Every room of a home comes with an emotional benefit that’s just as important, if not more so, than its functional one. Bathrooms offer us a sliver of solitude, bedrooms provide the chance to recharge, and so on. But what about the living room? According to House Beautiful’s Market Director Carisha Swanson, “living rooms are all about having intimate conversations with family and friends.”
The best way to set a ‘come on in’ mood is to forgo a formal aesthetic in favor of a jamboree of patterns and colors so casual, guests will immediately feel at ease and want to linger a little longer. Here’s where The Home Depot comes in. They have a cast of affordable, technicolor showstoppers, including rugs, pillows, and wallpaper, that will quickly turn your living room into an irresistible hangout.*
Scroll down to see how you can give yours a kick in just five fail-safe steps.
Start with a solid base
Selecting a sofa dressed in an eye-catching pattern or bold color may seem like the easiest way to amp up your living room. But, in doing so, you run the risk of boxing yourself into a highly specific look. Instead, go for one with solid neutral upholstery like grey, ivory, tan, or black.
These chameleon-like hues play nice with different styles; therefore, a sofa wearing them can keep up as your tastes change. “And that means you won’t have to break the bank to redecorate,” Swanson adds.
Just because it's a neutral color doesn’t mean it has to be a total wallflower, either. Give your seating some personality through textural upholstery. Think: nubby bouclé, crossweave linens, and the like. Then, pick your surfaces to fill out the space.
Set the Scene
Bella Oval Glass Coffee Table
Bella Metal and Glass Accent Table
Marble and Gold Finish Round Accent Table
Follow the rule of three
With a neutral baseline set, punctuate your living room with a trifecta of accent colors. Why just three? An odd number of shades will keep things dynamic and interesting—here, orange, cream, and navy—while an even amount can make your loungy spot feel too matchy-matchy.
If you’re not sure where to start, head to your closet and pull out a go-to outfit, or three pieces you wear on rotation. This trick will immediately reveal colors you love the most. Then, all you have to do is put all three on repeat to help the room feel melodic. Pillows, rugs, side chairs, ottomans—nothing is off limits. “Just play and have fun,” Swanson says, adding that you can even turn the saturation up and down on some of your decorations to add depth to your design.
Layer On The Look
Wild Rose Velvet Curtains
Vanessa Velvet Dining Chairs
Tufted Accent Chair
Ceramic Paris Table Lamp
Vintage Medallion Orange Area Rug
Toss in patterned pillows
Highly-figured pillows that clash—in a good way—are a wonderful way to achieve an anything-goes look. To ensure the exchange between them isn’t too frenetic, use color as a throughline and choose a symphony of patterns that vary in scale. As Swanson says, “loud has to be balanced with quiet so you don’t overwhelm the senses.”
Pillows That Pop
Embroidered Lumbar Throw Pillow
Navy Throw Pillow
Bolster Throw Pillow
Navy Poly Throw Pillow
Orange Solid Throw Pillow
Floral Throw Pillow
Go gallerist with decor
If pillows are the easiest way to spike your living room with color, artwork is a close second. All it takes is a hammer and a nail, and voila: instant intrigue. Plus, art is a wonderful conversation starter. Hanging a couple pieces in your living room—or dotting sculptures and ceramics around—is sure to break the ice.
So as not to overcomplicate your sitting area or make it feel busy, curate a gallery that nods to one (or all of) your three key colors. Above all else, though, Swanson suggests keeping this in mind: “Art is about making a space feel personal. No matter if you choose a floral motif or graphic pattern, make sure the piece speaks to you.”
Displays For The Room
Botanical Print
Framed Oil Painting
Flamingo Decorative Sculpture
Blue and White Decorative Vase
Spring for more pattern
To make your living room even more dimensional, turn the walls into a canvas and install wallpaper.
Cover the ceiling in it to give the space a wildly unique POV and make it feel twice as tall, or use it to highlight interesting architectural details, like a fireplace. Then, throw on a log, invite over a few friends, and cozy in for a night of catching up.
*Prices reflected are subject to change.
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