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International Destinations to Inspire Your SoCal Living Room Remodel

Southern California is renowned for Spanish influence on house designs, but also for incorporating eclectic international tastes with modern innovations. Even if our homes’ exteriors display similar Spanish inspirations, there’s really very few cookie cutters to be seen.

When it comes to interiors, we really love to be unique and express our individualism. We’ll incorporate design elements, materials and comforts from all cultures on the planet.

With that in mind, if you’re planning to remodel your SoCal living room, win the admiration of your friends, neighbors, even architectural digests, with some international inspirations. Here are some design styles you may not have thought about yet.

French Baroque

Give your SoCal living room some ornate stylings reminiscent of the time of Louis XIV and you’ll be calling it your “parlor” in a French accent. To give that baroque idea, the first thing you may think of is heavy, ornate wood furniture and sturdy chairs covered with beautiful fabrics. White and gold is the order of the day for your design color scheme. Ensure it looks “clean” and has an organic movement. Tall double doors with lever handles create grandeur, especially with ornate crown moldings cleverly highlighted with gold. Add polished parquetry flooring to truly create the parlor look. Not all has to be gold and white, though. Pinks and blacks add contrast. Even consider wallpaper in a brocade pattern.

India Meets SoCal Living

An Indian sitting room can make a bold and masculine statement balanced with just enough feminine charm to pull it all together. The Indian style uses very heavy and dense dark woods with ornate carvings and accessories of black iron or brass. You don’t necessarily need artwork from India to create the effect, although it looks awesome. Professionally designed and chosen lighting and lampshades will work wonders, as will a feature lamp installed in a focal area. Think lamps over the bar or breakfast bar, along with central light fixtures and intricate sconces. Hardwood or bamboo flooring combines with ornate rugs featuring plenty of red, blue and gold. Add furniture full of plush pillows offset with gold and you’ll feel like a Maharaja.

The Moors Have Landed

The Middle-Eastern Moorish style has subtle colors combined with rough-hewn wooden chairs, deep arches, and soapstone or marble pillars and accents. Bright colors like reds and blues can be added sparingly to offset the cooler shades. Throw in intricate tilework, dividing screens with geometric shapes, and wicker art pieces and you have the makings of a beautiful living room turned Moorish den.

Swedish Efficiency

OK, so IKEA is not really where you go for everything Swedish. It really only gives a glimpse into the sleek, modern stylings of a real Swedish living room. But some important ideas you’ll get from it are utilizing every inch of space wisely while enhancing the idea of space with smooth, uncomplicated lines and compact lighting fixtures. To remodel your SoCal living room this way, it’s about wasting nothing. Have a little wall space? Add a ledge to create a small desk or eating area. Make bookshelves and cabinetry very smooth surfaced. Remove moldings and complicated door/window casings. Light flooring colors are the way to go. Wall colors can be subtle or bright or include a feature wall. Natural light is an absolute must, so enlarge windows and add skylights.

That’s just a taste of possible international inspirations for your SoCal living room. A remodeling contractor‘s design team will be able to take you through so many more in a comfortable, no obligation consultation.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to RWT Design & Construction.