KOCHI: The living room is considered to be the heart of any house. It is where a family gets together and spends quality time, shares meals and laughs. It is the liveliest corner of any home. This is why Kozhikode-based architects Sham Salim and Aslam Karadan, co-founders of Aslam.Sham Architects, decided to focus on converting living rooms into spacious and productive spaces.
“Keeping living rooms as simple as possible can elevate the look of a house aesthetically. We can even convert the living rooms in smaller houses into spacious ones by keeping a basic theme or design,” said Sham.According to him, avoiding divisions and increasing the height of the roof can help make small living rooms look spacious. “Division in the form of a wall or panel partitions in a living room can create a kind of eye-blocking effect,” he said.
Bulky furniture can also consume a major space in such spaces. “Heavy elements cut down the volume of the room. It is better to go for thinner sofas, glass teapots and fewer cabinets. More windows can also create an open space and painting the walls with natural colours such as white or blue with small highlights will enhance the look of the living room. The furniture can be selected according to space and theme,” said Aslam.
He also suggests roman blinds or curtains with translucent and light colors on the windows. “To create a green effect, we often put forth the option of setting plants outside the window which helps increase space in the room. Moreover, a green space inside your living room can be hard to maintain,” he added.“It is better to avoid storage shelves or showcases in the living room. Instead, utilise the space under the staircase to make a cabinet or storage columns. Minimal wall hangings or paintings will also blend well with simple places,” said Sham.