2 Ways to Add Style to a Lackluster Living Room

Furnishing a living room is an exciting process. Choosing your sofa, TV stand and accent tables are usually the first bullet points to get checked off of the list. But, in order to truly create a designer-worthy room, you'll have to think outside of the box. Two simple and unique ways to add pizzazz to an otherwise ordinary living room are listed below.

Accent Chairs Make a Difference

Standard living room furniture layouts dictate that a sofa and loveseat are must-haves in order to complete a room. However, you'll find that designers often opt for two accent chairs in addition to a single sofa in place of two couches. Using accent chairs allows you to create symmetry in the room, as you can flank the coffee table by placing the chairs to either side of the couch.

For example, an ideal layout while using accent chairs would have the sofa facing the television, with an accent chair on each side of the couch fronting the coffee table, essentially creating a square or rectangular shape with the furniture. Accent chairs are also preferable to loveseats as they are better suited for small spaces. They're also less costly than a loveseat. Therefore it's easier to be brave with your fabric choices as accent chairs are far less expensive to replace than an entire couch. Be sure to err on the side of neutral when choosing your sofa if patterned accent chairs are part of your living room décor scheme.

Create a Stenciled Focal Wall

Gone are the days of boring, solid colored focal walls, and in are the times of spicy focal walls that feature tone-on-tone stencils, stripes and fearless patterns. After all, paint is easy to change, so it's possible to create a daring focal wall without permanent results.

Chevron and geometric stencil focal walls are all the rage. Best of all, these projects require little more than a stencil (which can be purchased at your local home improvement or craft store), painter's tape and a paintbrush to create an eye-catching design. For a dramatic effect, consider tone-on-tone options by painting the entirety of the wall in flat finish paint and using a gloss finish of the same color when painting on your stencil. To add extra oomph to your room, create a gallery wall above the couch to truly tie things together.