Money is no object and you have to decorate your sitting room from scratch - how do you do it?

[Livingly]

I lied - money is very definitely an object but let's pretend! My sitting room (Edwardian house) has a fireplace and over mantle, french doors, a wooden floor and nothing else!

I have no idea what colour scheme to go for on walls, window dressings, furniture etc. I know it's often advised to chose one item like a picture for inspiration, but I don't have any (pictures or inspiration!).

I'm open to, and will be very grateful for, any suggestions, and images too if you'd like to share.

Thank you :)

@Treacletoots
I love EJS wallpapers. I’ve just done a wall in my bedroom with the “extinct” paper. It looks amazing.
I’d put a really lovely picture above the fire OP. Everyone has mirrors and it just feels a bit dated. I’d also second choosing one piece Of furniture you love and building on that.

I knew this thread was a mistake - now I love almost every picture that's been posted! I have no ability to discern/choose, and shouldn't be allowed to have decorating responsibilities! (I also shouldn't be allowed access to vodka but we won't go there!).

Emma would you be able to put up a pic of your parquet flooring?

Simon is the blue springy thing a radiator? Apologies for ignorance and in mitigation I love your sofa!

Blustery I love that green settee too.

3133 we only call it a sitting room because that's how the estate agents described it when we first moved in over 20 years ago - we'd never had a sitting room, only a lounge, so we were impressed! Back then it was meant to be a child free room, and we all know how that works out! It's about 15 years overdue a makeover and so here I am begging you lovely folks for help!

Treacle love those wallpapers too!

Yes its a radiator, mine are more a dark gray and much longer, they essentially run the entire length of the external walls, apparently common in old industrial buildings. Thats the sofa I want, but in a darker grey, the one I have right now is from Ikea and has a huge red wine stain!

I must admit I like the look of your radiators but I bet they're a bit inconvenient for drying your smalls on ...

Throw some more red wine on your sofa and you can then either justify buying a new one, or alternatively have a uniquely patterned (wine tie-dyed or something) sofa.

Hey - perhaps I'm not so bad at this decorating thing as I thought!

Hes now only allowed to drink wine out of one of these. I also discovered that red white most definitely stains brick as well!

Have been reading with interest. My money-no-object vibe is boho/hippy, so the ideas here are interesting but not me. I do think picking a sofa and working from that is a good way to go, though.

@SimonJT

Hes now only allowed to drink wine out of one of these. I also discovered that red white most definitely stains brick as well!

I think I should only be allowed to drink out of one of those too

I’d kill for bare, wooden floorboards 😍

Sure here's a little pic:

You can see the edge of our Ikea rug too 😀

And this is where we bought from: www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk/thorpe-spring-oak-herringbone-70-x-350-x-18mm.html

Great prices, and quality seems brilliant, fitter seemed happy enough. We went for solid wood as I wanted it to theoretically be a forever floor - can be sanded down lots of times as necessary over its life.

@EmmaStone

Sure here's a little pic:

You can see the edge of our Ikea rug too 😀

Thank you Emma, I absolutely love that floor, it's beautiful.

[quote Brigante9]@Livingly Zubrowka? My absolute favourite.

I would go for plain walls, a neutral colour, soft yellow, white with a hint of something? Then you can add in whatever, really.

I have bonkers stuff, 8 foot mirror, old canoe turned into shelves etc. Point being, you can put anything you fancy in once you’ve painted the walls.[/quote]
You are evidently a person with very good taste :)

That Ikea sofa looks very uncomfortable to my eye. I’d want something you could sink in to....

EmmaStone
Sure here's a little pic:

You can see the edge of our Ikea rug too 😀
Thank you Emma, I absolutely love that floor, it's beautiful.

Thank you, we're delighted with it 😍

I'm really tempted by your floor @Emma. What did you have underneath? At the min I have floorboards.