Much more than just four walls and a roof, your home is the one place in the world you should feel truly happy. It’s a space for you to relax, have loads of fun, and make wonderful memories with those you love. Although guests can gather anywhere in the house, most people would prefer that they do so in their living room. Whether you live alone or with a huge family, the living room should be the social heart of your home. If you don’t see your house as much of a social space, then there are ways to change this. With that in mind, here are seven things you can do.
Clear Out Any Clutter
Clutter can make a space appear small and uninviting, but the problems with it are much larger than that. While most people don’t realise this, clutter is a huge source of psychological stress. You only need to think about a mess to start feeling anxious. If guests are coming to your house to have fun, then they don’t want to discover an untidy space. Because of this, you must take the time to declutter your home. Set aside the things you don’t want and begin clearing them out.
Provide Various Seating Options
Regardless of the size of your living room, there are many ways to build up seating. Storage benches could double up as chairs if you cover them in cushions, while footstools make an easy-to-move perch. You must make sure that there are various seating options available so that your guests can decide where they would be comfortable sitting. For casual gatherings, like movie nights and sleepovers, you could bring in bean bag chairs, and large scatter cushions.
Make A Focal Point
The television is the clear focal point of many living rooms. After all, it makes sense to arrange the furniture in a way that allows optimum viewing for your movies and TV shows. However, facing a screen doesn’t really encourage sociability. In fact, it can hinder it significantly, as people will be too busy watching the screen to have a conversation. If you have your television mounted to the wall, you should cover it with a decorative screen to make a less unsociable focal point.
Put On Some Music
While too much background noise can be distracting, silence often makes conversation uncomfortable. This is why you should put on some music. A digital radio is more than enough to get a party going in your home. If you wanted to take things one step further, however, you could install the latest integrated sound system. With a playlist set up on your smartphone and speakers fitted discreetly in the ceiling, you would have complete control over the atmosphere.
Add Perches For Drinks
When loved ones descend upon your home, it’s because they believe that not only do you have a comfortable living room, but excellent hospitality. As a good host, you should know how important it is to keep your guests fed and watered. Keeping that in mind, you must make sure that you have a coffee table, as well as side tables at either end of sofas and chairs. This gives guests somewhere to rest their nibbles and drinks. A nest of tables would come in useful too.
Switch To Mood Lighting
Good lighting is the key to setting the mood in any room. A dark and dingy space would hardly be considered sociable, after all. For this reason, it’s worth it to invest in a dimmer switch, as well as targeted sidelights. During the day, it makes sense to utilise natural light. This makes for better socialisation and will improve the appearance of your living room too. There are many ways to boost natural light in your home, including painting the walls white and adding mirrors.
Open Up The Space
Although kitchens used to be reserved for cooking and eating alone, these days, lots of families socialise there. While you’re preparing food and drinks for your guests, you miss out on the conversation. A simple remedy for this issue is to combine the rooms. By creating an open-plan space, you allow guests to talk to the chef without being in the kitchen area. This also makes it easy to spill back into the living room after everyone has eaten dinner in the dining area.
If you’re looking to become the host with the most, then follow the advice above and transform your home into a social space that guests are just dying to visit.
Nb. Collaborative post.
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