Keep your long living room from feeling empty.
While some people dream of the flowing space of an elongated living room, others are stumped by make the place feel homey yet stylish. Decorating long living rooms with dark-toned furniture can help anchor the space. Arrange your living room furniture with functionality in mind and complement the dark tones to make the living room decor come together. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Paint your living room walls a single unifying color. Avoid crisp blue-based whites, which make the room feel more vacant. Instead, use a new neutral color such as stone gray, warmer rosy gray, mellow yellow, cream with pinkish undertones or a pale earth tone. If you want to create a more intimate feeling, paint the ceiling with a darker hue.
2. Arrange your dark-toned furnishings to maximize the space. Avoid pushing everything against the wall, even if your living room is long and narrow. Instead, set a pair of armchairs or a love seat across a corner with a pair of ottomans or small tables in front. Use a tall, dark wood bookshelf as a room divider by placing it perpendicular from the living room wall. Create conversational seating by placing a couch across from wingback or upright chairs.
3. Punctuate the space with bright patterned floor coverings. Rugs, runners, modular carpet tile and mats divide the horizontal planes of an elongated living room floor plan. Lay a large rug in the couch area and smaller rugs in coordinating colors or patterns near a desk, dining area or reading spot to break up the space without interrupting the flow of the room.
4. Integrate other textiles that bring out the furniture's dark tones. Pale, creamy cotton table runners contrast with dark table tops. Sage green or rose can bring out undertones in dark browns, while cobalt, turquoise, burgundy or yellow emphasize different undertones in black.
5. Illuminate your long living room with accent lighting from multiple sources. Each area should have its own light sources. Near a couch, a table lamp provides good reading light. Around the fireplace, wall sconces add dramatic up-lighting. A conversation or dining area benefits from a striking overhead fixture such as a chandelier or pendant lights.
6. Accessorize long living rooms with larger-scale pieces that break up the wall space. A large format oil painting in a dark wood frame complements dark furnishings and provides a focal point. A wide mirror adds depth to a narrow living room.
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