Is Your Living Room an Echo Chamber? Here Are 4 Tips to Make a Huge Room Feel Cozy
Believe it or not, sometimes a living room can just be too darn big. From a cathedral ceiling that seems to go up forever to a huge cavernous room with enough floor space to host an NBA game, a huge living room can definitely present some design challenges.
Fortunately, with some decorating tips and tricks that can fool the eye into making the space seem more personal, along with furniture that creates a warm and welcoming feel, it is very possible to transform that proverbial echo chamber of a living room into a more intimate setting for your everyday life.
Bring the High Ceiling Down With Color
If a too-high ceiling makes you feel like you should be practicing your yodeling skills instead of curling up by the fireplace in your living room, it’s time to invest in a gallon or two of dark paint. As SFGate notes, use a rich and warm color like cocoa or deep green to visually lower the ceiling; you can also extend the ceiling color down the walls for several feet to give the optical illusion of an even smaller space.
If you adore wallpaper and have been wanting to use it in your home, a high ceiling is a great place to start — choose one that complements or matches your drapes and/or go with a richly colored and patterned piece. Another trick is to lower the ceiling fans and/or any other light fixtures — many fans come with an extension pole kit you can use to drop them down several feet. As a bonus, when it's time to dust the ceiling fan, you don't have to rent a scissor lift or ask the fire department to loan you a ladder.
Use Furniture to Create Zones in the Living Room
Another effective way to make an enormous cave-like living room feel cozier is by sectioning off portions of the room with furniture. For example, a large and comfortable sofa like the Taylor sectional is an excellent way to provide welcoming seating for a crowd while making the space look smaller.
Another option is multiple love seats that are clustered together, either around a TV or a large coffee table. Speaking of which, Forbes suggests skipping the traditional coffee table and choosing some oversized ottomans; they can help close the usual gap between the couch and table and add a sense of softness to the room. In addition, long console tables like the Douglas cherry sofa table can be placed behind the sectional and then topped with books, photos, and other accent pieces.
When selecting furniture colors, Home Stratosphere suggests sticking with red, yellow, and orange-based color schemes and other earthy colors to create the illusion of a smaller room.
Choose Large and Eye-catching Pieces of Artwork
If you have ever been to a museum, you may have noticed how a large painting or sculpture, when expertly placed, will immediately draw your attention to the piece instead of the size of the large exhibit room. You can channel your inner museum director and use this same trick in your humungous living room.
A dramatic wall hanging is a great place to start — we offer a huge variety of gorgeous and large wall accessories that can help create a more personalized and intimate living space. Our Moonlit Dock Wall Art is a generous 40 inches by 40 inches and features a stunning dock image in deep indigo blue printed on glass; the deep colors and tranquil scene will make any huge room seem more personal and relaxing.
Fill up the Spaces With Home Decor Accents
Let’s make one thing clear from the get-go: when we suggest adding home decor accents to your cavernous living room, we are not talking about dozens of random knick-knacks that will make the space feel like you are holding a rummage sale or embracing the cluttered look. Instead, we are talking about a smaller number of large-sized and stylish pieces that can help fill the room in an attractive way.
Try adding a few extra chairs covered with attractive throw pillows paired with an area rug in a deep hue like one from our Augustine Teal collection. It's also not a bad idea to place a number of tall potted plants around. You can have fun selecting some key decor pieces that will fill the space in a simple and stylish way.
Come on in and Visit Us — We Are Here to Help!
If your first impression of your enormous living room was less than positive, there are definitely ways to trick the eye into thinking the space is smaller and more welcoming. By trying some or all of the tips above, and checking out our living room selections both online and in person, you can figuratively shrink that massive and cavernous echo chamber into a warm, stylish, and comfortable room everyone will want to spend time in.