How to Create a Photogenic Living Room Space

Your living room is a major hub for your home—it can be a place of rest and relaxation for you as well as a place of entertainment and socializing for yourself and any guests! If your design is dull, however, your mood while in that room will be dull as well. Creating a beautiful, photogenic living room space will boost your desire to enjoy it on your own or with your friends! Here are a few tips on design ideas you can implement into your living room.

Create a Consistent Color Scheme

The most photogenic rooms have some sort of uniformity… and the best way to create uniformity is through color! Creating a consistent color scheme is central to your design planning, as it will help you determine the best decorations, furniture, and any other feature you want to implement into your design. Color schemes are also the best way to create different moods into your environment. Cool blues, soft greens and light grays promote calm, relaxation and stress relief. Brighter and more vivid colors like yellows or reds encourage alertness, energy and creativity. And of course, a clean off-white will help the room feel more open, airy, and bright, all while offering endless versatility in regards to decorations. Pick colors (no more than three) that complement each other well, contrast enough to be visually interesting but not overwhelming.

Use Area Rugs

Area rugs are a great statement piece for any room. They add shape, patterns, texture and color to your space, and are a functional part of making your room look and feel cozier. Placed under furniture or standing alone, rugs are a simple addition that makes a big difference! Consider the amount of space available in the room and decide how large or small you could have your rug be without it looking awkward or out of place. The size of your couches and tables is also a factor that may play into your rug decisions.

Hang Art on the Wall

Art is a classy and beautiful way to elevate a room to feel more elegant. Furthermore, the art you use is as effective as color in depicting and encouraging a mood for the space. Chaotic and colorful art draws attention easily because of its energy and intrigue. Soft landscapes, black and white photographs, or simplistic art in general will add to the visual interest of the room, but will do so in a less obvious or bold way. Whether you choose to use popular art pieces or obscure pieces that have a more aesthetic purpose or sentimental value, the art on your walls will effectively serve to invite thought and feeling to your space.

Install a Fireplace

Fireplaces bring to mind a cozy, warm, quiet and charming setting. Your fireplace can look as rustic or as contemporary as you want, but any way you style it, it is sure to be a favorite part of your home. Before you commit to this kind of impressively sized and complicated installation, keep in mind the maintenance required for this feature to run, as well as the upkeep to make sure it stays looking as beautiful as you want it to. A fireplace requires a lot of maintenance to keep clean and running efficiently. You may have to clean it frequently, or at least do routine checks to ensure that it is safe for your home! Even still, the effort required to maintain a fireplace may be very well worth its aesthetic and functional benefits.

Add Some Greenery

Make your home feel a little brighter, livelier, and natural with some plant life! Plants and flowers inside your home are proven to boost mood as if by therapeutic effects, as well as providing a natural air filter and a source of vibrant color. Pick plants that you can keep alive—or pick fake plants that you don’t have to worry about at all! Even a few small succulents (which require very little care or space) can invite that natural feel that is so helpful and aesthetic for your room. Or, you may find that dedicating some time and energy towards caring for a plant or two becomes a hobby you love!

Pick the Right Furniture

Choosing the right furniture pieces is arguably one of the most important, and difficult, tasks for creating your perfect room design. You want a good balance between comfort and look, and you want your furniture to be able to support or allow for a good number of people to enjoy the room! Varying the sizes of your furniture pieces will add some interest to your room’s look, while giving you multiple options for seating or entertainment. Also, like color, you want your furniture pieces to complement each other well! Mixing materials can work, but only when other aspects of the piece are somehow cohesive to other furniture pieces as well.

Add Texture

Texture is a great way to add some depth and interest into your room. Each piece of your design—from rugs, to walls, to décor, to furniture and more—will be made of various materials. Mix up these materials enough to draw a person’s eyes and then minds into the room, even if they aren’t aware that that is happening! Other strategies for adding texture include stacking things like pillows or books, treating your windows, or simply using more 3-D décor on your walls and shelves.

Have a Focal Point

One of the easiest ways to make a room “photogenic” is by creating a focal point within the room! Accents are beautiful, attractive, and unique—all things that make a great scene. Try an accent color or wall, a statement piece like a chandelier, point your furniture towards your fireplace… anything that centers the attention of the room before encouraging viewers’ eyes to wander more around the rest of the space.

Try one, a few, or all of these ideas in your living room space and design a space that you won’t want to leave (or, at least, one that you can’t stop taking pictures of!)

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