Help ! How to make my rooms 'homely'

[Shoobydooby09]

I have not been blessed with any interior design skills and I need to make my living room and dining room more 'homely' with accessories bearing in mind I have a 5yr and a 3yro.

What accessories do you have in your main rooms? I've avoided anything whilst the kids have been young but I think I can start to add a few now. My living room has no focal point as I have no fireplace. I have the usual standard furniture sofa, tv unit, nest of tables. I have a few pictures up of the kids but nothing else. My living room is quite small.

My dining room has table obviously, a small sofa and tv lots of toys as kids use this room a lot. A few pictures up but nothing else. Also this is quite a large space and with a wood floor it's quite 'echoey' and i dont know how to make it sound less echoey. Please help!

Nice blankets (I like knitted ones), fake flowers, Reed diffusers, nice cushions. A rug might help with the echoey-ness?

Big rug.
Cushions.
Throws in matching colours to rest of room.
Plants. A room never feels homely without one or two.

Lamps instead of just the harsh 'big light' help to make a room cosy, especially in winter when they are on more. Do you have may pictures on the walls?

Rugs, cushions love idea of knitted blankets or throws. I love those fake cactuses in white pots from Ikea/real ones sold in loads of places. Candles, lamps. Fake flowers just pretty bits, you can buy those signs that say “this home runs on love” or similar type signs ect.

Plus I love wicker hearts, you can buy them pretty much anywhere and they look so cute, just hammer in little pin/picture nail and hang up hearts. 💗 lol Me and my friends love the hearts and pictures in white frames. 😍

yes to low lamps, uplighters, fairy lights - playing around with light especially this time of year. Can be as cheap/silly as you like (especially when you have the excuse of children). Hardly ever use our main light switch. Our three children are/have been at uni and have all used the fleecey throws/lights to cheer the place up. TKMaxx loads of throws at the moment

Canvases with slogans and fake flowers scream “I bought this in Next!”

Reed diffuser good. Nice photos in frames, not having everything matching. So your curtains, rug, coasters and cushions don’t all have to match. Just pick out a colour.
Get a nice blanket, fold on arm of sofa.
Vase of flowers
No clutter. Have you got a clock?

Fabrics-curtains/ cushions/rugs
Warm lighting- lamps
If able to paint/paper a feature wall/avoid having all walls a neutral colour

This is part of my living room - I like different textures in cushions and throws, I have a tealight lamp from homesense, a really pretty light up orchid off amazon (sounds awful but it's not!)

Throws in different fabrics (I have fleece, woven-type fabric, a teddy bear one). I fold and drape them over parts of the sofas. Cushions in different textures. A few candles. Soft lighting. I find an accent colour or two helps - you can achieve this with the accessories if the walls are neutral. For example, I have red coasters on the coffee table and some of the cushions on the sofa are red.

Thank you all for your ideas - I'm definitely going to be investing in some throws / blankets. I have leather sofas (very child friendly !) But I don't think they're cosy at all.
Like the idea of reed diffusers and a clock !! The only clock I have is in the kitchen!! I have some professional pictures in nice frames up of the kids but i think I could add a few more. And I'm going to look for some of the little plaques etc. I do have a lamp in the lounge so I'm.going to use this more.
@ollivander84 I luuuve your loving room it looks very cosy

People always say my house is cosy/homely. I have pretty, informal, curtains, a sheepskin, blankets, lots of cushions, plenty of lamps, and I also have a big wall clock, book cases (though I know that's a risk with very little ones) and some actual paintings (just cheap market numbers) on the wall.

Cushions cushions and throws galore. Lots of pictures on the walls and some lamps.

Lamps in the corners or the rooms - also makes the room look bigger

I like to jave some books in a room to feel homely and bits the kids made.

Big rug, massive
Sheepskin on top of massive rug
Side lamps with filament bulbs 40watt
Stack of wool or quilt blankets
Candles
Fabric Cushions (not matching)

Avoid black and white photos, twee shit (wicker hearts! Nooo) or anything ‘ornament’ from a supermarket or Next etc. It will look inauthentic, like it isn’t someone’s home.

Agree with Persona's post.
Things which are personal to you/your family plus a few old/vintage things add character and life.
Proper art/large mirrors/books all help.I think photos look best placed on shelves rather than the wall but that's just my opinion.
I am a firm believer in large, feather filled cushions, throws made from natural fibres and huge rugs, again in natural fibres.
Plenty of low level lighting too - a lamp in each corner is about right.

Big fuzzy rug, different sized and textured cushions, throw for sofa, side lamps instead of big overhead lights. I like candles to light on winter evenings. In our case we also have gallery walls made up of paintings by friends and my husband, but obviously we are very lucky to be able to have that, so nice artwork that means something to you can make a space feel more personalised

Sorry but I always thought ‘homely’ meant plain, or even ugly looking.

Has it changed to mean the same as ‘homey’- cosy/like a home? This thread makes me think it has!

I like shelves too. Either as a unit or on the walls. Then you can put some books, photos and ornaments on them.

nitpick are you american? US meaning is plain, UK meaning is cosy and warm

Nitpick to me homely was always the same as cozy (and I've never heard the word homey? Used for a home, only ever as an American word for a friend)

Blankets
Pillows
I have a lot of photos up and also my good friend is an artist so I have a few bits of art up too
I am also obsessed with bunting so have that on my walls which looks super cute
I think the toys etc and a little clutter always makes a house look homely too
Candles, don't always have to be lit but nice decor

Homely has always had a positive meaning afaik

I frequent an american interior design site and people always comment if I say 'homely'. it is very negative in the US and very positive here.