And when it comes to your home design, your living room is one of the spaces in your house that is the most inviting. Outside of your bedroom, your living room is an area where intimacy, closeness, conversation, and connection take the forefront. And because of this, it’s often intentionally curated. Here are a few tips to design your living room based on your love language:
Quality Time: Arrange the Furniture to Evoke Socialization
If your love language is Quality Time, you (obviously!) love spending time with people. For you, eating lunch or having coffee isn’t this quick transaction—it’s intentional. Especially if it’s at your house. And you better believe that if a guest is coming over to your space, you’re ready with the appetizers and the endless brew (or tequila shots….whatever floats your boat). As a Quality Time type of person, you love creating (and being in!) spaces that are intentionally designed with connection in mind. Socialization is big for you, and that means your décor should be inviting, your space should be open enough to include more than a few guests, and your furniture should be arranged to face inward and create an almost ‘circular’ feel to the room. This helps to invite conversation, to make everyone feel included, and to naturally lend to more openness and comfort.
Acts of Service: Create Hospitality Opportunities & ‘Stations’
If your love language is Acts of Service, you’re the type of person who’s all about giving and doing to/for others. This will be obvious from the moment someone steps in your house with a shoe rack, coat rack, or even your gesture to take their coat in exchange for a glass of water (or wine). As a naturally giving person, you’re all about making your living room (and the entire home, really) feel welcoming and inviting from the moment a person steps in. Something someone might see in your living room is a coffee bar, complete with host-served cold/hot brew, mini cups, and self-serve cream and sugar. Or maybe even a full sit-down meal that, of course, is thoughtfully and intentionally doled out by you. At the end of the day, your living room is a space to entertain, and as someone who’s all about giving and doing for others, this feels natural and right.
Words of Affirmation: Designate Areas for Deep Conversation
If your love language is Words of Affirmation, chances are, a motivational poster or quote (or three, five, 15…) is on the wall, complimenting a journal or guestbook (that encourages personal notes, of course) and other features that are all focused on the words. As a word-inclined person (read: someone who enjoys conversations and heart-to-hearts about everything under the sun), you may also want to have areas of the living room that are perfect forcozying up and having a deep talk. While you have the space to entertain more than a few guests, more often than not, you’re engaging in small-group or even one-on-one conversation, and two chairs facing each other may be the perfect way to fill your cup.
Physical Touch: Invest in Comfortable & Cozy Furniture
As a Physical Touch kind of person, you enjoy any opportunity to be close and personal with those in your space. For you, this often looks like one large couch rather than separate armchairs (so that you can snuggle up with your loved ones, of course) or oversize blankets to cover multiple people rather than separate, smaller ones. Your living room—unlike others who may have more formal furniture or a ‘polished’ sort of feel to the space—is all about being peaceful, cozy, and maybe a little bit cluttered. You like having all of the furniture close rather than having open spaces and you’re all about soft hues, warm tones, and low light.
Gifts: Display Your Favorite Items As a Part of Your Décor
As a gift-lover (both on the receiving and giving ends), your living room is a place where you can highlight the special items others have given you in intentional ways. As you design, consider how your décor can tell a story. From bulletin boards that display your children’s art or awards to a shelf/china cabinet that showcases beautiful figurines or glasses, you can arrange your room to be a celebration of special moments, keepsakes, and people. As a gift-giver, you’ll probably also want to have little things that your guests can take or enjoy, like a bowl of chocolates or mints, for example. Whatever makes your little space feel less like a house and more like a home (to you, and anyone who comes in).
