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Luxe Up Your Living Room

When designers are revamping a space the living room is often the first place we’ll look. A central component in any home, the living room should reflect your tastes and aesthetic, but you don’t have to spend a fortune for it to look like a million bucks. Read our tips below and you’ll be on your way to a more luxurious living room in no time:

Simplify Your Styling
A cluttered, over-accessorized space can look messy and disorganized rather than chic and sophisticated. Pare down your collection and keep the pieces that have sentimental value or evoke strong memories. A simplified space will enable the remaining elements to really shine.

Photo: Pinterest

Hide Your Television
Nothing brings down the feeling of sophisticated luxury in a space quite like a huge black television placed front and center. If an armoire or modern console is not the right look for your space, you can visually minimize the presence of your screen by creating a gallery wall or salon-style art arrangement around it. Although it won’t entirely disappear, the frame of the television will blend in with the other artwork to distract the eye.

Photo: Elle Decor

Incorporate a Bold Textile
Give your room a custom look by using vintage or antique textiles to make throw pillows or cover small pieces such as seat cushions or upholstered stools with a great print. The unusual fabric will inject your room with a unique element, and will personalize your space.

Photo: Commune Design

Add a Sculptural Item
Prevent your room from becoming a sea of straight lines and circular forms by introducing an element with an interesting shape or unique silhouette. A tree root coffee table or unusual side chair will feel like a piece of art in your living room, adding an unexpected and wholly artistic component to your design.

Photo: Pinterest

Hang a Large Piece of Art
Create a focal point and give your space some wow factor by hanging an oversized piece of art by itself on one of your living room walls. The look is chic and high-impact with very little hassle. Keep your eyes peeled at flea markets and thrift stores for large pieces at reasonable prices, or get creative and make your own.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Mix Your Textures
A layered, thoughtful mix of materials and textures will give your space a custom-designed, luxurious look. Mix metals, glass, wood, a variety of textiles, and leather items to create a dynamic, inviting space.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Hotel-Inspired Design Ideas

No matter where we go on vacation, the hotel is admittedly the destination we look forward to most. But all of that four-star luxuriating might be the reason why we often feel less than enthusiastic about returning to the daily grind. So why not bring the hotel experience home? Here are a few ways to do it:

Start at the Door
The entry to a nice guest room is the place where you may find a small table or shelf to place keys and other items, and a small lighting fixture. Take a look at your entryway at home and consider if you’ve got those special touches that will make it count.

Photo: Pinterest

Make the Bed
No single item makes the hotel experience more than the bed. To achieve those incredible layers of pillowy goodness, skip the pillow-top mattress and buy a featherbed instead. A featherbed is much more economical and serves just as well for making you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. The same goes for super-high thread count sheets. The maximum you need is 300 to 400 thread count, though going higher is up to you.

Photo: Pinterest

Use Mirrors to Open Up the Space
There’s actually a reason for that mirror many designers like to hang right above the writing desk. Strategically placed mirrors can make a small space look more expansive.  Utilize this tip in your own home and see what a difference it can make.

Photo: Pinterest

Splurge On Details
It may be a fogless mirror in the bathroom or a set of super-luxe oversized bath towels. Think about those little luxuries that you enjoy most during your hotel stay and bring them into your home!

Photo: Pinterest

Keep It Fresh With Flowers
You’ll almost always find a bouquet of fresh flowers in the lobby of a nice hotel. If you don’t mind spending an extra $10 a week at the grocery store for a simple bouquet, you can bring that same freshness into your kitchen, bathroom or bedside table.

Photo: Pinterest

Rethinking the Coffee Table

One could argue the coffee table is the most important piece of furniture in your home: You can eat dinner on it, work from it, store your latest reads on it, the list goes on and on. So why not show some creativity with this furniture staple?  Large traditional coffee tables may not fit your space, or the look you want in a living room or family room. For this reason, designers often look at alternatives that can be used as a coffee table as well. These smaller tables allow you to place a drink or snack down on top, yet are more compact, and can be moved around when needed.

Moroccan Tray
Besides being eclectically glamorous, a Moroccan tray table is multifunctional. Take the top tray to the kitchen to fill up with teatime essentials and then carry it right back to its stand.  You won’t miss your stationary coffee table for a second.

Photo: Pottery Barn

Ottoman
If you’re prone to kicking your feet up on the coffee table, why not make the ritual more comfortable by replacing your coffee table with an ottoman? A tray placed on top of the ottoman will provide a place to corral your essentials, while keeping your drinks steady.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Poufs
If you have kids who constantly need more play area, poufs may be your solution. Easy to move and undeniably chic, poufs give coffee tables a run for their money.

Photo: Pinterest

Side Tables
When the look of a behemoth coffee table is too heavy, consider grouping side tables together instead. The collection will make for a lighter coffee table solution. Another plus- they can easily be moved to open up the space when it’s time to entertain.

Photo: Pinterest

Garden Stools
Ceramic garden stools are colorful, versatile and will add a bit of whimsy when decorating a room. They’re great as side tables, but just the right size to hold a book and a cup of coffee, a single garden stool may be all the coffee table you need. Or if you need more space, group a few together.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Trunk
Not only does a trunk add structure and style to your living room, but it will also increase your storage options. If just one trunk isn’t enough to store all of your blankets and children’s toys, try placing two next to one another.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Restoration Hardware

Create a Beautiful Dining Space

Dining rooms can be a difficult to decorate due to limited furniture pieces and limited styling opportunities. However, if you combine certain elements to create high-impact designs, you can easily achieve a beautiful space that your guests will enjoy. Here are some easy elements to incorporate, then when combined will create a space that impresses every dinner guest:

Install Overhead & Accent Lighting
Cast a flattering glow on your dining companions and create a strong focal point in the room by placing a statement fixture directly above the dining table. If you can go a step further and layer your lighting sources by adding wall sconces and table lamps on a sideboard or console you’ll really be in business! And don’t forget the importance of putting lighting on dimmer switches to control the room’s brightness.

Photo: Pinterest

Hang Engaging Artwork
Since furniture in dining areas is usually placed in the center of the room, these areas offer the perfect place in the home to display oversized, interesting artwork. Go with a gallery wall or salon-style arrangement, or place one incredible piece on the main wall to anchor the room.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Create Seating Variety
Whether you opt to use a bench that coordinates with your side chairs on one side of your table or a different, larger-scale pair of chairs at the heads of a rectangular table, switching up your seating styles is a nice way to add interest to your dining room decor.

Photo: Pinterest

Mix Your Materials
Since furniture pieces in dining rooms tend to be limited, keep your room fresh and intriguing by incorporating a mix of materials and textures into your design. A table with a top that coordinates but contrasts with its base, along with chairs that introduce another texture, will add depth to your design.

Give Yourself a Serving Surface
Keep yourself from having to run back and forth to the kitchen by adding a surface where you can serve food and drinks. A console or buffet will do the trick and prevent disruption during dinner parties. As an added bonus, a piece such as this will add valuable storage space.

Photo: Chameleon Design