Ask The Experts: 4 Tips For Creating A Living Room Designed For Lounging

While few of us mourn the passing of the formal parlor style living room, the modern concept–a space for the family to live, work, and play–presents a new set of design challenges for homeowners.  Now that we are spending more time at home and mostly entertaining family, there’s an urge to create a cozy, comfortable, and stylish living room–to really nest. Living room furniture in Sarasota homes range from elegant to super casual, but regardless of your style, you want to be comfortable while you lounge around the house.

Although it seems like staying home is a new thing, statistics tell a different story. As far back as 2016, the New York Times ran a story on how staying in is the new going out--a trend that started with millennials during the 2008-2009 recession. The advent of streaming TV and home delivery meal kits made staying home even easier, so the desire to create a wonderful living room naturally follows.  If it’s time to freshen up your living–and these days we do mean LIVING–room, here are four great tips to create the perfect space.

Create Intimate Conversation Areas

No matter the size of your living room, you’ll want to create intimate conversation spaces.  Believe it or not, this technique works well regardless of your lifestyle. If you’re empty nesting, you need small groupings of seating so that you’re not shouting across the room at each other. If you still have kids at home, a few separate areas let everyone have their own space–one seating area with a leather sectional for TV watching, another with a pair of comfy chairs for reading or playing games, and another near a workspace for homework, puzzles, or playing games.

One way to add an extra layer of coziness to your living room is to replace your coffee table with a large ottoman, one that’s big enough for books, magazines, and feet at the end of a long day, as well as extra seating.

When you do entertain, keep in mind that guests tend to mingle in small groups, so these separate conversation zones will do double duty.

Florida Leather Gallery is your go-to Sarasota furniture store for leather sectionals, sofas, ottomans, and more.

Set The Stage With Lighting

One of the great things about Florida is the abundance of light–the days are long and sunny for most of the year. Nothing is more inviting than living room furniture in Sarasota that’s brightened by natural light filtering in through the windows. Shades or blinds are a must against the summer heat, but try to keep your window coverings to a minimum so you can maximize all that gorgeous sunlight.

Lamps are the best option for lighting your room in the evenings. A pair of table lamps, together on a console or on end tables, add some oomph to your tablescapes. Have some fun choosing lamps–as long as you stick within your aesthetic you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Floor lamps create opportunities for lighting corners where there may not be a surface for a table lamp; they have the added benefit of adding extra layers of light at night.

When you’re thinking about lighting, it’s important to not confuse cozy with dim.  A well-lit room, with several sources of light, is quite cozy. A dark and dim room, no matter the size, with heavy window treatments is sort of depressing.

Layer Color And Texture

If there’s one keyword for interior design in the 2020s, it’s layering. Layering, in design lingo, is combining elements to create a cohesive whole. And it  also literally means layering pieces, starting with the floor. Implement complementary patterns and materials to create lots of visual interest, like velvet pillows on a leather sofa.

Rugs

Your rug anchors your room and is the foundation for everything else, from that big sectional to the overhead lighting.  Rugs are also a great way to add color to a neutral palette, and give you a starting point to add color to your room. Tile floors work well on the Gulf coast but they can be chilly; warm them up with an area rug. Be bold and choose different rugs for each area grouping–opt for different textures in the same color palette.

Throws

Evenings in sunny Sarasota have a bit of a chill, so some throw blankets scattered around the room are functional as well as stylish. Think of textures and neutrals when choosing a throw.

Pillows

Color, pattern, and texture–great combinations on throw pillows give your room visual pop, and add warmth to that giant leather sectional, chairs, and any other seating you have. One caveat–make sure they’re soft and plush. Scratchy fabrics are not inviting.

Add Family Photos, Books, And Art

Nothing fills space and tells your family story like a wall of bookshelves. You don’t even have to put books in them. Show off your seashell or sea glass collection, fill the space with family photos and mementos, or yes, books. The best bookshelves are a combination of collections, photos, and books. If you get bored with your interiors quickly, changing out the bookshelves is an easy and inexpensive way to completely alter the aesthetic of your living room.

Family photos make your living room yours, and make your guests feel more grounded in your unique space. Nothing adds intimacy and warmth to your home like family memorabilia, from formal portraits to silly snaps.

Showcase your stuff-whatever you’ve accumulated through the years, display it–on tabletops, in a glass-front cabinet, or a shadowbox on the wall. It doesn’t matter whether you’re highlighting Herend or shot glasses, collections are charming and as individual as you are.

Sustainable Leather

Leather is a wonderfully sustainable material for your living room furniture. It’s organic, and can even be recycled, or repurposed by the craft community.  Now that you’ve decided to invest in fine leather living room furniture in Sarasota, come by any one of our five Florida Leather Gallery to see and feel all of our leather furniture and accessories.