Top 5 Tips For Styling A Comfortable And Chic Living Room

Bethesda, MD designer Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design shares her top five tips on how to style a comfortable, yet chic living room.

The Room: Inspiration for this living room came from the navy with while scroll fabric used for pillows on the sofa. The ceiling is painted a light blue color. The one-of-a-kind piece in this room is the mirror, which was a vintage mirror painted with gold and leaf and an acid drip.

The Tip—Inspiration: Find your inspiration for the room, whether it’s a fabric, piece of art, or a unique accessory, and work from there.

The Tip—Scale and Pattern: Find complimentary fabrics for your inspiration piece while paying attention to scale and pattern. For example, if you have a large-scale floral inspiration fabric, find a smaller-scale geometric or stripe—and solid complimentary fabrics that will give dimension to the space.

The Room: A multi-color dragon print fabric was the inspiration for this living room. The ceiling is wallpapered with neutral-color grass cloth.

The Tip—Layers: Layering with accessories, pillows, and artwork is very important to the design of a room. Components of layering may include organic items, such as plants and flowers, decorative boxes, books and bookends, small artwork on tables, and more.

The Tip—Ceiling Detail: The ceiling should not be neglected. Ways to accentuate the ceiling are painting, wallpapering, or perhaps painting a border where the wall and ceiling meet.

The Room: This living space features a custom table with seating flanking the fireplace, plus a light blue ceiling.

The Tip—One-of-a-kinds: Having one-of-a-kind pieces, whether it’s furniture or accessories, is important to set a room apart and add interest. Examples are antique, vintage, and custom pieces, such as an unusual lamp, unique wall hangings, or custom-finished furniture.