Our living rooms are often the hardest working rooms in our homes, serving many purposes; a playroom where the children can get creative, a cinema where the family relaxes together with an good film, a social space where we entertain family and friends. Often our living room also doubles as our gym for exercising and even our office for working or studying at home.
With all the current restrictions on our day to day lives it’s more important than ever that we can find sanctuary in our homes and that we focus on our health and wellbeing. Why not take advantage of this time to reassess your home and look to create a multi-purpose living space that the whole family can happily share.
To help you get started, here are our top tips for designing an active living room where you can work, rest and play.
Clear the clutter
Many of us have lots of furniture, toys and other items in our homes that are never used and often the accumulating clutter makes our living rooms feel smaller than they really are. To maximise the space available for the activities your family likes to enjoy, consider clearing out anything you no longer use and offer those in good condition to neighbours, friends or a local charity.
Rethink your furniture
Consider how you want to use your living room and whether your current furniture helps or hinders you. Do you have a sofa, armchairs and coffee tables scattered around the room? Perhaps a corner sofa would offer comfortable seating but also leave you with more floor space for other activities. Do you need an area for working, homework or creative activities? Perhaps a dedicated desk could double as an occasional table to hold a lamp for subdued evening lighting.
Above image features KP132 Washed Scandi Pine
Maximise storage
Ensuring that you have adequate storage to clear away anything not currently in use will help you create the desired feeling of calm with a minimalist sense of space. A streamlined cupboard unit along one wall might be just the thing to hide away toys, books, a wall mounted tv or a desk. If you work from home, being able to close away your desk out of sight is key to helping you mentally separate working hours from family and hobby time.
Keep décor neutral
When you are spending long lengths of time in any room a neutral scheme is easiest to live with and can provide a serene environment. Introducing plenty of natural features will help you connect with the outside world, something that is known to boost our moods and help us relax. We recommend pairing a natural look flooring with a warm neutral wall colour that you won’t quickly tire of, then accessorising with houseplants and pops of colour that you can update with the seasons.
Above image features LM10 Ashford
Room to be active
After streamlining your possessions and reviewing your furniture and storage, you will probably find that you now have space to take part in active exercise. Exercise is not only a great way to stay healthy but being active also releases happy endorphins to support our mental wellbeing. There are a host of online workouts to join for adults and children of all ages, from yoga and Tai Chi to dance and core strengthening classes. Simply stream your favourite class to a Smart TV and start having fun!
Why not book a free personal design consultation? We can help you design at home and stay in, in style.
