Your living room furniture is perfect, the colors are on point, and the decor is what you wanted. But still, something is missing.
That feeling that the room isn’t quite finished could be because of the blank space over your couch. In most homes, it’s the focal point of the room. Your eye is drawn to the area, only to find there’s nothing to see.
It’s an easy fix, though. Whether you’re looking for something simple and quick or elegant and intricate, these stylish tricks will fill the empty canvas over your sofa.
1. Hang Artwork
Sometimes, all it takes to make the room look complete is the right piece of art. One large framed canvas portrait, a mural, or a tapestry makes a statement.
It doesn’t even have to be anything elaborate. An abstract canvas with a few splashes of paint can do the job.
The key is to use your room’s colors and find artwork that complements those hues. For example, a black-and-white framed portrait of your favorite skyline seamlessly slides into a contemporary room with metal furniture and white or black couches. A warm, homey decor setup would blend better with a colorful print.
2. Create a Gallery Wall
Do you have dozens of photos of your family, or a themed set of prints you can never say no to buying?
These are exactly what you need to cover the empty space over your sofa and turn it into a gallery wall.
How to Turn Your Empty Wall into a Gallery
The fun part about this type of accessory is that there’s no hard and fast rule of how to put up your display. As long as all of the images have at least one element in common, they can be framed and hung on the wall.
Some people absolutely must have symmetry, so a wall with a set combination, like a 3 x 3 array, works well for them. Other people like the effect of an asymmetrical layout.
If the idea of a gallery wall appeals to you, this article shares some more ideas about how to get started.
3. Add Some Smart Amenities
Technology, decor, and artwork have finally merged, and you get to reap the benefits. Smart amenities make daily life easier, as anyone with a virtual assistant like Alexa knows well.
From answering questions without lifting a finger to showing you who’s at your house when you’re not there, smart technology comes in handy.
So how can a smart device help you decorate the space over your couch? Try one or a few of these ideas:
- A smart picture frame that syncs to your phone and displays a slideshow of your favorite photos
- Smart lighting that turns on or off with a voice command
- An interactive piece of artwork
Hanging up a few shelves over your sofa lets you accessorize the space with smart speakers, a virtual assistant, and other devices. There’s no limit to how “smart” you can go with today’s tech gadgets.
4. Show Off Your Memorabilia
You know that amazing collection of “stuff” you’ve been adding to since you were a kid? Why not put it on display to show off?
If it makes you feel good, it shouldn’t be tucked in a box in your closet or garage. But it also needs to be arranged in your home in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the room or make it look too cluttered.
Put Your Memories on Display the Right Way
The solution could be the area over your couch. Depending on what the collection is, you might need a handful of strategically placed shelves.
Spread them apart over the sofa so your eye isn’t drawn to one big section. Hang a shelf, leave a space. Put up a knick knack, leave a space.
That small area in between is what’s known as a resting spot for the brain. It makes the area look full, but not cluttered.
Larger items that can be hung directly on the wall, like your old vinyls or a set of antiques, make the perfect above-the-couch decor. Again, leave a space between each item.
Your home is supposed to reflect your personality and have a happy, peaceful atmosphere. Putting the memorabilia you love on display for you to see every day creates this look without costing you anything but materials to hang them with.
Conclusion
When you fill that empty area above the couch with the right decor, it makes the room feel complete.
Strategically placed artwork, generally hung at eye-level, is the simplest way to get the task done. Or, if you want to be more creative, frames, mementoes, and smart technology devices are the way to go.
No matter which method you use for your decor, remember to avoid overloading the entire wall. Keep small areas for the eye to rest in between your items, and, as long as you love the finished look, you can’t go wrong.
