How to decorate the living room? All the best tips for furnishing your living room

How to decorate the living room? We all know: together with the kitchen, the living room is the heart of the living area of a flat, a loft or a villa. The furnishings we choose for the living room give an imprint to the whole house, they determine its character. What’s more: in addition to being indispensable for their functionality and comfort, living room furniture is also essential to impress our friends when they come to visit.

In short: living room furniture is one of the most important for any type of home. Therefore, you need to make the right choices, starting with an interior designer who is experienced and has the ability to interpret your wishes perfectly. Only then can you be sure of a satisfactory end result, for you and your family.

We at Il Piccolo have thought about how to help you make the right decisions for your specific aesthetic and living needs. Here then is our guide on how to decorate the living room. We will tell you which furnishing styles are in vogue and share with you the tips that make the difference. Let’s not waste time, let’s start now!

How to decorate the living room?
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The classic style living room

A classic-style living room is a touch of class for your home. Indeed, the classic style is a style that never fades, that never goes out of fashion. And it can even be updated with modern additions. So, how to decorate the living room using the classic style? Firstly, choose a large, generously upholstered sofa. A piece of furniture with obvious and sophisticated details, such as buttons, velvet inserts and embroidery. The fabric of the sofa – but this also applies to armchairs – should be of superior quality, for example velvet or leather. The sofa should be combined with armchairs or chairs with an elegant design and gold or silver details. To complete the look of the living room, you can opt for a customised luxury carpet to add a touch of sophistication. A coffee table, a gilded mirror, candle lamps and oil paintings can complete the look of a classic-style living room.

The industrial-style living room

The industrial-style living room also lends originality to a home. To comply with this style, furniture and accessories made of metal, stone and wood should be chosen. To give an industrial touch to the living room, a lamp made of raw metal, a dark wood table with metal legs, a leather chaise-longue or a chair with a wrought iron frame can also be provided. A velvet armchair, a canvas pouf, one or more bronze sculptures and an iron lamp placed on the floor complete the atmosphere.

Scandinavian style living rooms

How to decorate the living room in the Scandinavian style? You need to choose furniture and accessories that are essential, with light colours, clean lines and simple shapes. Wood is a fundamental element in Nordic design, so opt for pieces made of wood, the colour of which will be light. This also applies to tables, chairs and cupboards. Other tips? To give living rooms a more modern look, you can add metal or plastic furniture, all in a neutral colour. For accessories, it is best to opt for natural fabrics such as wool and cotton, preferably with geometric or abstract patterns. Other elements to consider are lights, understood as floor or ceiling lamps. The lighting should create an atmosphere that is both cosy and comfortable.

The vintage-style living room

How to decorate the living room in vintage style? The choice of furniture is, also for this type of living room, fundamental. It is a good idea to opt for dark wood furniture, such as a Chesterfield sofa, a sophisticated coffee table or an “old style” armchair, with a small desk or matching console table, upholstered cushions and high quality carpets in bright colours, which will give the location a retro elegance. As an extra touch, you may decide to add some details, such as standing lamps, gilded mirrors, photographs in antique frames, vases with flowers and other everyday objects, also in vintage style, of course.

Modern rustic-style living rooms

A modern rustic-style living room can be based on different elements. Firstly, the colour palette must match the wood tones of the furniture. Colours can range from beige to brown, grey to blue or olive green. The furniture should be characterised by simple lines and natural materials, such as dark wood, or even brass or steel. What other suggestions can be given on how to decorate the living room in this style? The furniture can be combined with carpets, accessories and fabrics in warm colours, such as those made of wool, cotton or velvet. A distinctive feature of a modern rustic living room is the use of vintage elements. These can be old cupboards, shelves or tables. Or even smaller elements, such as knick-knacks, boxes and mirrors. Such a living room is often complemented by cushions with floral motifs, antique-style lamps or wall prints also depicting floral elements or, more generally, moments of rural life.

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The minimal living room

How to decorate the living room in the minimalist style? Such a living room must never be overloaded with elements. One should therefore opt for a monochrome colour palette, such as white, grey or black. As far as materials are concerned, these should be smooth. Preference should be given to wood, stainless steel, glass and sometimes even leather. To give the room an extra touch of elegance, some decorative elements can be added, such as a large mirror, sculpture or art print. The choice of modern furniture is in line with the minimalist style, as long as we are talking about pieces with an essential design. In this sense, sofas and armchairs with clean lines, soft curves and muted colours go well in these halls.

The shabby chic living room

What kind of furniture does a shabby chic living room require? The key to this design is the mix of vintage pieces with soft colours, which evoke a romantic and cosy atmosphere. It is consistent with a velvet sofa in soft colours such as grey, beige or white. How to select fabrics? Make room for wool, cotton and velvet to maximise comfort and a relaxed atmosphere. What else can be said about furnishing a living room in this style? To give a vintage touch, you can choose Victorian-style chairs and stools or other wooden furniture, as long as it has an antique look. To add colour to the room, a large oriental-style carpet with floral or geometric patterns is an ideal choice. Finally, completing this little guide of ours is the addition of certain details, such as embroidered cushions, lace or organza curtains and, on the wall, a collection of figurative paintings.

Boho chic living rooms

How to furnish a boho chic living room? In this case, you need to create a lively and colourful ambience that combines modern elements with rustic and bohemian elements. Specifically, the boho theme is indeed ideal for creating a living area with a warm and hospitable atmosphere. In this sense, sofas with ethnic motifs can be combined with wooden furniture, such as coffee tables and chairs. Carpets with floral or geometric motifs can also be used to add a touch of class to the whole room. Cushions, printed fabrics and wall decorations should not be forgotten to complete the furnishings in a fitting manner.

The Oriental-style living room

To create an Oriental style living room, we recommend starting with the choice of colours that are fully inspired by the Oriental tradition. We refer in particular to blue, green, red and white. Once you have chosen the colour palette, you can add some design elements that give an additional oriental touch. In this sense, it is suggested to choose furniture with intricate designs, such as carved wooden sofas and chairs and wainscoting decorated with Arabic or Asian motifs in general. Mosaic carpets and brightly coloured curtains can also be provided, in keeping with the colour harmonies of the living room. Vases also help to complete the look of the room. Finally, soft lighting helps to create an atmosphere of great well-being.

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How to decorate the living room? Choose custom-made furniture!

We close our guide on furnishing living rooms with the first of two very important pieces of advice. To furnish a living room in the best possible way, custom-made furniture is essential. Because only customised furniture can best ‘dress’ a living room, enhancing its strong points.

How should one proceed? First of all, it is necessary to take the measurements of the room, so as to study an interior design that is really suited to one’s living needs. Once the made-to-measure project has been defined, a design can be chosen that is in line with the room’s architectural and stylistic particularities. This is followed by the choice of colours and materials. Lastly, after deciding what furniture to include, you can add the furnishings: carpets, cushions, curtains, pictures, trimmings, etc.

How to decorate the living room? Choose the right interior decorator!

And here we come to the second piece of advice we promised. Choosing the right interior decorator is decisive for a successful interior design project in a living room. What should you do in practice? Look for a professional interior decorator, i.e. someone who has concrete and demonstrable experience in interior design. Only an experienced interior decorator will be able to give you the best advice on how to choose the right furniture, how to harmonise the different colours and how to choose the fabrics for the various coverings.

Once you have chosen your interior decorator, you can start with him or her to define the style of your living room. Consider whether a modern style, a traditional style, a classic style or a contemporary style is better. Finally, once you have chosen the style and shades of the furniture and accessories, you can start choosing the specific models of the various furnishings. Also consider how the furniture relates to each other and how you can enhance the colours you have chosen. These operations are sometimes complex to do, which is why a professional interior decorator is so indispensable in understanding how to decorate the living room.

Il Piccolo, a second generation family-run joinery, opens its own showroom in Lugano. With over 50 years of experience, Il Piccolo brings with it a wealth of technical and design knowledge of the highest level, thanks to the numerous interiors designed and furnished all over the world. In particular, Il Piccolo has a wealth of experience in the design and production of several corner wardrobe models. Finally, Il Piccolo represents the world’s most prestigious furniture brands.
Our company designs, manufactures and sells the best of made-in-Italy interior design, following the customer from the design to the realisation, delivery and installation of the work, supplementing the process with a precise and professional assistance service. Looking for the ideal corner wardrobe for your room? CONTACT