The living room is the one room in the house enjoyed by the whole family, where the different personalities of your home come together to express themselves in a single space. Living rooms are also multi-functional and serve as a place of fun, entertainment and family time, as well as a place to relax and unwind after a busy day. Choosing a style and color scheme that contributes to all of these functions may seem challenging, but with these tips you’ll discover how to ensure a well-balanced aesthetic when having your NoMa, DC living room painted.
Picking the right finish
The first thing to decide on is the type of finish for your walls. This might seem like a trivial detail, but this can contribute immensely to the look and feel of the room, as well as to how long the paint will stay looking fresh and new. High gloss is great for easy cleaning and adding a certain sparkle to the surface of the walls, however tiny bumps and imperfections are highlighted tremendously. High gloss also does not lend itself to a relaxed, soothing evening atmosphere. On the other hand, flat/matte or low gloss finish can create a gentler ambiance by softly diffusing light. A matte finish also hides surface imperfections, but may appear lifeless in the wrong color, and is harder to clean. A balance is key when selecting the finish for your living room, as well as taking into account your family's needs. We recommend a flat finish only if the walls will remain relatively untouched, but in homes with children, an eggshell or satin finish may be better.
Go wild with color
Keep your living room fun, social and dynamic with bright colors. Why not try a citrus color scheme of lime green, yellow and white for a fresh look? Or try a combination of bright orange, turquoise and black for a vibrant festival atmosphere. Brightly colored living rooms are perfect for the avid entertainer, the creative and the adventurous. If you’re slightly more cautious about your color scheme, you might prefer to confine the brightness to a single feature wall or frame the room in a band of brightly colored trim.
Keep it subtle
Of course, a brightly colored living room may not be everyone’s cup of mocha. Subtler colors such as light browns, charcoals and whites can place better emphasis on the decorative elements of your living room, highlight central features and be less distracting if your living room is simply a place to kick back and watch a movie or read a book. Classic white trim and white ceiling is perfect for keeping the space open and unframed, while light, gentle colors can provide both comfort and character. Wooden finishes and floors also work well with a subtle grey or mocha color scheme.
Including the family
Because the living room is a family room, it’s important to allow each member of the family to contribute to the character of the living room. This could mean allowing each member to contribute a color for the color scheme. Colors can be modified slightly to allow for compatibility if necessary. If nothing else, this could be an interesting creative experiment and could result in unusual and eclectic combinations.