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!

A nice big mirror on the wall, pictures & a rug

It all needs softening and layering imo @Interiordesign. To do this you need to add pattern, texture and stuff you love.

I'd start with a huge Persian style or kilim rug - we've found some amazing antique rugs on eBay, but you can find a similar look for much less £££ at many online stores (eg, rugvista) or somewhere like Dunelm. As previous posters have said, the rug should go at least under the front feet of your sofa to look right - don't skimp on the size! The ones you posted are a bit bland for my tastes and I think you need a more saturated injection of colour - but if you love those tones and can build a scheme around them, that's what matters!

Then - assuming you own and don't rent - I'd pick out a colour from the rug and paint all the walls in it. I'm a huge fan of colour-drenching (painting walls, ceiling, woodwork the same colour) as I believe it makes a space feel larger, but it's not for everyone.

Curtains make windows look larger if you hang them on a pole wider than the window and a fair bit higher too. It's another way to introduce pattern and colour to warm/cosy the space up.

Cushions need to be a mix of colours, patterns, textures and sizes - buy these in a mix of fabrics/designs you love...which is good advice for everything - don't settle for something because it's on trend or 'it will do', but buy with your heart! As someone once said - if you buy what you love, however random, it will somehow all work together.

Finding a piece of art that speaks to you or makes you smile is another good starting point.

Good interiors don't happen over night - we've been collecting stuff for years and don't follow trends, instead opting for an eclectic, maximalist, country house vibe. Although we've moved lots of times and recently downsized considerably, we have an amazing (imo 😉) array of decorative items (mostly eBay, fleamarket or auction finds), art and books, as well as designer fabric remnants (a passion of mine) to dip into so I can usually 'shop my home' when a room needs tweaking...but it's taken years to get to this stage.

Cream, wool rug. Roll up when children around. White blinds, white tv unit, cream cushions. Large horizontal picture on blank wall.

I have a big fake Parlour Palm, came from B&Q some years ago, fooled my mum as I found her trying to water it.

I would add some "floaty" curtains to the window (ie don't replace the blind, just something to soften the edges of the window). Whatever colour you use - and it needs to be different to the colours already in the room - pick that up in new cushions on the sofa and a rug as others have said. Artwork/photos too!

Too many dark colours with the brown floor, brown cabinets, brown blind and dark sofas. If you can afford it, change the blind for light curtains or a white blind and TV cabinet, find a nice, light cover for the sofa, textured cushions and add bright pictures in white frames and a pale rug. White or cream coffee table.

OP, why don’t you get pictures up of family & the kids. Go look on Mixtiles & even better if you have pets. Check out what you can create in the pets section. Plus no DIY skills needed.

Just in case not a single poster has already mentioned it….why don’t you put up some artwork and get a nice rug?

If you don't have books of your own, could you find the space for a suitable bookshelf or container for the children's books, so they can see them when in the room and be encouraged to read.

Round rug , maybe jute type ,not to big or will eat the space
lamp shade rattan , three pictures
hung in a group , portrait long and thinner better will elevate the height
some cushions will texture soften the space
texture will be the key to rug lampshades and cushions

Maybe a cheap faux plant until the baby grows up a bit. Matalan had some great faux plants in pots recently

Fine. Not good. It's not about being artistic, it's about having things you love in your home. A house with a cardboard cutout Stormtrooper in the corner is more interesting and tells me more about the inhabitants than an IKEA print. And who is so unartistic that they can't have some photos of their family or pets in their house?