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?

Haha MakeIrFappy we went different directions with that!

Nexts has lots of curtains on sale ATM, including some green patterns and some geometric dusky pink ones. You need matching, long curtains at both ends, warm splashes of colour, pot plants, lamps and maybe some natural wood.

I always recommend Asda for soft furnishings. I got beautiful wool tartan curtains for a competitive price and matching huge cushions (£10) with gumtree brown leather Lshap soda and they are always commented upon for their snug look (very Scottish country pub). Bro and SIL bought similar style from Next and they look cheap by half but twice the price. Dunelm are excellent value for mirrors and statement pieces. The Range is also fab, delving for under a tenner. You could do with a few shelves of photos, plants etc to fill the wall behind the Telly x

I think very dark brown and light walls is a bit stark. If I were you OP I’d

• pick one other colour, yellow, orange, blue and get pictures, cushions and a rug in different shades of this colour.
• add some plants.
• balance things in the room - tv is very in a corner bring it out
• straighten pictures
• add something tall or even two tall bookshelves.

Ikea is great tbh as long as you don’t over do it. Then Asda for cushions.

Also H&M are pretty good at furnishings esp the kids range, really sweet.

First to go; turn off main bright light and get a couple of lamps. Warm the room up a bit with some colourful cushions and a nice big rug. It takes a while to get the feel of a new place; I'm sure you will make it much more your own as time goes by. Happy new home!

Longer curtains, a bigger rug and I'd turn the other cabinet (not the tv one) up so that it's a taller cabinet to take away some of the wall space and also to break up the line. You'll be able to turn the doors round and still use it the same.

What is to the right of that long bit on the sofa, a door or something else?

Would the sofa fit turned the other way, to face the window? I would experiment with moving everything around if there is room. Personally I prefer something other than the TV being the focus of my sitting room but that’s me not you!!

I would also look at trying to make the room appear like a separate space to the kitchen/diner which turning the sofa the other way would help with.

I agree that you need pictures, bigger rug and longer curtains with colour.

Look at B & M, either on the app or go & have a walk round, also join DIY on a budget on Facebook, lots of ideas & advice. Have a nosey on Instagram, lots of people do up their homes & post progress, look for ideas, some Instagrammers go around shops taking pictures of home items & collections, follow any shops you like to look in, I follow Dunelm, The Range, B & M, Home Bargains, Wilkinson's, IKEA, TK Maxx, Homesense, Debenhams, Next.

Plants!

Add greenery, it's definitely all too beige.

OP you need longer curtains but not full length - they would cover your rad, losing heat. Extend the curtain pole at least 6 inches either side of window, and you need at least 1.5 x window width so you get lots of folds.

It’s always about the lighting. My lounge looks terrible with the overhead light on. I never use it.
Get a couple of small table lamps and just use them.
Also avoid having pictures too high. If you have a few small ones group them together in a cluster.
Add a large floor plant. Stick some fairy lights on that!
Long curtains if you can, but lighting is the first change I’d made.

Furniture lined up against a wall looks very 'waiting room' - angles are better, round furniture, like a small table, pouffe, eg.

The big mistake is to have furniture pushed back against the wall. And all the same size. It looks like a community centre.

More colour, more texture and different sizes and shapes. Think of a theme. Make it warm.

Hi just working my way through the thread (I love these!) and not sure if this has been suggested www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=long%20thin%20living%20room%20layout&eq=long%20thin%20living&etslf=6207&term_meta[]=long%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=thin%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=living%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=room%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=layout%7Cautocomplete%7C1

ooh that link looks a bit long sorry I'll shorten it

link to long thin room ideas

@raspberryk
I love your old house, WOW

Agree with pp get some really gorgeous luxury curtains... LONG!

Pics on wall... Can get sticky stuff now for pics so no banging into wall...

That will make huge difference then throws and cushions and knick knacks

Tk max and homesense

I wish I could post mine but it's half done & still no sofa 😩. Hoping it will look awesome when it's done

You need some vintage bits and bobs. It all looks too Argos ( sorry)
I don’t think adding cheerful cushions / lamps will work. You don’t need Ed masses of colour, you need some stylish items.

I would look for a lovely vintage sideboard for the tv. A massive rug, mirrors and pictures, lamps. I’d keep it plain but add texture.

I’d loose all of the ikea cube things.

It’s not grown up enough.

Apollo I love yours!
I'm equally clueless so following with interest! Congratulations on your new home 💐

For OP I'd add:
Colour - a large colourful rug, cushions and maybe throw for the sofa
Plants
A larger centre piece of colourful artwork on one wall

What is the red thing on the wall op?

Personally, it's not so much the content as the fact it just looks like you've lined a bunch of stuff up along both walls and narrowed the space. It looks like a corridor to nowhere. Which isn't appealing.

Leaving a wall or part of a wall free makes a room feel less enclosed.

I normally focus on getting the layout and feel right first, then add/tweak content as I get used to the balance and what feels right for it or what I start to feel is missing.

It.ooks lovely to me
However we haven’t got a lounge as my adult daughter is having to use it as a bedroom