Living room ideas for 2020 and how to use them
We think it’s time to think bold when it comes to living room ideas. Start the new decade off right and go roaring into the 20s. Ditch the thoughts of a diet of avocados, quail eggs and quinoa or buying a gym membership you’ll never use - and focus on big changes to your home.
Not sure where to start, or what is ‘in’ right now? Here are some of our tips on the biggest trends going into the new year.
Jewel Tones
2020’s living room ideas don’t come much bolder than this. If you feel like it’s time to be as brave as you were at the Christmas Party (don’t worry, the eggnog gets us all), then this is the trend for you.
Jewel tones are exactly what they say on the tin – deep, rich, intense colours that are named after gems. Colours like amethyst, citrine, emerald, ruby, sapphire – these are all exciting, vivid colours to give your living room a real splash of colour. They are a big style statement – one your eye is immediately drawn to - so you have to give these colours the chance to shine.
We recommend that for the best, most attractive result, you use these vibrant colours in the following ways:
Look at the colour and how vibrant it is with this cool, grey carpet.
1) Pair them with neutral decors, such as some of our bang on trend grey carpets. You need to them to give your eyes room to rest, else you run the risk of an overpowering décor.
Pair complementary colours together for an eye-catching contrast.
2) Use bold colours together. Find a colour wheel – we recommend this one by Adobe – and figure out complimentary colours. Use two or three different colours and create a powerful contrast that will give your living room a real sense of personality.
Use colour as a focal point in a neutral room – like this blue carpet is.
3) Remember, there is no in-between with jewel colours. Either use these shades throughout the room – your room will feel more cohesive and together for doing so – or use them sparingly as a focal point.
Rustic Décor
“Rustic” is a bit of a catch all term when it comes to living room ideas and décor.
Close your eyes and think of the phrase ‘rustic décor’. Do you imagine a grand old farmhouse or an isolate, bleak log cabin hidden away from the view of civilisation?
If you did, you need not – ‘rustic décor’ doesn’t mean either of those but rather filling a space with raw elements. Raw elements can be anything from wood, stone, metalwork or even different textures on soft furnishings. All these ideas can contribute to the overall feeling of rustic décor. The key is natural materials and fibres and combining them with clean, modern design as well as fresh, light and airy rooms.
You don’t have to be a lumberjack to get rustic décor like this
Our selection of wool carpets is a great example of the perfect accompaniment to rustic décor. The textured touch of these natural materials will really lend to the warm, inviting feeling created by a rustic décor.
Woven or wicker furniture is a great choice in a rustic décor.
Carpet will always be your best bet in a home with rustic décor. Unlike glossier alternative like vinyl flooring or laminates flooring, it doesn’t have the sheen that a raw fabric like wool or jute would have. The Orient Berber Loop is a gritty and textured carpeting choice that is ideal for use as in this decoration style.
Houseplants are a common choice to soften a rustic décor
If you do choose to go with a rustic décor as your living room idea, the most effective colour you can pick are going to be from an earthy colour palette. Greens, browns and greys are common choices, but we would encourage you to go with beige carpets. These colours are slightly warmer and will give bigger, lighter rooms – like a living room – a natural warm afterglow.
Colour of the Year
You might find yourself green with envy if you don’t go with the Colour of the Year for your living room idea.
Classic Blue has been chosen by Pantone as their Colour of the Year. It’s deep, relaxed and tranquil: a bold departure last year’s colour, ‘Living Coral’. It will be easier to use because there is no doubt that blue is the most versatile of all primary colour choices (or any colour that is not a neutral, in fact).
Using Pantone’s ‘Colour of the Year’ in your living room ideas? Layer up those blues!
Fashion and interior decoration are similar in their use of colour and Classic Blue is no different. When using the colour, just like in a good outfit, you should layer up different shades of blue. This is an easy way of ensuring that your neutrals don’t look too cold and unhomely when used with the colour. In our range of blue carpets alone, there are so many different shades that can help achieve this objective. Midnight, sky, duck egg. Dark, light, textured. We’ve talked before in more depth about how to get the best out of our blue carpets in our blue carpets guide. Now, we’ll talk about how to use Classic Blue as the basis of your newest living room idea.
How should I use this colour?
@humbleabodehome used Classic Blue with our Seville Deep Pile Saxony carpet
The above image from lifestyle influencer @humbleabodehome shows two of 2020’s biggest living room ideas – neutral décor along with Classic Blue. She has cleverly and gradually faded the colours from a classic blue to a crisp white, (pairing the colour with our popular metal grey Seville Deep Pile Saxony along the way. Do you want to achieve a look like this? If so, use the same Adobe colour wheel we shared with you earlier to create a swatch from the warmest colour – which, unusually will be your Classic Blue – to your coldest – such as the white seen on some of the furniture in this shot. This will help you decide what shade your ideal grey carpet is and which colours you can use to dress the room.
When an orange looks this good against classic blue, imagine what the colour could look like in your living room.
Much like with our earlier suggestion in the Jewel Tones section of this guide, pair vibrant complimentary colours together to create an eye-catching décor. Complimentary colours that pair well with classic blue are usually warmer colours on the colour wheel. Oranges (as seen above), and yellows work well, but so too does pink. So, if you did go all in on 2019’s colour of the year ‘Living Coral’, fear not... You don’t have to throw the champagne out with the cork: these two colours complement each other nicely!
Classic Blue complementing last year’s ‘Colour of the Year’, Living Coral
So, there you have it – our top tips for the trending living room ideas in 2020.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our Instagram at @unitedcarpetsandbeds for our latest products and home transformations. Inspired to get decorating? Don’t forget to use #UnitingHomes when sharing the end results with your friends!