The living room is pretty integral in any home . It’s the room where you want your comfiest chairs and couches. It’s the room where you do your entertaining . It’s the room where you, well, do a lot of living.
Even if you’re happy with your current living room situation, things can always be improved that much more.
These hacks should help you make your existing space even better.
1. When it comes to shelving, don’t be afraid to lean back.
Whether it’s for storage or just for decor, shelving is a nice thing to have in your living space. A leaning ladder, as demonstrated by YouTuber Jaime Thomas , adds some visual interest to a room, and comes with the added bonus of not requiring any mounting materials.
2. Don’t be afraid to divvy things up.
Many homes have a large living space that can be difficult to properly tie together. A simple room divider — whether it’s an elegant screen, closet, or utilitarian shelving — can work wonders in turning one big room into multiple discrete spaces. This works well for those living in studio apartments, too!
3. Hide that ugly router.
So you want decent wifi connectivity, but your router is way too ugly for your living room. Bethany from Dwellings By DeVore created this elegant box to hide that ugly router. If you’re doing this, make sure to use a material that won’t stifle the wifi signal.
4. Add utility with a fold-down desk.
For many of us, the living room doubles as an office and as a dining room. Top Decor shared some awesome fold-down desk/table ideas on YouTube that can be folded up when not in use. If you’re really handy, you could even DIY your own!
5. Put your coffee table in an unexpected place.
If your couch is up against a wall, sliding it out by about six inches and DIYing a long table behind it gives you all kinds of space for lamps, phones, and assorted knickknacks. This space-saving hack was shared by Jess of East Coast Creative .
6. Start with a blank canvas, end with fancy bench.
Sarah from Dorsey Designs started with a simple, barebones Ikea table and turned it into an elegant bench. She shares full instructions on how to upgrade the table on her blog.
7. Picture hanging problems? Just add toothpaste.
Redditor Thesteelman86 submitted this creative and simple hack for those struggling with hanging pictures. A couple of dabs of toothpaste where the nails should go will leave removable guide marks on the wall — make the process a breeze!
8. Stash your remotes in a creative way.
Most living rooms have electronics of one kind or another in them. But if you don’t want clunky remote controls messing with your aesthetic, find a way to hide them. Tiffany from Pretty Real picked up a fake book to store them in when they’re not in use.
9. Make a drink perch for your couch.
Erin Francois of Francois et Moi DIY’d this adorable, practical drink perch for her couch. This is perfect if you like to have your drink close at hand.
10. Add some rustic flair.
Muy Ingenioso shared this clever hack that brings a little bit of that log cabin ambiance to the living room. It’s as simple as finding an appropriately-sized piece of natural wood and securing it to the top of a simple stool.
11. Get your charging cables out of sight.
It’s a fact of life in the 21st century that everything needs to charged pretty much all the time. Rather than having those ugly cables out in the open, YouTuber ThePlusSideOfThings suggests designating a power bar-equipped drawer as a living room charging station.
12. Upcycle an old drawer into a footrest.
For those who like the rustic look, lifestyle blogger Becky from Beyond the Picket Fence created this awesome ottoman out of an old drawer. The space inside the drawer gives lots of room for comfy padding.
13. One cart, a million uses.
Wheeled bar carts are endlessly useful (I’ve got one in my living room as we speak). You can use them for their intended purpose, or use them to serve dinner, or simply treat them as a coffee table. Once you get one, it’s hard to go back.
14. Add a little greenery.
It’s nice to have plants in your living space, but those big pots take up a lot of space. Take a queue from Lana Red Studio and create a vertical hanging planter. All you need is a wire mesh frame mounted to the wall.
15. Seating space and storage space, together at last.
If your living room is a high-traffic area, check out this hack submitted by Jen from I Heart Organizing . She combined Ikea shelving units with comfy padding to create a new seating area with bonus storage underneath. This one seems perfect for families with lots of kids.
