Your Guide to the Best Living Room Color Schemes
by Lorna Hordos
The kitchen might be the heart of the home, but the living room is sort of like the belly— it’s where we retire to digest a meal, share stories and laughter, listen to music, watch television and welcome guests, giving them a glimpse of our design intentions and personality.
Your living room color scheme may be more important than you realize. Color evokes moods — it’s a science, really. The best hues should help develop the style you’re going for and the vibe you’re after. It’s not all about the paint color on the walls; you have various factors to contemplate when choosing a suitable palette for this important part of your home as you prepare to furnish it.
Using Schemes to Shape a Style
Color is an ideal starting point when you’re in the market for a living-room makeover but don’t know where to begin. The best hue is one you love, one that inspires you, maybe a favorite childhood color. It’s personal; no one can choose the living room color scheme — or any room’s scheme — or you.
By selecting navy blue as the room’s wall color, for example, you might be encouraged to balance the space with complementary pops of burnt orange in the artwork, warm-tan leather seating and gold-toned trim on iconic glass tables. Complementary colors, such as blue and orangey tones, are found opposite each other on the color wheel, meaning they offer high contrast.
Alternatively, if you’re craving a light, airy living room, maybe you’ll take it in a Scandinavian-throwback direction, painting the walls white and filling the room with light-grey fabrics and minimalistic or organically shaped ash wood furniture.
Whatever you decide, why not carry your décor’s theme and scheme outdoors to an adjoining deck for optimal continuity?
To Develop a Relaxed Atmosphere
Have you ever stepped inside a day spa and felt stress begin to leave your body before the masseuse even started working the knots out of your muscles? It may be more than the soul-soothing music playing in the background. Chances are, the owner or her interior designer intentionally styled the space with:
–Calming pale green on the walls and in lush indoor plants. Cool green echoes nature and generates a sense of renewal.
–Natural materials, such as bamboo flooring, wood-forward furniture with clean lines and jute or hemp window treatments.
–Subtle patterns in the rugs, seating and art, picking up on the surrounding colors.
Cool tones set a serene scene, lowering our stress levels and making us feel at peace. To expand on the tranquil green scheme, consider infusing it with (or swapping it for) cool, watery blues, off-whites, blush, grey or greige (a grey-beige blend.)
Hues That Liven Up a Living Space
Maybe you entertain often, and your living room needs a scheme that represents your outgoing nature. In that case, consider how warm reds and sunny tones make a space come to life. A snappy modular sofa in canary yellow satisfies not just the aesthetics but the room’s functionality as well, letting you rearrange the pieces for a party of any size.
What about a red-and-black scheme? The groovy, dramatic color combo keeps guests energized. Don’t be afraid to mix strong, warm hues when you’re after a lively living room. Other combinations to consider:
–Fuchsia and purple for youthful energy. Soften this spry, adventurous scheme with plenty of clean white, spring green, pop art and organic shapes.
–Cayenne, paprika, turmeric or other orangey shades for a spicy, festival-like vibe.
–Dark, distinguished red and deep, woodsy green, if you’re after a more loungy, bluesy or jazzy setting. Bring this elegant scheme together with timeless, rich walnut furniture, comfortable leather seating and an animal print for lighthearted quirkiness because, well, even the most sophisticated space needs a touch of whimsy to keep it from appearing too snooty.
What if You’re Selling?
When you’re selling your home, the most impactful room to stage is the living room, followed by the master bedroom, kitchen and then the deck and yard, according to the National Association of Realtors. Tone down any brightly painted walls with broadly acceptable white, tan or grey paint. Then, have some fun staging the living room and other key parts of the home with size-appropriate pieces in fashionable colors, playing up the home’s best features. Don’t make your home appear tight by cramming pieces in. Placing a narrow sideboard near a dining table, for example, says the room has space for storage.
Staged homes don’t just sell faster than their non-staged counterparts, they sell for more money, too. That extra cash will come in handy to paint, furnish and accessorize your new place when moving day comes.
Hey, we don’t dress like we did in years past, and the same goes for interior décor; our style sensibilities and the colors we adore change over time. What color scheme are you leaning towards?
Lorna Hordos is a home-improvement business owner and freelance writer with thousands of friendly, helpful home and business articles published by numerous clients, including Lowes, Daltile, WordPress.com and Bizfluent.
References:
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