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How to design a transitional living room

Do you love the sophisticated elegance of the traditional design style? Maybe you've decorated your living room with rich, dark wood furniture to establish this head-turning theme. However, have you considered sprucing up your living space with a few modern furnishings or accents to add a sense of chic flair to your room? If so, the transitional style is right for you, as it combines classic and contemporary designs to establish a unique, cohesive look.

Your personal decorator from Decorating Den Interiors can help you create a transitional living room. He or she will assist you in selecting everything from the right colors to the perfect furnishings and accessories to bring out the best of both the modern and traditional styles. Work with your decorator to stay within your budget as you decorate your living room. After your free consultation, he or she will make a few recommendations as you tackle these decorating tasks:

Stay neutral
The transitional style is all about evoking a sense of serenity and cleanliness. This is why rooms that flawlessly represent the design theme have a neutral color palette. This allows your furnishings' sleek lines and edges to take center stage, which is an important aspect of the contemporary side of the transitional style. Your Decorating Den Interiors interior designer may recommend hues like dark brown, which will add depth to the area when paired with light shades like tan, taupe or cream. If you want to go neutral but stay bright and airy, ask your interior designer about incorporating a few navy or baby blue and white furnishings, as these are classic pairings that never seems to go out of style. 

Using neutral colors open up more opportunity for adding patterns and designs to your living room.Using neutral colors opens up more opportunity for adding patterns and designs to your living room.

Even more classic is a white and black combo that would really pop when complemented by a bold accent that introduces an unexpected splash of color. The best thing about neutral color schemes is that, in addition to creating the elegant, traditional look, they match almost any furniture style or hue you may choose to introduce to the area in the future. 

"Choose an equal amount of straight-lined and curved furniture."

Combine curves and straight lines
To effectively mix the traditional and modern styles, you have to focus on what defines them. For example, contemporary furnishings consist of straight lines, defined edges and an all-around tailored look. Traditional furniture, on the other hand, is associated with ornate details, such as curved lines, turned feet and rolled arms. To achieve the transitional style, your personal decorator will help you choose an equal amount of straight-lined and curved furniture. He or she may suggest a sofa with a tufted back and out-turned feet paired with a sleek glass coffee table featuring smooth metal legs. Decorating Den Interiors offers a wide range of furniture selections that your decorator will help you choose from to ensure you have an even balance of classic and contemporary home furnishings. 

Incorporate various textures
Get creative with your Decorating Den Interiors decorator and introduce a combination of textural elements to your living room, such as glass, fabric, metal, lacquer and wood. The lack of bright colors leaves plenty of room for intricate, head-turning textures. Consider incorporating a variety of unique fabrics, such as corduroy, ultrasuedes, chenilles and pliable leathers to establish the eye-grabbing element that color usually achieves. 

Add an array of patterns and textures to give your living room more visual interest.Add an array of patterns and textures to give your living room extra visual stimulation.

Layer your textures to bring depth and dimension to the space. This ultimately creates a sense of comfort and softness that will make your room warm and inviting, a key component to a functional living room. Ask your decorator if choosing one statement furniture piece to base your layers off of will work best for your gathering area. Consider layering one area rug over another, mixing shapes, patterns and materials to create a truly captivating appearance. 

Mix patterns and shapes
To establish more visual interest, select accessories, furniture and designs of different shapes and sizes. As the traditional design style often consists of square or rectangular furnishings for consistency, try mixing various furniture shapes for a more contemporary feel. For example, work with your Decorating Den Interiors decorating consultant to arrange a circular coffee table alongside striped window treatments. You may also want to choose a combination of three patterns varying in size and scale for a successful play on fabrics. Just be sure to work closely with your decorating consultant to ensure that you aren't going overboard and creating a space that looks and feels overwhelming. 

As you pick and choose which design elements you want to use to dress up your transitional living room, your Decorating Den Interiors personal decorator will ensure you aren't straying from your set budget. He or she will bring all of your furniture selections to your home and help you arrange them to make the most of your living room! To find a decorator in your area, visit our website!

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