Would it be horribly outing to ask for a picture of your lounge?

[TheGirlWhoLived]

I’ve recently moved and mine is just not looking right. My 8 year old summed it up saying it’s just not ‘homely’ enough- whereas the furniture really suited my previous house.

I can summon some cash to throw at it, but not huge amounts, and I have the added bonus of not being able to paint/wallpaper as it’s rented. I’ve tried looking in Instagram and Pinterest, and all the magazines (living etc.) but I would love to see REAL homes, not show homes. So if you please wouldn’t mind, any chance of a picture?

I think the problem is the layout. I had the same, when you have a narrow room having lines of furniture down each side (esp seating one side, sideboards the other) it ends up feeling like a waiting room. Move it about a bit, and that will help.

The lighting is awful, you need stand up lamps behind the furniture in the corners and table lamp somewhere. Also some pictures on that bare wall above the storage units.

Angle the TV so it’s in the corner facing out and angle a chair in the diagnonal corner.

It’s always tricky when there is no fireplace, can you try and create a focal point with a storage unit and mirror above?

Our room layout if it helps

Budget is probably ongoing until I love it! I wouldn’t spend more than £200 on furniture, I’m drawn to all colours! I have no real personal style, a bit of a chameleon

Just more colours I think!

Wall art. There are some lovely things at The range if your budget is restricted. Flowers.

It is a lovely sized lounge and lovely and neat. You have the basics of something gorgeous. Well jealous here.... we have a cluttere dmess, with furniture inherited from DH's parents (all mahogany and old) and I would love to have what you have!

Floor lamp with dimmer, art on the walls, a colour scheme running through to break up the black and white (mustard/orange or copper are warming) big floor plant, cushions, blankets, rug. Depending on the age of children in the house, we change stuff seasonally so there’s always colourful butterflies/leaves/wreathes/garlands etc (I may keep this going once they are older )

Wow @docemmett your fireplace is beautiful! It’s lamps and flowers I’m missing. And stepping away from thigh level furniture will be key

It's too bottom heavy. Better to do floor to ceiling shelving. Add a large green plant, get rid of ceiling light fixture and use indirect lighting (softer).

I think it looks very attractive- all it needs to my mind for now is a touch of green - maybe a plant or two or a bunch of flowers?
As you say later you can change curtains etc .

Ah but @JapaneseBirdPainting did you see everyone notice the time it took to chuck all the kids stuff in the kitchen

I think the rug is causing the main issue.there are too many squares in the room.

You need a much bigger rug run it under the sofa - in a neutral colour I would say.

The light from the ceiling light is very white and bright. Buy a tall floor lamp for one corner and in another corner put another the lamp - they will give off much nicer warm light.

Is that a fire place? If so a mirror would look nice over it. I appreciate you can't put anything in the wall but maybe ask the landlord as it's a pretty standard place to hang things. If not can you lean large one on the Mantle shelf against the wall.

If you can afford to replace the unit on the right of the fireplace. You can get some really nice black painted japanese style ones with gold on the front.

You can then dress that with your lamp and other bits.

Buy some sumptious looking curtains
If you put black out linings they will look much heavier and more expensive alternatively double and buy two pairs for the window.

You will need to inject some colour but I would be cautious against a feature colour.

Hang some art work on the walls with the plastic.non damaging hooks. Let that set the tones that you like them find cushions and other bits that tie it all together

House plants really add to a room. Especially something like a monstera plant.

Lighting is the number one thing that makes a room feel homely. Lamps create zones which feels cosy. You also need floor to ceiling shelving with books, plants, art on the wall in groups.

It's too bottom heavy. Better to do floor to ceiling shelving. Add a large green plant, get rid of ceiling light fixture and use indirect lighting (softer). Also, a few splashes of colour (just one colour, though), such as red, would lift it beautifully.

@33goingon64 Snap!

My actual living room bit is quite small (open plan to kitchen but some photos anyway)

Can you change the unit on the right so its on its end? So tall and thin? It wuold break up that long low row of units. And a picture or mirror on the walk might help ( if you are allowed to put stuff up)?

I hate the 'new build' look but have small budget for change these days so have learned to prioritise on the look of a place. I like a floor to look nice, and then a neutral wall to be more adaptable, but that worked for me in a few housing situations.

I think there is too many straight lines, if that makes sense..... your fireplace and units either side are all the same height..... you need something to break that up. I'd get some longer, heavier curtains too and pull them in with tie backs to create a swag. The rug has to go.... it's too square with all the squares and again, too many straight lines..... I'd go for a deep pile, all one colour and maybe slightly shaggy rug. Maybe some colour too..... not grey or black..... something with some depth..... a mustard as previously said by other posters. Maybe a big vase with tall reed/flowers/sticks...... also a big puffy beanbag to break up the floor space.

Kids' lounge/ games room

Where have all the tall units gone to?

It's all very shades of neutral and brown. It's just very dull.
The lighting is terrible. Switch off the (dreadful) overhead light and use lamps instead. Far softer.
Better sized rug too, the one you have is far too small.
The way you've laid out the room just doesn't work. The fireplace and similar height cupboards don't look good. Taller bookshelves would look far better.

Plants, paintings, colour in the form of curtains, cushions or rugs.

I like the oak TV unit but before you upgrade the furniture I’d spend on soft furnishings and lighting, then see how you go.

1. choose a big piece of artwork to go over the main wall, OR a big rug with a pattern

2. pick out the accent colours in the rug or the artwork - what were you drawn to?

3. use that accent colour to decide on curtains and either rug/picture depending on which you went for

Basically, you want your main neutrals - you have brown (furniture) and cream (walls). Then a main accent colour, and a minor one.

Use the main one for curtains or rug.
e.g. if you picked a patterned rug with several colours then use one of those for curtains. (Or vice versa, curtains in a pattern you love then plain rug in main accent colour)

Use a minor colour for smaller accents - cushions, picture frames, accessories.

And as PP say, vary height and texture, so maybe a taller bookcase etc.

Honestly if I had a Mirror I would just buy a black framed one, I am so crap. To be honest if it came in neat square boxes that would be ideal. So maybe a... golden edged regal style mirror? Is that more stylish?

To those who said it looks neat, thank you very much! in the interests of fairness, I’m a SAHM who really should’ve gone back to work two years ago when dd2 started school. I’ll get round to it eventually

I initially read lounge as tongue and thought WTF I don't have a smart phone so no way of photographing my living room. I could take a
shot with my SLR camera but you would have to wait until I had finished using the roll of film, so will be able to post in a few months