Good storage is essential in the living room, especially if you live small spaceBut at times it can be difficult to find functional storage pieces that also complement your aesthetic and don’t detract from a well-designed room.
Here, three interior designers offer helpful, practical tips on how to keep your living room storage pieces from looking expensive. You’re just steps away from a more practical, upscale living space.
Think modular and streamlined
In many homes and apartments, the living room serves as a kind of entryway and is where families keep their everyday shoes and so on. Alyssa Hall, founder of EDH Interiors, recommends choosing modular and streamlined storage solutions here.
“Switching from an open shoe rack to a rack with closed compartments gives a cleaner look,” she says.
Once you’ve done that, take things a step further by removing the knobs on a big box store shoe storage system and installing a knob better suited to your design style, says Hall. You can easily get affordable and stylish looking knobs on Amazon.
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raise your baskets
For families with young children, living rooms often serve as a playground, even if there is a designated playroom elsewhere in the house. Instead of taking the simple route and choosing clear bins to hold dolls, games, and more, think about ways you can make corralling toys a little more enjoyable.
Hall suggests saying no to plastic toy storage Place boxes and textured baskets in their place. This solution, she says, will create a high-end look with design intent behind it. You can always label each bin to make it easier to keep items sorted by category.
skip furniture set
When purchasing closed storage for the living room, it can be tempting to order a lot of items from the same retailer at once to cross this task off your list. However, if you want an expensive-looking living space, try to stay away from matching furniture sets. Instead, Heidi Tate, founder of Tate Interiors, suggests taking your time to acquire a variety of pieces with personality.
“A mix of materials and styles — like a sleek modern credenza paired with a vintage mirror — creates a layered, high-end look that feels personal,” she says.
facebook marketplace Can be an excellent resource for tracking down special but budget-friendly vintage finds that no one else on your street will have in your living room.
add art
Don’t let any corner of your living room be completely filled with storage items. Tate explains that a great way to draw attention away from a more functional setup is to add some purely decorative flair.
“One carefully chosen piece can transform a storage area into a true focal point,” she says.
Whether you get a beautiful original piece from a flea market or even DIY your own abstract canvas, you can’t go wrong, as long as you choose a piece that matches your color scheme and design style. matches.
Have your own style approach
Think a little outside the box and don’t aim to be so literal when choosing furniture pieces for your living room, encourages Juliet Alvarez, founder of Juliet Alvarez Interiors.
She recommends ditching mass-produced coffee tables from cheap vendors and opting for something more attractive. Alvarez recommends choosing a high-quality and non-trendy coffee table that can stand the test of time and stylish baskets Like a rattan or felt box at the bottom.
“Not only will this add storage, but it can also add some much-needed texture to a space,” says Alvarez.
knit some accessories
Don’t let your open storage become completely functional. Alvarez suggests bringing a few decorative items to break things up and will often turn to Etsy in search of one-of-a-kind, eye-catching pieces.
Some of his favorite items to find on the site and display on the shelves include bone inlaid boxes, old brass items, marble chains and bowls and the like.