Why your living room is the most important space in your home

The living room is arguably the most important room in your home and where you spend most of your time, probably apart from sleeping in the bedroom.

As the name suggests, it’s for living – be that socialising with guests or where the family spends most of its time – whether it’s relaxing, entertaining or bonding.

For some people, there’s often an opportunity to extend the living room onto a balcony or patio.

Studies in recent years show the positive impact of nature on our mood so a private outdoor space is a bonus, no matter what the size.

It’s a good idea to position the living room towards a view of the balcony or patio to be connected to the outside world and changing environment.

With decor, it’s sensible to carry on the theme of colours and style from the indoors to the outdoors and an alfresco living area isn’t complete until you have a comfortable place to sit and unwind.

Ensure any chairs and tables in the fresh air are comfortable enough to want to spend a reasonable time out there.

Optical illusion

Various colour combinations are actually able to make a room appear larger than it actually is.

For instance, white and icy blue make a room appear larger. It’s all about the way that our eyes perceive things; it creates an optical illusion.

In fact, most bright colour combinations will make a room appear large, while dark colours have the opposite effect.

Try to combine both bright lights with light furniture and wall paint. Avoid using anything dark in your lounge room. This is going to take away from the illusion, and will make the room look much smaller.

Alfresco living spaces are quickly becoming the perfect place to unwind with family and friends while enjoying the outdoors all year round, and the space can add appeal to both your home and lifestyle.

Open-space homes and indoor-outdoor living concepts are increasingly popular among Australians.

Seamless connection

Blending the indoors and outdoors creates a seamless connection between your home and the outside and allows homeowners to expand the quality and environment of their home by forming multifunctional areas that are ideal for entertaining.

Aside from costly renovations, like incorporating an outdoor kitchen or sliding glass doors, bringing in design elements from the outdoors can be a cost-effective and easy way to bridge these two areas.

Achieving a stylish alfresco living space can be as simple as adding a few decorative accessories that freshen up the area.

This DIY-friendly job can be easily done over a weekend and will take your space from drab to fab. From pots and barbecues to the perfect hammock, there are many options to freshen up your outdoor space.

Plants can instantly breathe new life into an outdoor space and pots don’t all have to be a uniform shape or finish as long as they complement each other when placed in a group.

So remember, you spend many hours in the living room and it’s worth making the effort to ensure the space is looking its best.