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!

Curtains are really important, people’s eyes are drawn to them. They are worth investing in. Rug, cushions and throws can tie in with the curtains, but avoid anything too matchy matchy. You want to be able to update the room by changing some bits, I would go with curtains that will last though.
Too many photos on the wall can be overkill, one wall styled with photos maybe. Some art on the other walls would be better, framed, not plain canvases.

My house is cosy and I hate clutter/ ornaments/ throws/ cushions etc.

I find the colour scheme is important - things have to tie together. Plus lighting (I think the most important) bright (ie not gloomy) but warm and gentle - no spotlights, too lights or anything too glaring.

top lights

Plants honestly make the world of difference and can be picked up ever so cheaply in supermarkets!

And I second PPs on lamps - nothing is relaxing or cosy in a room than overhead lighting imo.