Nothing ruins a well thought out and beautifully finished space like unnecessary clutter and mess. But if you work long hours, how can you keep your living room looking neat and tidy without dedicating hours to the cause? We have some ideas for you.
From choosing a minimalist theme at the start through to distracting the eye with key features, we have a host of great techniques for keeping your space clear without wasting your life swishing a duster around.
Are you ready to take the easy option? Then let's begin!
If you want to keep your room nice and neat, don't cram too much in there at the start. It's a simple tip but one that is so easy to overlook. Minimalism makes light work of keeping a living room looking fresh and clear so throw out anything you aren't bothered about!
We love this tip as it really appeals to our lazier side! Installing a central feature in your living room, such as a charismatic fireplace, like this one from Diligence International, will make it so easy to distract guests from any less than tidy areas. Everyone just look at the fire…
Symmetry is an age old way to make a space feel more organised and naturally tidier so ditch the corner sofas and employ the talents of some long, lean numbers, like these ones. Also, the more sofas you have, the more you can hide things under the cushions if surprise guests turn up!
If minimalism really isn't for you there is another way to detract from your untidiness and that's to make your decorating style a little cluttered. If you can't discern what is intentional and what is messiness, it will look neat all the time. Genius!
Picking and sticking to a colour scheme will help to make your living room look neater, especially if extra items happily manage to fall into the scheme themselves. Bright accent colours are also a great distraction technique so embrace the rainbow with your cushions and throws!
A space that is well lit, feels airy and smells fresh will always appear much tidier than it actually is so fling open the doors and windows, draw the curtains and let the outside in. If you don't have many opportunities for letting the fresh air flow, you can cheat a little by grabbing a plug in air freshener or diffuser!
Even if your living room is super tidy, old, tatty or dishevelled items will always make it look a little lacklustre and neglected. Solve this problem by replacing threadbare items and you'll be shocked at how much it peps up the room!
Nobody likes cleaning really but if you want to have a tidy and presentable living room you do need to commit to a cleaning regime. We know this won't be the most popular solution but they can't all be super easy, can they? Don't forget to vacuum in the corners!
Pastel tones always make a room feel bigger, brighter and more tidy so if you are thinking about some accent colours, you should consider some of the softer hues in the spectrum. Natural wood is also a great investment, especially as flooring, and it will only need a quick sweep now and then to stay looking pristine!
When all else fails, hide your messiness by shoving everything away in storage cupboards or up on shelves. This is the laziest option that we are going to give you and we don't recommend it for every room but as a short term solution to mess management, storage really is your best friend. Just don't get carried away and lose the television remote!
For more living room inspiration, take a look at this Ideabook: Living Room Colour Ideas.