How to improve my living room (with pic)

[Interiordesign]

What would you do to make this living room a bit more cosy/colourful and less ‘wood’? I feel like it needs a mirror but more wood or just glass would look a bit severe.

Please note I have small kids so big ornaments etc not practical! Would need to be things they can’t reach/destroy. Please ignore the mess, it’s been an indoor play kind of day. Bonus points for anyone who links to specific items as I have zero power of imagination when people describe things.

Thanks in advance!

Don’t get rid of the blinds, just add curtains to soften it. Make sure they trail onto the floor.
Add cushions with different shapes, textures and sizes.
Rug (I thought rug 3 looked best)
A lamp and warm bulbs.
Artwork is great but if you’re not massively into art and struggling with what to put up, Look at the Tate Modern prints online and pick things from there that you like the look of - go big for at least one of them. Make sure they are framed and don’t put up posters unframed or canvasses without frames.
Coffee table.

This one is my favourite but appreciate that it might be a bit tricky to implement and also not ideal with small children.

You are lacking mid range colours. You've got light and darks but no mid range.

You also need layering - layered lights, layered textures and layered colours

Google Julie Jones on Facebook. She's an interior designer and has heaps of reels that you can look through for ideas.

A big rug and swap the bulbs out for warm white ones. Can you also get some side lamps?

Great choice of reasonably priced cushions from Habitat https://www.habitat.co.uk/browse/home-furnishings/cushions/c:809261/

They have rugs too https://www.habitat.co.uk/browse/home-furnishings/rugs-and-runners/rugs/c:809275/shape:circle/?tag=browse:plp:rugs:m052:image:round-rugs

You're almost there if you do these two things.

Picture frames that you can put photos or posters or magazine pages in

https://www.habitat.co.uk/product/5812042?clickSR=slp:term:picture:10:126:1

Need to ask....why do you want curtains to trail on the floor?

It’s much more pleasing on the eye and makes the window look bigger. Trailing might be the wrong word but they definitely need to be touching with a bit extra.

A decent Persian rug. And something to cover up all that brown. Red cushions , a throw?

Coloured/patterned cushions (not as many as you have). A nice rug to break up the floor. A knitted blanket/throw for couch. Slim picture shelves above couch with a few statement prints for walls and small plants.

Yes. Too short curtains are awful! They should sort of pool at the bottom, or at least touch the floor. Just as rugs should be big enough to go under all furniture legs. Both things make rooms feel bigger and more balanced (although I'm not a huge curtain lover).

You need stuff. Pictures. Lamps. A rug. Pick out one or two colours and make sure they are in your decorative items.
I have brown and cream in my living room but I also have pink and green accents. I have pictures on the walls and shelves with decorative items that I love plus three lamps and fairy lights.

Or go to IKEA for prints.

Definitely curtains. Blinds look so stark on their own

God, no, don't get prints at IKEA. Buy cheap frames and put up some of your kid's art or concert tickets or restaurant menus from a fancy meal or magazine covers or old plates or a clock or a football shirt or photos of your family or absolutely anything that actually reflects the life and interests of the people who live in the house. Not some generic IKEA print that can be found in every substandard airbnb in the country.

Rug, pictures, cushions and better lighting. I would go for muted sage, with tones of pink and champagne

Pictures, rug, cushions, shelving for books etc

The ikea prints can be fine if you’re not artistic.

That’s quite nice. Not my taste. How about a plain gilt gold mirror? Fireplace?

All it needs is some nice art on the walls.

Something with a nice print. Etsy:
www.etsy.com/uk/market/blue_wall_art

None of those. They are lovely but they reflect the "problem" with the whole room which is that its all sharp edges and function and there are no soft furnishings, textures or personality/dimension to temper it.

I'd put up panelling or cornicing or a couple of big pictures to break-up the wall, a soft rug and table/pouffe, blanket and cushions. Books. Candles. Smells.

Maybe do a mood board to describe how you want the room to feel.

So cosy might mean warm or dark colours, low, diffuse lighting, a book nook and blankets, a pouffe and tea tray.

Family might mean putting toys in the corner and painting or adding a mobile in that area to zone it, adding cushions or homeware in bright or neutral colours: bunting with words like Adventure or Play or even quirky animal-shaped cushions.

What do you like doing or style wise? Maybe do a Pinterest board to see yhe emerging themes?

A big rug. Lose the tv or at least get a smaller one. Get a log burner, some colourful blankets/throw and a book case . Curtains with tie backs. Lose the blinds, the kids will only wreck them and they gather dust, then you'll have more natural light. House plants for top shelf of bookcase.

This - plus a better ceiling light fitting - shades on a centre light are not a good look ( my opinion, only).

I’d do sage on the walls, a wooden / wicker light shade and then a nice rug.
Throw some framed pictures on the wall and it’ll be beautiful

…

Rug, cushions, lampshade, a big picture of 3 smaller ones on wall all in warm tones