How to Make a Bright Living Room: Designer Tips

Pastel tones are an excellent base for interior design, but they quickly become tedious. To make the space seem alive and dynamic, vibrant details are needed. Together with designer Olga Manakova, we tell how to create a bright yet harmonious interior.

Olga Manakova — an expert and interior decorator

Inspiration: Design idea

My inspiration comes from the work of designer Jonathan Adler. In his interiors, he skillfully mixes styles, directions, and colors. They don't look overloaded — there is always brightness, lightness, and dynamism.

If you want your living room to be bright — pay attention to eclectic interiors. They are characterized by neutral, monochromatic wall and floor finishes, but vibrant furniture and accessories.

What is an eclectic interior? Simple finishes,neutral colors and minimal wall decorVibrant accents,saturated tones that complement each otherUnusual elements chandeliers, carpets, sculptures bold and stylish

Starting the project: Creating a mood board

Any project begins with a plan and visual realization, so I created what is called a 'mood board'.

In our inspiration image, the walls and floor are predominantly calm and light in finish, but there are also bright accents in the form of furniture and accessories. Such an interior is 'flexible' — it's easy to change the direction simply by buying new curtains or cushion covers.

How to properly combine colors? 3 tips

Choose one base neutral color — white, beige, peach, turquoise, pistachio, and other light pastel shades. Don't mix warm and cool tones. Decide on the overall palette right away and stick to it. Choose tested combinations, such as beige + blue, mustard yellow + berry, green + coral, blue + red.

Moving to implementation

It's better to buy finishing materials and decor in one place — it's more cost-effective and you don't need to go anywhere else. So I went to 'Leroy Merlin' — there's a wide selection. There, I found perfect options at affordable prices. What do we need?

I choose light-toned parquet boards — on their background, bright tones will 'sound'. Wallpapers with prints are a great idea for an accent wall in the living room, they will add dynamism to it. Choose a color that complements the main wall and floor finishes. Who said a carpet must be beige? Curtains for windows — an essential element of the living room. Our curtains will also be vibrant. This ceiling light fits perfectly into our interior. A bright decorative pillow in tone with other accessories is a winning approach. We will also complement the interior with a green plant. And we must choose a suitable color flower pot for it. Use not only geometric prints, but also vibrant and ironic ones.

Budget planning

To plan the budget, we took an approximate living room area — 15 square meters.

• Wall paint: 3 cans
  536 X 3 = 1,608 ₽
  
• Wallpaper: one wall, 2 rolls
  1,035 X 2 = 2,070 ₽
  
• Parquet boards: 15 m²
  1,598 X 15 = 23,970 ₽
  
• Door: 1 piece
  2,820 ₽
  
• Rug: 1 piece
  1,998 ₽
  
• Curtains: 2 pieces
  1,680 ₽ X 2 = 3,360 ₽
  
• Chandelier: 1 piece
  5,897 ₽
  
• Decorative cushions: 5 pieces (Christmas tree, purple, zig-zag pattern, ironic print, faux fur)
  171 + 310 + 288 + 323 + 448 = 1,540 ₽
  
• Plant (Ficus): 1 piece
  2,446 ₽
  
• Flower pot: 1 piece
  214 ₽

TOTAL: 45,823 ₽

Design hacks to make the living room even brighter

Use a combination of two active colors, as Katya Chistova did. For example, a blue sofa and yellow carpet with neutral finishes look very stylish. Saturated wall colors, vibrant wall hangings, and geometric patterns on the floor — Anna Muravina chose a bold solution for her living room. Play with scale, like great decorators do. Tall doorways visually raise the ceiling height, and large decorative items create an illusion of a larger space. Try decorating a console table, cabinet, or fireplace. Use symmetry and vertical lines in placement. An accent wall is also a good idea! Currently, incorporating vintage Mid-Century items into modern interiors is trendy. You can mix styles, but the key is maintaining balance and proportions.

Arranging furniture and decor

Don't place too much furniture in the living room — keep more free space. The sofa can be placed opposite the accent wall or, conversely, near it. Lay the rug so that only the sofa legs touch it — the room will immediately look bigger.

Arrange cushions on the sofa in any order. The final touch — indoor plants. Without a vibrant green accent, the living room won't look as harmonious.

On the photo: Luxens paint; flocked wallpaper; 'Alaska' parquet boards; Amigo rug; 'Night' curtain; 'Bunch' chandelier; 'Orpheus' flower pot; 'Moklama Stamb' ficus; decorative cushions: 'Linen Christmas Tree', 'Manchester', 'Zig-Zag', 'Sea, Lobster'; faux fur cushion; door panel. Everything is from 'Leroy Merlin'.

* Prices for the products listed in the 'Budget Planning' section of this article are valid as of the publication date. This article is not an offer. The latest price and availability information is available on the website www.leroymerlin.ru.