Posted by Dan O'Malley in Home Design

If you absolutely love to host or entertain guests, you need a great room that instantly inspires awe to each who enters your home. Level-up your hosting skills with game room décor that is guaranteed to impress your visitors.

Great Room With Fireplace and Mid-Century Modern Décor

The Comfort Pieces

Comfort is the first component to successful great room design for good reason. You not only want to make this space attractive to the eye, but also inviting for conversation and relaxation. In other words, your guests should feel spoiled!

Make sure to find comfortable seating in an intimate arrangement so guests can feel included and made special.

Go all out with plenty of accent pillows—from hugging them to using them for support, guests will feel extra cozy with this addition.

In cooler months, place throw blankets near or on each seating option. You can keep them in blanket baskets or simply drape them over the backs of chairs or couches.

Great Room With Throw Pillows

The Centerpieces

Your decorative highlights should be few but mighty. Anchor the whole room’s look around this centric element.

Here are some helpful centerpiece ideas for great rooms:

Great Room With Modern Lighting Fixture

The Functional Pieces

Even though a great room is an entertaining destination, it’s also going to likely be a part of your daily life, so make sure to find plenty of ways to include your comforts here.

Bookshelves, storage ottomans, magazine racks, surround sound, reading lights, and decorative coasters are just a few essentials to make your great room functional at all times.

2-Story Great Room With Fireplace and Bookshelves

The Uniting Pieces

Onto the design elements that bring the whole look together: your great room needs some houseplants. If you’re nervous about keeping a plant alive, consider a tasteful fake plant option from your local home décor store.

When sticking to a neutral color scheme in your great room, one or two pops of color can really elevate the whole look, like a few bright or patterned pillows or an intricate vase that brings out a hue from the rug or wall color.

A coffee table is an excellent way to centralize your whole decorating style. Consider shape, size, color, and texture to work with the other pieces, but stand out enough to add visual appeal.

Great Room With Long, Wooden Coffee Table

The Wow Factor Pieces

It’s time for the main event, the most unique and impressive feature of the room, the piece that will take your guests’ breath away!

Invest in a large, captivating piece of wall art to take up the majority of one wall and draw your guests in. Make sure you hang your wall art in the most optimal area of the wall and the room for the biggest impact.

To really go big, set up a home bar near or in your great room to take hosting to a whole new height. It doesn’t have to be the biggest part of the room, but a state-of-the-art home bar can really set your home apart and wow your guests.

When decorating a great room with a fireplace and high ceilings, let the architecture of your house steal the show, since it's striking enough on its own. Use rich colors and textures to further the degree of luxury throughout the space.

Great Room With Red Velvet Throw Pillows

Now that your great room is guest-ready, it’s time to prepare your guest suite for visitors! Get our essential guest retreat tips.



Author

Dan O'Malley
Dan O'Malley

Author

Dan O’Malley is the Vice President of Product Development for M/I Homes.With over 30 years of expertise in residential architecture and design, Dan has been overseeing the product needs of the company's 16 divisions located throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Nashville and Texas for the past 12 years. Before joining M/I Homes, he was a partner in the Chicago office of BSB Design, a national residential architectural firm, for 14 years. Dan is an expert in all aspects of single-family and multifamily design and has received several awards for his successful projects. He is also a popular speaker at various industry events, including the International Builder’s Show, Midwest Builder’s Show, and Multi-Housing World.

New Construction Upgrades That Add Value: A Guide to Personalizing Your New Home

New Construction Upgrades That Add Value: A Guide to Personalizing Your New Home

Home Design

Transition from Renting to Homeownership: A Journey to Your New Home

Transition from Renting to Homeownership: A Journey to Your New Home

Home Buying