Modern living rooms, how can we achieve them?

The living room forms the core of every home. It is where you spend your time with your family and friends. Therefore it is worth making it a place suitable for get-togethers.

What does a ‘modern living room’ mean to you?

First ask yourself what the living room of your dreams should be like. We all have our specific preferences, so you should have little trouble visualising just how you would like your living space to look. It should form the nexus of family life and feature a unique design, so the time you spend there is enjoyable and a pleasant surprise for all your friends.

It is difficult to formulate a universal definition for the modern living room. However, we can identify certain common themes among the current interior design trends and styles. Modern living rooms feature refined lighting effects and minimalist furniture, providing a sense of spaciousness, good aesthetics, the prevalence of simplicity and high functionality. A modern living room should provide enough space to make it a comfortable place to work in, for reading that favourite book, for rest and recreation, and so that you can spend quality time with those dearest to you.
The choice of interior styling and the conversion into a modern living room is often quite a challenge. There are many reasons for this, especially with a room that is limited in area, or a shape that makes it difficult to fit in everything we want. Another issue is choosing a suitable style, which will suit our space. In this case, it is worth seeking inspiration to find the best way to arrange your interior.

Where can we seek inspiration?

There are several sources available to help inspire you in your journey toward that modern living room. First and foremost there is the Internet, with plenty of blogs focussed solely on interior design. Sometimes it is worth considering getting ideas from your friends, if they have recently remodelled their living room. Furniture store catalogues and expert articles in newspapers and magazines can help too. There are many sources of inspiration around, although their rich supply makes choosing one very difficult.
What can be done if you simply have no idea? Consider hiring a company that specialises in interior design. While the cost may be considerable, you can rest assured that your new living room will be completed professionally and consistently, in the style you want. Interior designers can be very helpful when you have little space, and are finding it difficult to achieve the kind of living room you want within all the space constraints.

The right style. What are the key pointers?

Many people decide to do the designing and fitting out works themselves. If this appeals to you, there are several key points worth noting:

• size of the room — the floor area and ceiling height of the living room,
• arrangement of the windows, and what they overlook,
• locations of power sockets and radiators — especially important in small rooms,
• on what storey is the living room.

As you can see, designing your new living room includes considering the design of the building, and without understanding this you cannot achieve a good arrangement. The location of your living room is important, because if it is on the ground floor and overlooks a street, then there are some specific issues.
A modern living room is primarily about much free space there is, which is hard to achieve if the room for your living room project is small. However, any large room or space can be made over into a modern living room, one that is simple and minimalist. Even small living rooms can feel spacious if not cluttered with furniture and decorations. By a process of appropriate development, you can determine whether your room feels empty, splendid, or just given a thoughtful balance between the two.
There are several predominant styles for your living room. The most popular ones include:

• Modern: opposing the rich diversity of patterns and bold colours. It is minimalist and features design forms of high value. Modern indoor spaces are large, bright and highly functional.
• Glamour: where chic, luxury, and glitter rule. It is characterised by massive, very ornamental and opulent furniture, including large and comfortable sofas and chairs, decorative lamps, crystal chandeliers, and rich pictures and mirrors.
• Nordic (Scandinavian): for bright and spacious living rooms. This style is evident by natural materials and colours.

Scandinavian style

As you can see, every style has its unique traits, which may have more or less greater appeal. Before choosing a style, first consider how it would fit into your actual living room space, especially in terms of size. Before you start any work, it is important to understand your needs, what you require from the room, and evaluate the pros and cons of each choice.
What colours suit a modern living room?
A modern living room needs a specific set of colours. Light colours are very popular now, with white giving a sense of 

purity and order to the room, and making it is easy to harmonise with very different furniture and other decorative pieces. Light colours make a room feel spacious by optically enlarging it, because light colours reflect more light than dark colours. These are advantages you can certainly benefit from.
There are many tones of white available on the market, and finding the right one can take some time. Before you select a specific shade of white to use, get some colour samples and test them on your walls.
Shades of grey are also extremely popular. They go well with different living room styles and, similar to white, they are universal and can be harmoniously combined with other colours. An important factor is choosing a colour tone to match the amount of sunlight in the room, as some tones will make the room brighter and others darker. One recent trend is to leave one of the walls in a dark tone and finish another one in a light one.
The third colour to dominate living rooms in Poland is beige, which provides a neutral backdrop for furniture and other furnishings. Other popular living room styles include those with one wall in black or a trendy shade of navy blue, and those painted in tones of blue, pink, or green.
The colour theme of the living room should first be given careful consideration, as it defines the feel of the space and the mood of its users. If you are not sure what colour is right for your living room walls, seek some inspiration as there are plenty of project examples available nowadays. This can help you decide which interior design fits your vision of living room best.

What furniture should you choose?

Everyone dreams about a great indoor design, and the importance of enjoying it, which makes the selection of furniture a key part of the result. Many people in Poland follow the latest trends. It sounds like one way of remaining current, but the trends change every year and your living room can soon start feeling dated. A better idea is to avoid buying the kind of furniture which is very current at the moment. An alternative is to choose universally styled furniture, which both looks great and provides high functionality. Such furniture will serve you for many years.

A couch in a living room

A modern living room should feature the simplest furniture, regular in form, and made of first-class materials. Choose them according to your preferences, as you want to be very comfortable in your living room, after all. No modern living room can do without a modern couch, where you can wind down after a long, hard day. Modern lounge corner sofas are a very popular choice and a practical solution. A large corner sofa bed for the living room provides ample seating and relaxing space where you and your family and friends can spend your free time, which can be converted into a comfy bed for guests who stay overnight. For small living rooms, a stylish sofa is a good choice, one which is compact but still functional. Elegantly styled folding sofas can perform perfectly well as fold-out beds. Such a sofa can be a great replacement for a corner sofa in living rooms too small for large pieces of furniture.
A modern living room is also about restraint in how much furniture you have. If you do not intend to store much in your living room, and want to narrow the room’s function to relaxing, it is best to do without sprawling, multi-module shelving. What every living room requires, aside from a sofa or a couch, are armchairs or pouffe seats, a coffee table, a TV console, a shelving unit, glass cabinet or a wall shelf, and maybe a drinks cabinet. Less is better. Today’s sets of living room furniture are striking, yet light and useful. The modern living room should be simple yet interesting, with accessories that add variety.

Living room lighting

While designing your living room, consider what lights will suit it best. A modern living room can feature many types of lamp. A good place to start is conventional ceiling lighting, the latest LED strips, and spotlights to create the right ambiance in the room. The choice relies heavily on the predominant design style of your living room. A modern style does not clash, with unique colours and shapes that invigorate the whole design. Avoid choosing too many lamps, as the modern living room is primarily about the simplicity of form.

A fireplace in a living room

Many people believe that fireplaces are reserved for living rooms in classic and glamorous styles. This is not entirely true, as fireplaces are common in modern and Scandinavian-themed living rooms. Popular types of fireplace today include those using biofuel and fireplace inserts. They do not require smoke extraction systems, and the materials make them safer than their older counterparts. If you want your living room to have a fireplace, choose a modern solution.
A fireplace in the living room

The right accessories

Accessories play an important role in every living room. Carpets, curtains, and other furnishings can add a wealth of colours and patterns to your living room. Green indoor plants in particular look well in living rooms. Just remember that everything you choose must be colour-matched and in harmony with the overall design concept. The accessories in a modern-styled living room should not overwhelm the space, which should be simple and light.

Conclusions

There are many ways to design a living room. There are several design styles to use from, but some of them are not suitable for just any size of room. If you like simplicity and minimalism, and only have a small room, why not consider the modern or Scandinavian style. If you feel best in an opulent setting, then the glamour style is for you. The classic style is more subdued, but keeping the room clean requires much more effort.
Everyone should find the style they like the most. If a project is very challenging, it is a good idea to consult an interior designer to help in developing a professional plan for your living room. A living room design is an investment for years to come. Take good care of every detail to enjoy a setting which is always welcoming and comfortable.