We spoke with David Ko, a California-based interior designer and founder of Maison Ko. Oscillating between splashes of color and vintage-inspired furniture, Ko’s distinctive aesthetic has put him on the radar of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities. He gave us his top tips to style your living room.
Think About Your Lifestyle
The living room is one of the most used rooms in your home, and therefore, one of the most important spaces to design. One of the first questions to ask yourself when designing your living room is what role it plays for you. Is it a room for socializing? A room for television? A multi-purpose room? By answering this question, you will know how to configure it.
Pay Special Attention to Materials
A common mistake in interior design is to choose pieces without considering their comfort. Not everything has to be soft, but your furniture has to be comfortable because you may well spend hours sitting in that living room.
Pay Attention to Proportions
Sometimes we dream of a gigantic sofa that can accommodate a dozen people for a movie night. However, that doesn’t mean that your space allows you to have a sofa of this size. Also, pay attention to the coherence between your different furniture and objects: it is important that they are not only visually compatible but also cohesive in terms of scale.
Dare to Mix and Match
The current trend is to mix patterns and materials. It can be with pieces that have different textures, or a single piece of furniture that plays with patterns or specific materials such as fringe. Or, combining new pieces with vintage-style objects.
“I think people are ditching perfectly coordinated spaces and heading more towards a more stylish approach where one’s personality can shine through.” David Ko
Add Artwork
In addition to furniture, incorporating art is a great way to get your personality across. To mix the two together, it’s best to think about the moments you want to create, how a piece makes you feel, rather than filling an empty space. Start with how you feel about a piece of art to determine where to place it in your home.
“ Art tells a story, and it should match whatever space or environment it’s in.” David Ko
Have Fun
Sometimes it seems like every room in your house should have the same style. This doesn’t have to be the case. You need to have some consistency and find items that tie in with the decor of the other rooms. But, you can totally let your creativity run wild to make each room unique!
“True design comes when you are able to have a consistent theme throughout your design—just enough so there is cohesion—but take that and make each space its own” David Ko
Browse our selection of art and design pieces to decorate your living room.
