What colours would you decorate this living room?

[ThatKeenJadeLeader]

My living room colour feels like a prison cell colour. (don't come at me for my ceilings, I love them).

What colour scheme do you think would work in here and are there any decoration bits anyone can recommend to make it cosier?

It's a fabulous room and I love your ceiling. I agree that all the grey makes it feel like a fancy prison cell though.

I would be going full 1970s bohemian in that room - have a look on Pinterest for images of the Eames house and let the algorithm take you from there. Plain white walls and lots of rich colour in the fabrics. Suzani throws, macrame hangings, Persian rug, a sheepskin or two, loads of plants.

Love the ceilings.

The walls aren't the problem, then floor is. Cover floor with Persian rugs.

Then if you still dont like walls, try a deep blue.

I live in a 70s house (complete with some wood panelling - not ceiling). I hate 70s decor, but love my house. I love modern decor.

I have NOT embraced anything 70s, but have taken the colours of the wood to decorate with. It’s possible to have 70s and modern in the same way you can incorporate very old buildings with modern.

I have never wanted my house to look staged or themed, which it could do if you’re not careful.

I've struggled most with warm/ cool colours (I find it hard to work it out). When I get it from it looks off even if seems like it could be right (I'm amazed at how many different shades of whiter there are and how wrong/ right a very similar paint colour can look.

I agree that all the grey makes it feel like a fancy prison cell though

And here’s where I discovered it’s time for me to have another eye test, those walls looked cream to me until I enlarged the photo! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Also, curtains instead of blinds would be nicer. It looks like an office. Replace the grey armchair with something in a warm colour, or leather (or recover it). And you need lamps, lots of lamps.

I've attached some images from Pinterest with similar rooms that would work.

It's feeling like a sandwich. Everythings very ground based under a heavy ceiling and there's not much layering in the middle to unite the layers.

A light, muted colour like a sage green or a toned down duck egg blue would complement the wood but not be too heavy. It would cut the contrast to the wood.
Or use the alcoves to add blocks of bolder, rich accent colours.

Get colour and texture into the blinds, rugs and cushions. I think blinds are right for the room over curtains. In DS's room, he has a sheer roller blind for privacy and a coloured black out blind in front for light control. It adds layers and colour but is a streamlined look.

Add to the midlayer with lighting (lamps, wall lights) and pictures. Get plants in. There are a couple but there's space for more to add softness. Everything's quite square/ angular and the eye needs some softer edges in the accessories to make the space more relaxing.

There's a couple of directions you can go in- bold retro or softer and more organic.

LOVE the ceiling. You won’t achieve coastal chic with it unless you paint it white (as it is, you’ll get closer to a Carmel type look, except your floor clashes) so you need to lean into the mid-century feel.

I would cover the tiled floor completely with a deep red patterned rug. Make it cover 90% of the floor. I’d do the walls a creamy, Georgian stone colour: yellow going into cream. And then I’d add plants, whatever art you have. It will look loved in and cosy. It’ll never be bright and breezy because of the ceiling, but you absolutely can have lived in and warm and cosy.

Type "wood ceiling mid century" into google, I think the colours of the MC would work well- deep greens, ochre, orange, brown.

I would paint the walls a slightly darker shade than the floor then have white fournitere and some colour eg in a traditional rug

We have a dark mossy green on the wall where our TV is (helps blend the big black rectangle into the room), the rest of the room is a warm off white with lots of potted leafy plants dotted around. That could work with your natural wood/ white theme.

I would swap the walls to an off white or cream . It’s a nice room and I think you can style it “scandI luxe” . Add texture with some rugs throws and cushions in neutral tones . Get rid of the grey chair

Personally, I would paint or tone down the ceiling as it looks quite orangey in the photos and I don’t like the idea of a pale wood floor and an orange wooden ceiling in the same room.

If you wanted to keep the space looking spacious light and airy the walls could be painted a similar pale neutral or pastel or coastal colour or you could maybe do a darker warmer colour if you want a cosier space.

Or you could introduce a rug, floor lamp and other lighting and art work/prints etc.

Good idea. Some nice rooms here

https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/midcentury-living-room-with-a-wood-ceiling-ideas-and-designs-phbr2-bp~t_10272~s_2215~a_3405-20870

This room looks lovely and cosy

The walls are grey? Go for an off white and add colour with a rug and cushions.

You don't need to repaint it, you just need to add texture and contrast in the form of rugs, throws, cushions, plants and pictures. Some lamps would be great too. The room just needs personalising.

The ceiling is gorgeous. Everything else needs changing but I assume that's the seller's stuff (and that the seller is a 'developer')? What's the age of the house because that ceiling looks late mid century but those doors look like inappropriate 'modern' additions? Also, is this the main sitting room in the house or a large entrance hall? Because they should be treated differently.

I think with that ceiling you have three options depending on your personal taste.

Firstly, paint the walls a white with an undertone that goes with the ceiling (and floor if keeping), then keep the rest of the room toning neutrals but increase the variety of textures and shapes so include e.g. a banana shaped boucle sofa or a tan leather sofa or a circular coffee table.

Secondly, lean into the rich colours of the ceiling and colour drench the room (including the floor and furniture) in pink/burgundy tones.

Thirdly, go for green walls, cover the floor with a selection of large, vintage persian rugs, and have a more slouchy curvy sofa (a togo sectional sofa would be fab in this space).

More general comments: what's the point of the niche under the stairs, would it be better to include that in the understairs cupboard and have a wall there that can be used for bookcases/shelves/art? Or is that an interesting original feature? Agree that changing the venetian blinds to curtains would help warm up the space as well. But I think when you start moving your own stuff in that will warm it up a lot. Mid century houses have unfussy furniture but they did have stuff, this was the era of the shelving system after all.

I agree with @IngenTing - lean into the natural material of the wood and go for foresty, nature colours. A lovely muted, smoky green would look nice - I like F&B Green Smoke though it could be too dark, but something in that family maybe. Do the skirting in the same colour as the walls. Then a massive rug to cover as much of the floor as possible, to reduce the contrast and make it feel calmer and more harmonious, also in a natural texture. Maybe adding some big sheepskins over the sofas too? And I’d change the blinds for something softer, a nice drapey linen or something.