On the other hand, some people focus only on keeping clutter down and making sure all furnishings are simple and unadorned. In this type of a modern space, soft furniture is welcome as long as it is not gaudy or fussy. Monochromatic color schemes keep things neutral, and the style feels free and relaxed.

There are a lot of choices in modern design!

Rustic

Love the countryside? Do you enjoy seeing reclaimed wood furniture and bringing the outdoors in? If so, you might love a rustic-style living room.

Wooden floors – the more you can see the grain and the planks the better – and other organic features make a rustic look a throwback to the past. Think pioneer times, but not overdone, and you've got a great rustic space.

The colors of rustic design give a natural warmth. The décor is never pretentious and always useful. Best of all, a rustic style allows you to take advantage of repurposing, which is refreshing in today's consumerist society.

Exposed beams, organic forms, and weathered materials can all evoke this style. However, you don't want it to look kitschy or overdone. Balance the look with some clean lines and smooth surfaces.

Coastal

Love the beach? Wish you could spend every day in the sand, but you're landlocked? If so, you'll enjoy bringing a coastal style into your living room.

The primary colors of this style are those of the beach – browns, tans, blues, and even yellows. The feeling is laid back and relaxed. You don't import sand, of course, but you may choose a light brown soft carpet to give you a great feeling under your feet.

On the walls, think about how you can bring a chill vibe without overdoing the kitsch. You may choose a net on the wall for decoration, but don't overdo it by covering every wall with seashells and starfish.

Consider ways to bring the same coastal feel into your furniture. Crisp clean fabrics, bold stripes, and an airy feel all help. Make sure you bring substantial light into your space as well – there's nothing like the sun to bring out the beachy feel!

Cozy Cottage

Are you making the most of a small space? Embrace it! By choosing a cottage decorating style, you can make a small space seem cozy, warm, and welcoming.

You don't have to find hours searching for the perfect pieces to pull off a cottage look. In fact, mismatches are encouraged. Celebrate imperfections, use ordinary treasures, and embrace unpretentious humility.

If you can't afford or fit a huge sectional in your living room, don't fret! A simple loveseat and some comfortable light chairs can be just as welcoming. Fabrics are forgiving and easy to clean – you'll never hesitate to invite guests to get comfortable.

Skip the shiny surfaces for down-home shabby chic. Look for ways to bring vintage charm into your space, and keep colors soft and simple. Find used items and brighten them with a coat of paint!

Eclectic

Are you someone who just doesn't fit in a box? Maybe you found yourself nodding along at some elements of each style, but turned off by others? If that's you, you probably have an eclectic style.

Eclectic style by its nature doesn't have many rules. The only one I'd present is that even as you bring different elements into your living room, focus on making your space welcoming and not chaotic.

Love straight lines from the industrial style, but hate its coldness? Add some softness from the traditional side. Throw up some soft blue paint and a picture of your latest trip to the beach. Bring in mismatched, comfortable furniture with slipcovers.

Use reclaimed wood for your end tables. Put your favorite fussy lamps on them. Whatever you love, bring it into your space. That's the nature of the eclectic style!

What Style Do You Love?

So now that you've seen some of the top styles available, what are you leaning toward? I'd love to know! Share your thoughts in the comments now!