Living Room
Entertaining during the holidays can be fun, festive and frugal. Turn your living room into an inviting guest retreat for holiday entertaining today without breaking the bank. For projects that are high on style, but low on cost, consider changing key elements like: flooring, paint, window treatments, lighting and area rugs.
Flooring
Start your holiday remodelling project by upgrading your flooring. Often, new flooring will give you the greatest impact on your overall home décor, while adding long-term value to your home. Solid hardwood in dark, rich colours add instant charm and warmth to any room, while innovative laminate and vinyl flooring in a wide selection of colours and grains will help provide the same regal sense to your living space. These cost-effective flooring solutions are also relatively easy to install yourself, and seldom require any glue or adhesives.
Paint
Paint can make a huge impact with just a little time and effort. To create a sense of warmth, choose rich, brown-based greys and blacks accented with vivid hues like golden yellows, teal and deep, earthy reds. These colours can make a spacious living room cozier, which is exactly the kind of setting you want for holiday gatherings. Remember, intense colours energize a space, while warmer and cooler colours relax it. So, before you choose a paint colour, decide on the mood you want to convey.
DIY Tip: Use BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRATM Interior for a quick finish to your painting project. This 2-in-1 paint and primer is formulated with advanced NANOGUARD® technology for a denser, more durable paint film. With this one-can paint solution, you don't have to use a separate primer when painting, even when making drastic colour changes to your living room.
Window Treatments
Next, consider your window coverings. Window coverings do more than offer privacy – they frame your view, provide shade and have a remarkable impact on your home décor. Like the bow on a gift, window treatments can really put the finishing touches on a room. Whether you're looking for elegant Roman shades, wood blinds, or luxurious draperies or curtains, The Home Depot has everything to dress your living room windows exactly the way you want.
Lighting
Also, add a glow to your home for the holidays by visiting the brightest spot in The Home Depot - the Lighting section! New fixtures such as decorative pendant lighting, chandeliers and flushmounts help boost your indoor ambiance, and provide a soft, warm atmosphere for guests. Floor and table lamps also add layers of brightness and shine new light on colours, textures and finishes in a room, and help spotlight family photos or collectibles. A new lamp beside a cozy armchair also creates an instant and inviting reading nook. Lamp shades in a variety of colours and styles help provide even more versatility to your home décor.
If you want to create an even more relaxing atmosphere, consider installing a dimmer. With a dimmer switch, you can control the ambiance of your living room and make it cozy for holiday entertaining. Dimmer switches come in a variety of different styles to suit and blend in with any décor.
Area Rugs
Finally, create a sense of intimacy and enhanced comfort by adding an area rug to your living room. There is a myriad of different styles, patterns and sizes to help you set the mood, whatever it may be. Larger area rugs provide a cozier feeling, while smaller area rugs are great to carve rooms into distinct spaces. Also, consider the use of your new area rug. Will you find people spending a lot of time sitting on it, or is it purely for decoration? The material you choose should be influenced by its primary purpose and your budget.
