Our living rooms are like the hearts of our homes. It’s where we indulge in our chikahan sessions, watch the latest K-Dramas, enjoy snacks, and have much-needed H2H talks with our families and friends. As such, our living rooms deserve all the care and attention to turn them into the perfect convivial spaces for love and laughter! 

Upgrade your living room with these must-know design hacks to achieve the coziest, comfiest vibes while looking elevated and chic.

Open Up Your Space

Having a living room with lots of breathing space makes it a more comfortable place to stay. Ensure plenty of walking space between your furnishings and the walls for a breezy, open, talisod-free flow by pushing your furniture a little bit further away from each other.

You can also invest in multifunctional pieces, such as ottomans or coffee tables that can double as storage, to help open up your floor space. It would also be great to plan space for any movable stools and tables if you need extra seating for more guests. 

If you need more tips on doubling up on space, we have you covered! 

Hang Your Curtains High

A simple hack to make your living room look more visually spacious is to hang your curtains above your window, creating the illusion of higher ceilings as it would draw the eyes up. This method is handy for those living in more siksik spaces, as it may help your room look less cramped.

A great example of this method comes from Kapitbahay Jelyka, who ditched the curtain rods for curtain tracks attached to their ceiling — so elegant and classy! 

Use Complementary Furniture 

Who said all of our furniture had to come from a matching set? Give your living room more visual dimension with intentionally mismatched pieces that use complementary patterns, hues, materials, or styles. While a perfectly uniform set can help the space look cohesive and elegant, mismatched yet well-styled furniture can help make your living room seem more cozy, personalized, and ultra-sosi. 

However, while we’re all for eccentricity, our pairings should always complement and never clash! Going overboard with bold patterns or bright colors may make your space look cluttered.

Mix Textures

Aside from pairing pleasing furniture together, you can also look at mixing textures. The texture of your furniture does wonders for bringing out the different personalities of each piece, whether you’re utilizing a monochromatic color scheme or a bold variety of hues. For example, a neutral, nude color palette can become more lively if infused with mixed textures, whether from a rug, throw pillow, blanket, or side table. 

Be inspired by Kapitbahay Joanna’s setup! They did an excellent job incorporating varying textures, from the wooden panels behind the TV to the wicker table and mirror frame to the various pillows, all coming together for a visually appealing yet comfortable-looking living room. 

Display Something Uniquely You

A great way to add some pizzazz to your living room is to display a unique piece of artwork that gets conversations going. You can opt for interesting things, such as framed tapestry from your travels, homemade ceramics, fun paintings, antique mirrors, or even framed wallpaper. The best part is that these art pieces have nothing to do with how bongga or expensive they are — it just has to be you! A charming reflection of your personality through little trinkets and artwork does wonders for bringing your living room to life. 

Don’t Forget Your Tabletops 

Though we love dressing up our walls and shelves, we shouldn’t neglect the surfaces of our living rooms either. After all, there’s only so much we can hang up on our walls without making it look overcrowded! Instead, take your sights to your tabletop surfaces, such as coffee tables, side tables, and TV console tables. You can decorate with all sorts of things — framed photos, estetik sculptures or figurines, vintage vinyl collections, pretty books, flowers, and so much more! 

Are you looking for tips on how to elevate your coffee table? Read our article! 

Add Some Greenery

There’s just something about plants that makes any space look more homey. Add a little pop of green to your living room to add some life and freshness.

If you’re not a bonafide plantito/plantita, that’s okay! Take a cue from Kapitbahay Akira, who shared a gorgeous artificial potted plant that can liven up any space without worrying about accidentally forgetting to water it — just remember to dust it often to keep it from accumulating too much alikabok. 

Read more design tips and tricks to elevate your home on our blog! Or, if you have any living room design tips you’d like to share, pa-flex naman dyan! We’d love to see them on the Home Buddies Facebook group.