Living Room Ideas – A newborn is merely an organism. Socialization makes him responsive to society. Family is an essential element of social interaction and the source of acquiring cultural learning. Bloodline and ancestral background play a central role in the lives of most Indians. We live in a collectivistic society that emphasizes loyalty and interdependence. There is a deep sense of inseparability injected into Indians.
The concept of family extends beyond nuclear units and withholds a wider family circle of 3 to 4 generations. In existing scenarios of Indian families, there exists a strong system of hierarchy and the interests of a family are prioritized over an individual’s interests.
Socializing is like breathing for Indians. The most prominent location for the entire family to meet up or socialize in a house is the Living room. Also known as Baithak kaksh, Divanakhana, is a space for eating, gossiping, discussing, playing, watching media, and hosting all such activities.
One of the most striking features of Indian culture is its hospitality. We give extremely high regard to our invitees and guests. There goes a famous saying “Atithi Devo bhava,” meaning, “Guests are forms of God.” The people who are most likely to be invited to our homes are also attended in a living room. Thus, a living room in the house must personify the culture and ideals of the family.
Here are some living room ideas to design for Indian homes.
1. Ideal Planning | Living Room Ideas
The design process must initiate the design of the overall layout of the space. As a designer, we must figure out the functionality and make the clients understand what ‘living’ means to them. A television or a home theatre/ projector can be used as the main focal point and all furniture can be pointed towards it.
‘Open Plan Living’ is another way of designing, where all furniture pieces are loosely placed and can be reshuffled with time. While planning, we may push all furniture towards the wall and provide ample circulation along with sufficient seating.
2. Sofa: The Boss
The first piece of furniture to purchase is the Sofa as it stands for the longest time and is used the most. It must be designed as a quality piece. The client’s aesthetic preference must be thought and discussed by the designer before the final purchase.
Sofa arrangement must be such that it can house 80 percent of the family members comfortably. Using ottomans as some loose pieces can add to the décor of the living room.
3. Accentuate With Lighting
While the architectural design of the house is in process, we must make sure that we provide ample windows for natural light to enter the living room. If a designer enters the stage of interior designing then the focus must be on setting the mood with artificial lights.
Investments must be made in aesthetic lamps. Along with led lights, the ambient lighting must also be smartly designed.
4. Spiritual Elements
Indians practice a diverse range of religions and excluding the atheist communities, we all have strong faith in the deity. All our houses have a well-defined place for the same. Having a glimpse of these spiritual bodies in the living room gives the religious identity of the family.
5. Accent Consoles | Living Room Ideas
Prominently designed coffee tables or a chest of drawers can act as a nice contrast with the existing large mass of sofa. This also suffices functional necessities. While designing, the scale of this furniture must be played smartly. It must not come forth as a bulky mass in the living room.
6. Textured Layering
The overall vibe of the living room must be juxtaposed with different textures like wood, metal, wool, silk, and glass. The entire material palette must be played efficiently and not end up giving a distasteful appearance to space.
7. Indian Motifs & Wild Designs
Ancient art and culture of civilizations that propagated in India gave us many motifs and design patterns. Using these patterns as a highlight to the contemporary house adds to the Indianness of the house.
8. Skilled Woodwork
Skillful labours and art styles are something that India treasures. Sills like carving and sculpting when incorporated with readily available wood, produce a masterpiece. Using this in the living room can become the X-factor in the entire design language.
9. Textile Tradition
India has a strong textile background and houses a variety of these. Be it upholstery or cushion covers or curtains or rugs, using textiles in any form is a true characteristic of Indian homes.
Using large oversized rugs is the latest trend. It not only demarcates the territory but also makes space look bigger. Very often we find members of the house seated on the floor, rugs are very useful for this purpose as well.
10. Decluttered Simplicity | Living Room Ideas
Every item placed in the living room must have some purpose for it. Clutter is stressful and having a tidy living room interior space must be the aim.
These are some ways of how we can design our living room in Indian Houses. Whether it is traditional or contemporary, modern or eclectic, it is not necessary that the design process has to be expensive.
Some economic methods prove effective if we merely aim at redecorating the living space:
- Rearranging the existing furniture
- Changing the upholstery
- Inserting a DIY green-wall
- Switching the rugs around
- Painting a piece of furniture or adding colours
- Adding decorative pieces like ottomans or pendant lights
- Decorating the entrance corridors
Joint family living is always idealized in Indian homes. However, with the advancing parental modernity, many families are moving towards living as nuclear families. Not everyone is doing so but this is a selective nature of acculturation. Be it a joint family or a nuclear family, the existence of the living room as an important space in the house will always remain eternal.
