For most homeowners, once the Thanksgiving festivities have come to an end the thought process moves to hosting friends and family for the holidays. This time of year encourages us to be close to the ones we love, and there’s no exception when it comes to bringing guests into your home. Your living room is a place meant for gathering, so making sure this room is organized in a spacious, inviting manner will help to ensure that your guests feel welcome. Here’s how to create a welcoming, open-concept living room this holiday season. 

• Re-organize.  Adding simple accents and re-organizing your furniture are two easy ways to instantly make your living room feel more open.  To start, make sure your furniture is not scattered throughout the room. As you walk through your living room, take note of whether or not you find yourself having to maneuver left and right in order to avoid couches, chairs, and tables, switch up the layout.  Living room furniture should be set up in a way that allows guests to comfortably sit and relax.  In order to maximize space, place couches in conjunction with the direction of the walls of the room, and make adjustments as needed. This will open up the space and allow you to add chairs and tables accordingly.  
• Dress it up. With the right concepts, accenting has the ability to make a room feel larger. Adding lights throughout the room, specifically in dark corners or on the walls, will give the feel of a larger room by creating a more inviting atmosphere. If you have dark colors on the walls of your living room, the experts of Chicago Central painters recommend adding accents of white or nude, specifically to the trim surrounding the room. When you are adding your holiday decorations, spread them out in a way that doesn’t create a sense of clutter.
• Establish unity.  Regardless of the color of your walls, it is important to make sure that at least some of the pieces in the room match this color. The blending aspect gives your room the feel of being larger, as well as maintains the color scheme. Accents, such as pillows or blankets, don’t necessarily have to match the wall color. It is important to add pops of color when you have the opportunity.  To achieve this, align different accents in terms of pattern and palette. Using the same fabric or pattern on these accents will balance out the room and tie everything together.

Creating a spacious living room doesn’t have to be a stressful (or expensive) task, especially during this time of year. Taking the time to reorganize, add small yet effective accents, and declutter will result in a room that maximizes every inch of space and allows you and your guests to enjoy your time together!  For more living room styling advice, contact Pamela Wolf of Nested Interiors, a St. Louis, MO interior decorator.