Has Times Square become a victim of its own popularity?
New York's Times Square has become a problem – because it is too popular for its own good as 40 million visitors from across the world arrive there every year.
Crowds in Times Square. Image by Divya Thakur / CC BY 2.0
The square has become a mecca for advertisers and retailers because of the daily footfall – but it is now so crowded that New Yorkers and those working nearby are eschewing the district in rising numbers.
It's a far cry from the nineties when Times Square was synonymous with sleaze as prostitution, porn shows, pimps, massage parlors and drug dealers dominated the landscape.
Back then, locals and office workers avoided the area together with retailers and corporate office tenants - but for completely different reasons. A sustained effort by state and city officials to rejuvenate the area proved successful with special tax incentives offered to ensure a proper level of corporate relocation took place.
The area's return as an acceptable meeting, working, living and trading place was added to by the opening of new hotels and a number of residential buildings, the New York Times reports. However, the current surge in numbers to Times Square began in earnest around 2009, when a stretch off Broadway was closed which allowed for the creation of a series of public plazas. This decision led to a substantial increase in the amount of pedestrians visiting daily, jumping from 350,000 pre-2009 to 480,000 since then.
Mr Jeffrey S. Katz, who owns several buildings in Times Square summed up the current situation succinctly. "The plazas just exploded rents. It's beyond even my imagination."
But the commercial explosion is coming at a price. Last year the Times Square Alliance carried out a survey that shocked many. It found that a quarter of building owners, property managers and officer workers were 'dissatisfied' because of the serious overcrowding, as well as the building of the plazas and the costumed characters. The New York Times adds that everyone is praying that it doesn't turn out to be a place legendary baseballer Yogi Berra talked about all those years ago when he declared: "No one goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
When it comes to creating a boho eclectic vibe, baskets are the cream of the crop. While a beautiful woven basket can be a great storage solution, a flattened version is perfect for filling up that empty wall space in your living room. Opt for either a single statement basket or a gallery wall with a wide variety of baskets.
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Add Colorful Fabric Art
Alvin Wayne
This contemporary look is perfect for anyone who wants a statement piece in their living room. Here, colorful abstract art made with fabric and paint is the perfect centerpiece for a modern living room. Though the space is small, the oversized print makes it feel much larger.
A great gallery wall gets us every time, but if you want to add a bit of extra visual interest, try mixing up the frames. Pick all different styles (try a combination of vintage, ornate frames, and sleek modern ones) to create a varied look that adds a lot of texture.
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Try Picture Shelves
Home and Spirit
If you are a commitment-phobe, hanging a gallery wall with nails may be too much of a permanent solution for you. Here, picture ledges create a landing to display art that can be easily swapped out on a whim. This is a great choice if you like to frequently change up your look.
ThresholdWood Ledge Wall Shelf Brown$15.00
Shop
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Go Abstract
Amber Pierce Designs
We love this simple paint-splattered abstract print, which adds just enough visual interest to this modern living room without feeling overly busy. Plus, while you can definitely purchase a similar beautiful abstract print, this is a fairly easy DIY to achieve with a large canvas and a bit of paint.
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Rethink Wood Paneling
Ann Living
This is not your grandma's wood paneling. This chevron-striped accent wall adds a modern, eclectic look, and can really elevate your style game. Consider adding a paneled wall behind a couch or a desk if your living room doubles as an office.
World MarketGold And Glass Honeycomb Wall Shelf$69.99
Shop
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Go Big With an Oversized Mirror
Ashley Montgomery Design
A large mirror can make your living room appear larger and brighter. This vintage mirror has ornate details that work in a vintage-inspired room or a modern space that needs a bit of warmth—whatever the setting, it's sure to add a lot of personality.
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DIY Dried Floral Wreaths
Burchard Design Co,
These DIY-able floral wreaths add a hint of romance to any wall. They're cute and simple, and they add a fresh look to your living room. These wreaths work well in a modern farmhouse-style home, but you can customize the florals to suit any design scheme.
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Create Art From Vines
Cathie Hong
Greenery is an easy way to spruce up any space, and we love this hanging vine look. You can easily customize this wall art and create various different designs using climbing plants, or go faux for a longer-lasting piece.
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Try a Woven Wall Hanging
Casa Watkins Living
Embrace your inner hippie and consider woven wall art. This hanging piece is created with a dowel and various colors of yarn, and can be tackled by anyone—even if you're not super crafty.
AnthropologieFaye Wall Hanging$78
Shop
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Install Floating Shelves
The House on Hillside Lane
Floating shelves are perfect for decorating a living room. They are sleek and streamlined, yet provide a touch of storage or a perch to show off objects and artifacts. Keep it simple with one or two shelves, or fill an entire wall with several of them.
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Create a Great Gallery Wall
Home by Polly
We would be remiss if didn't include a beautiful gallery wall on a list of wall art ideas. A gallery wall is a classic way to fill up an empty wall, and you can customize the look to your tastes.
Overwhelmed by the prospect of hanging a gallery wall? This designer hack uses parchment paper to make the job much easier.
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Look to the Windows
Finding Lovely
If your living room has more windows than wall space, you can still add a bit of visual interest by hanging wreaths or dried eucalyptus over the windows. This will add a touch of warmth without blocking the natural light.
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Turn Hats Into Decor
JC Designs
We love wall decor that is as useful as it is beautiful. If your living room connects to the entryway, hanging up stylish hats can be a great way to add personality to your room and provide easy access when you head out.
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Go Oversized
LeClair Decor
Want to really make a statement in your living room? This stunning graphic fabric art may be oversized, but because it's neutral, it doesn't dominate the room or feel too big. This is a great choice if you don't have another focal point to build your design around, such as a fireplace.
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Add Built-Ins
Pure Salt Interiors
One of the most elegant ways to transform an empty wall is by adding built-in units. Built-ins give a room a lot of charm and truly elevate the space. Though this is often a project for a professional, it's well worth the money to take your living room to the next level.
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Add Texture
Michelle Boudreau Design
For those who love contemporary style, this textured wall is a great option for sprucing up an empty space. The diamond-patterned accent wall creates a lot of depth in the space and is definitely a conversation starter.
Address 1207 Cleveland Avenue Santa Rosa, CA - 95404
Who we serve: Women and children of all ages, races, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds experience homelessness for a multitude of reasons. Many of the women we serve have fled domestic violence, resulting in a loss of income or economic support. Substance abuse and mental or physical illness are also causes of homelessness.
Main office (hours: M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Program hours (for guests): Mondays through Fridays 8:30am - 1pm. The Living Room welcomes homeless and at-risk women and their children into a warm, safe and comfortable environment during the day when overnight shelters are closed. Caring staff and volunteers offer a lifeline during a time of crisis. Whether homeless for some time, newly homeless, or on the verge homelessness, women of all ages and mothers with children are greeted with love and understanding. Mother's appreciate the child-friendly environment where they receive support from staff and volunteers while their children engage with toys and learning activities.
The Living Room's two core programs are the Women's Program and the Mother and Child Program (MAC) offered by a caring staff and hundreds of volunteers, and utilizing an ever expanding network of Community Partners working together.
The Living Room provides nutritious meals and essential daily needs, and offers health care education, parenting skills, job search skills, computer and mail access, and referrals to community resources that provide temporary shelter, housing, medical and mental health care, and other vital services.
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Tags Volunteers Needed: The Living Room is heavily dependent on volunteers to fulfill its mission. Each year hundreds of volunteers donate thousands of hours, assisting the paid staff, to provide services to the women and children who use the services of The Living Room.
Decorating your living room? We've compiled 50 gorgeous living room ideas to use as a starting point for your next decorating project. From decor to design to furniture, if you're looking for living room inspiration you've come to the right place. You can also shop similar looks with our living room accessories.
Rachel Whiting
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Bill Kingston
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Carolyn Barber
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Tim Young
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Mark Scott
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Relaxed layering
Keep it contemporary yet pared back by teaming drips, drops and splatter patterns for an impressionistic look.
Read more: 6 stylish inky blue interiors
Colin Poole
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Small change, big difference
A simple Roman blind and textured flooring has resulted in an elegant update for this neutral living room.
• Modern, traditional or shaggy, Modern Rugs has a great selection for your floor.
*We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Rachel Whiting
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Carolyn Barber
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Dan Duchars
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Mark Scott
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Naturally laid back
White walls, soft grey upholstery and pale wooden furniture create a relaxed and welcoming look. Choose a classic sofa as the centrepiece, then introduce pattern with a mix-and-match collection of patterned cushions and a geometric rug.
• Head to Dunelm for a range of cushions at an affordable price.
Fiona Walker-Arnott
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Tim Young
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Bold florals
A vibrant floral wallpaper defines the accent colours in the rest of this room. The soft sage green on the plush sofa and petal pink on the armchair, each with sleek black metal legs, complete the cohesive, contemporary look of this living room.
Read more: 9 bold floral home decor ideas for an instant room update
Mark Scott
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Rethink pink
Pink is still a huge interiors trend. Layer soft rose with grey, choose a classic sofa as the room's focal point and introduce pattern with decorative cushions and a rug. Contrast the soft colours with a statement floor lamp and coffee table.
House Beautiful/Carolyn Barber
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Chris Snook
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David Merewether
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David Giles
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Opposites attract
Vintage sofas bring an elegant feel in this Victorian home. Promote a sense of intimacy in an open-plan or big room by arranging seating around a coffee table with a rug beneath. The aim is to create a cosy zone within the space.
• If you want a statement coffee table, head to Amara for some lust-worthy designs.
Susan Burnell
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Carolyn Barber
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Pop of colour in small spaces
In a small lounge area, a tactile velvet sofa in a golden shade and compact, rounded shape provides impact. Meanwhile, fringed and patterned cushions add individuality. Combining these tactile textures provide sumptuous depth, particularly useful for elevating small spaces.
Read more: 9 stylish ways to introduce ochre into a neutral space
David Barbour
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A new dimension
A corner sofa, such as this leather Freya from DFS, can help to give shape to a featureless room. A console table arranged with tall vases is a clever idea that gives the scheme height.
• Shop the House Beautiful collection at DFS.
Jo Sheldrake
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A country tale
This classic country style scheme is made relaxed and informal with a squashy sofa and chairs, neutral colours and natural textures. The gilt-framed mirror and glamorous table lamps add a touch of elegance to the look.
Mark Scott
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Artistic palette
Turn your living room into a masterpiece with painterly patterned fabrics, arty effects and a palette of soft colours. Choose fine cottons, linens and silks printed in washes of colour as a starting point for your scheme. Team highly decorative pieces with streamlined furniture for a perfect balance of form and function.
• Dress your home in faux flowers – shop some beautiful designs at John Lewis & Partners.
Lizzie Orme
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Richard Gadsby
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David Giles
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A sense of space
Soft grey tones and crisp white details bounce light around this contemporary living room. Pale wooden furniture also helps to keep the room looking bright and airy.
• If you always forget to water plants, buy artificial ones instead. Shop a range on Amazon.
Rachel Whiting
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Dark style
Moody greys and burnt orange tones create a welcoming, modern scheme. Offset a dark wall colour with sumptuous textures such as a wool upholstered sofa and a stylish chair in burnished leather.
Mark Scott
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Pattern play
The key to this colourful look is to layer intricate pattern on pattern while keeping the backdrop understated. Spots, stripes, ikat prints and colour block all work together beautifully when united by a harmonious palette.
Looking for inspiring traditional living room ideas? Of course, you are, you've just finished Bridgeton for the seventh time and decided it's finally time to bring some Whistledown vibes into your home and embrace a more Period-style in your living room. And we are here to help those Regency dreams come true.
Actually, the term 'traditional' can mean a plethora of different things to different people, and there is no established design formula. So while it does cover the all the classic flamboyance of the Regency era, it can also include trends like cottage core and Mid-century styles – really the design possibilities that can be termed 'traditional' are almost endless.
We take you through some of the most beautiful (but easy to achieve) design ideas for traditional living spaces, paying attention to furniture, color schemes, and paint ideas. And when you've settled on a design scheme you love, get more living room ideas over in our gallery.
1. Go grey in a traditional living room
(Image credit: Neptune)
Grey is one of the most popular colors for any living room, but it does lend itself so well to traditional living rooms – the understated and airy quality that is timeless. Pick a soft cool tone grey for the walls and ground that lighter hue with some dark greys and charcoals in your cushions and rugs.
Love grey? We have gorgeous grey living room ideas in our design gallery.
2. Choose the best paint for a traditional living room
(Image credit: Farrow and Ball)
For an elegant, traditional look, opt for darker bur muted paint colors, or, if you aren't ready to commit to the dark paint trend, try painting one wall to just add a touch of drama.
A warm color scheme would be more fitting with the traditional design so if you are sticking religiously to the style, opt for warm neutrals, purples, reds and forest greens. Alternatively, bright whites and cool grey tones can create a simple clean backdrop for your more traditional furniture.
3. Embrace clashing patterns and textures
(Image credit: Katie Lee)
The joy of traditional rooms is that they can be totally individual, with furniture and decor that's totally unique to you. If nothing in your living room matches then so what! The more color, pattern and texture the better we say.
There's one golden design rule, however: if your walls and floors are covered in pattern, keep the furniture plain. And vice versa: if you love a chintzy sofa, resist the temptation to also lay a floral rug underneath it. Roughly, 50 per cent of the room should be pattern, and 50 per cent plain color. This gorgeous living room demonstrates that rule perfectly.
4. Choose a pastel color scheme
(Image credit: Joyce Vloet/Coco Features)
Pastels work wonders on traditional living room schemes; they're a perfect match to the gentle curves of traditional furniture and make a wonderful contrast with wood flooring. You can keep to just one color for an instantly memorable look, or mix and match pastels for a mellow effect.
And for more pastel schemes, have a look at our pretty pastel decorating ideas.
5. Reclaim vintage furniture as living room storage
(Image credit: Colin Poole)
Ensure that your living room storage fits perfectly in a traditional space by salvaging vintage pieces. Maybe you fell hard for an ornate chest of drawers that don't quite fit in your bedroom or inherited an old china cabinet – think of ways they can be incorporated into your living room as extra storage.
A china cabinet could easily be repurposed as a display unit for books or DVDs and a chest of drawers would make a fabulous sideboard. If your vintage finds don't quite fit with the vibe you are going for, try painting your furniture.
Check out our guide to how to paint furniture.
6. Contrast traditional wallpaper with Scandi shapes
(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
Wallpaper is easy to apply and works well with most traditional decorating schemes. And you can really go to town with pattern and color, provided the rest of the room is kept relatively neutral.
We love the way the emerald green of the Atacama print wallpaper by Farrow & Ball contrasts with the natural tones of the more contemporary furniture is this living room. Case in point that traditional spaces can still have a chic, modern edge.
For more ideas, check out our living room wallpaper ideas.
7. Create cottage charm with a botanical theme
(Image credit: Future / Kasia Fiszer)
If you are the lucky owner of a period cottage, then it's likely you are also the proud owner of a lovely garden. And even if not, but you want to create cottage-style charm in your living room, a botanical theme is always a winner. The rustic wooden beams and spare furnishings of a cottage really work with botanical prints and flowering indoor plants.
Well-crafted wooden furniture instantly elevates the look of any room, traditional or modern. Less is more, when it comes to wooden furniture, especially if you are going with dark woods – a statement chest of drawers may well be all that your room needs.
Contrast the wood with lighter walls and delicate floral patterns. We love how in this room the blues greens really make the wooden furniture pop.
10. Compensate for low ceilings with a light color scheme
Cottage living has one drawback – low ceilings. If you live in this type of property (or any other low-ceilinged home you are redecorating), avoid dark colors, opting for light-reflecting off-white instead.
Paint your beams too! It may seem like a sin to cover up that lovely natural wood but if it's bringing down the rest of your space and they are taking up all the focus paint them to match the ceiling color.
Find more white living room ideas in our gallery.
11. Enhance a smaller living room with yellow paint
(Image credit: Bruce Hemming)
If your living room is tiny, our top tips are always, avoid cramming the space with too much furniture and don't shy away from color on the walls.
Resist the temptation to just paint the small room white, as that can accentuate the small size. A vibrant color, on the other hand, will add dimension and distract from the room's size. A zesty muted yellow is an excellent (and underrated) choice, that we are seeing growing in popularity on Pinterest and Instagram as we head into spring.
Need more inspiration? We have a whole gallery of living room paint ideas.
12. Let period features take centre stage
Tim unearthed the original fire surround during the first part of the renovations.
(Image credit: Bridget Peirson)
If your home comes with an original period feature, such as a fireplace or original stove, make the most of it. Let it take center stage in the design scheme by keeping the decorating scheme neutral.
13. Go all-cream for a really luxurious look
(Image credit: Jane Emery)
A traditional living room so sumptuous that it feels more like a bedroom... this is probably not the best option for homes with small children or pets, but if you want a living room that screams luxury, then pile on the cream. You really can't go wrong with the warmth it brings to a room (unlike white), and an all-cream scheme will really bring out all the different textures of your soft furnishings.
Discover more cream living room ideas.
14. Liven up the room with playful mid-century accents
Want a traditional living room with a twist? An easy way to give your room an update is by introducing some Mid-century-style pieces into the decorating scheme. They will not jar like contemporary furniture would, but will give the room a more up-to-date look.
Want the Mid-century effect without the price tag? Try accenting the room with an orange piece or two. The color of the 1960s, orange will add a vintage playfulness to the room.
Check out more Mid-century decor ideas.
15. Bring the outdoors in with rattan furniture
If your living room faces a lovely garden, why not create a link between the outdoors and indoors with some lovely rattan furniture? You can take it outside on warmer days but keep it out of the cold and wet in the winter by covering with throws and cushions.
16. Add relaxed formality with symmetry
(Image credit: Kasia Fiszer)
Symmetry is often synonymous with more traditional living rooms because of the shape of period properties tends to lend itself to symmetrical layouts. A central fireplace with two alcoves either side is a living room design you see a lot in traditional homes but you can embrace that symmetry while also creating more relaxed space.
Check out how in this living room the alcoves mirror each other as book shelves, but the mantel piece decor is lest formal. Plus the corner sofa create a more laid back feel than say two sofas facing each other would.
We have plenty more living room layout ideas to work in traditional spaces.
17. Bring an eclectic boho vibe into a traditional living room
(Image credit: Brent Darby)
Love that more relaxed boho style in your living room? Well, that vibe actually works really well with vintage pieces and traditional style. This look is all about the layering – layering up different patterns, different colors and different textures to create a lovely rustic, laid back feel to your room. Pick out pieces that have a 'worn' look too, to give the space that very lived-in feel.
18. Embrace cottage core with quirky displays
(Image credit: Unique Home Stays)
We are sure you have heard of cottagecore, but quick recap, when it comes to interiors, the cottagecore aesthetic is all about bucolic, cozy, whimsical... cottagey styles.
And clutter is no bad thing when it comes to cottagecore interiors, in fact the more stuff on show the better. No of course we aren't talking just any old stuff, clutter still has to be curated and each piece has to fit with the vibe. Have a rummage through charity shops and junk shops to find quirky, one off pieces that could sit on open shelves – anything chintz is good, vintage glass and patterned china will work too.
19. Panel your living room
(Image credit: Jody Stewart)
Nothing gives a room a more traditional feel than paneling. There are loads of different ways to do it, from more contemporary shiplap to more Period-style square panels. Plus you can panel a whole wall, half, a quarter, three quarters, whatever you think will suit your space best.
You can even DIY wall panels using beading and wood glue if you are after an easy weekend project. We have a step by step for you to follow if you wanted to give it a go.
20. Mix in contemporary pieces to a traditional living room
(Image credit: Anne Nyblaeus/ A Design Features)
Is that zebra print we spy? In a traditional living room?! Yes, you can totally mix more modern pieces and patterns into a more traditional space, and this rooms proves it. Why not have your antique seating reupholstered with a fun print or introduce a piece of furniture (like the coffee table seen here) that really sleek and modern to contrast the rest of the room?
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