IMAGES courtesy of Decorex SA
Of all the rooms in the home, the living room is probably the most complex. Its functions are many and, over the years, its titles and roles have shifted more than any other space.
Nowadays, it needs to be a place everyone living in the house can use for rest, relaxation and play. Yet it also has to provide a welcoming embrace for visitors. And, be it for rest and relaxation, company and conversation, or vibrant social events, this is a room that should reflect the personalities of those who create and enjoy it. Here, six inspired ways to breathe new life into the social heart of your home.
1. Beyond the Pale
Functional and fabulous, a palette of pale neutrals keeps this contemporary living room clean-lined and inviting, while carefully chosen accessories add a touch of glamour and a whole lot of comfort. Sofas upholstered in functional white linen are dressed with an assortment of silk and brocade cushions in shimmering sage and gold, their iridescence echoed in the striking marbled pattern of the feature blind. An unfussy wooden coffee table, meanwhile, anchors the space and provides a fitting natural contrast to the plush taupe carpet and gleaming glass and metal accessories.
2. New Blooms
An increasing awareness of all things ecological has focused the decorator’s microscope on the botanist’s art. In this striking living room, a proliferation of flowers, feathers and foliage, all rendered in large-scale graphics and eye-popping hues, constitutes a modern-day adaptation of nature-infatuated Romanticism. A simple box sofa in soft chocolate suede grounds the scheme, while furnishings in moulded plastic and metallic wire add an ultra-contemporary edge. Accessories, too, are nature inspired: a pendant lamp comprising myriad paper-cut petals or a lattice bowl that resembles the delicate fronds of calcified coral.
3. Yin and Yang
Masculine black and white is tempered with a splash of pretty pink in this striking living room, where graphic patterns add on-trend drama. Here, a set of dark-wood shutters throws into stark relief a modern wooden-legged sofa and matching coffee table, both upholstered in simple fawn coloured linen. The trellis and geometric prints on the rose-hued cushions and throw mimic that of the eye-catching rug, but the potential severity of the scheme is offset with fanciful Asian influences, such as the macramé Chinese lanterns and chinoiserie style silk cushions.
4. Shape Shifters
The interplay of different shapes and silhouettes adds interest to this playful living room scheme whose crowning glory is undoubtedly the focus-wall paint effect. Executed in a range of soft, chalky neutrals drawn from ‘Element’, one of Plascon’s 2016 Colour Forecast themes, the mural and its side-table reiteration call to mind the gradated tones of a distant mountainscape. The jagged edges of the design are then complemented by the shapes chosen to dress the space itself: the attention-grabbing gold triangle on the sofa cushion, the hexagon of the metallic table and the soft sphere of the teal pouf.
5. Pattern in Overdrive
The profusion of clashing prints in this living room is tamed only by the choice of a strictly monochromatic palette. Inspired by a classic conservatory theme, the scheme’s elements include a graphic palm-leaf wallpaper and a set of framed botanical prints; upholstery, curtains and cushions in a variety of trellis-design patterns; and the innovative inclusion, even, of a metallic garden chair. The inlaid wooden coffee table and natural-fibre rug, together with an array of potted plants, add to the success of having seamlessly brought the outdoors in.
6. East Meets West
Cool, calm and collected, blue and white is the go-to palette for timeless living rooms and here it is executed with a touch of Asian flair. An ensemble of Chinese porcelain vases and calligraphy style Oriental prints consort happily with a handsome French navy wallpaper and classic mahogany coffee tables to bring dignified style to this smart scheme. All-white sofas and table lamps act as a refreshing counterfoil to the darks in the space, effectively preventing the look from becoming claustrophobic. And silver accessories are the last word in old-world elegance.
For more living room decorating ideas, not to mention the chance to see the very latest in living room products and design, don’t miss Decorex Joburg, on from 5 to 9 August 2016 at the Gallagher Convention Centre. Decorex Joburg will be open from 10am to 7pm daily (6pm Monday). Tickets cost R110 for adults, R90 for trade, pensioners and students and R25 for kids under 12. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit decorex.co.za.
