Please help me with my living room

[ChooksAndBooks]

We moved house and basically put all of our old living room furniture into our new living room.

We can't afford new sofas or furniture right now but I feel like I could do more or something different with accessories to make it a bit nicer.

I'll put my hands up and say interior design is not my thing! So please go easy on me. Also please excuse the kids toys and fireguard!

It's an old farmhouse so I don't want anything too modern. It has big windows and gets a good amount of light. It's a good size and has wooden floors.

I don't have a massive budget, hundreds rather than thousands. I know something isn't right about it. I just don't know how to fix it.

One more pic...

Do you like house plants? Something green could liven it up quite cheaply.

You don't seem to have blinds or curtains, they could soften it and allow you to introduce a bit of colour (I can see a bit of duck egg blue in the throw and lampshade, maybe a fabric with that colour in). It may just be the lighting/photo but it looks quite cold.

Also the picture above the sofa is, in my opinion too high up the wall/too small for the space. Do you have anything larger you could replace it with? Ditto the one over the fireplace, perhaps a mirror would be better? As budget is good but not huge, even just committing to a nice bunch of flowers or two every fortnight could help it feel cosier.

It also looks like it could take a coffee table. Something perhaps a bit warmer and more rustic to embrace the farmhouse feel.

If you are keeping the furniture, which looks in good condition, I would add some colour, either through walls, new rug or cushions. The whole room has a very neutral feel, which is fine in itself, but it could do with brightening up. The artwork on the walls is quite small, maybe rejig a couple of bits to other locations in the house and get a big mirror or picture over the fireplace as more of a statement.
I have to say, very unhelpfully I know, that it feels like you have too many big sofas in the room. I'm not suggesting you chuck one away, but I do think it looks a little framed by furniture, which makes it more waiting room than welcoming.

I like it! It just needs a bit more cosiness - plants, lamps, pictures ...

And yes - you need to dress the windows. Curtains probably ...?

I think you need to paint the walls a darker colour. Pick out the tone of the rug or the dark on the sofa. That will make the lamps stand out more.

It's a really lovely fireplace and the picture is wrong you need a big mirror over it the fireplace.

Dress the mantle piece to add more interest.

Is it a real fire? If so get a nice log basket
Some plants would be good too.

Colour, you need colour, it’s all very bland.
Some nice bold curtains, throws, something to catch the eye.

Could you lose one of the sofas? There does seem to be a lot of furniture for the space - though a coffee table would be nice. But mostly it needs colour, even if it's just a few cushions/lampshades and plants. And more paintings, but it does take time to collect anything decent. Does it have to be childproof? If it could be kept as an adult space, it would look so much better without the fireguard - and you wouldn't need to push the furniture back to create a playspace,

I will look at plants. Something I hadn't even thought of.

Now that you've mentioned it I do think a big mirror would be much nicer over the fire.

I'm not sold on that rug in there. It's beige and grey so very neutral, which I think might be what bothers me so much. So beige! I am struggling to find anything else though. I quite like the one in this pic.... or maybe I'd be better going for a plain cream one....?

I had been considering painting the walls but I'm worried I'll make it worse! (Was thinking something like F and B pale powder or borrowed light.

There are 7 people in our family and that's the room we all like into in the evening so we do need a lot of seating space.

Curtains on the windows, maybe a couple of plants. A shelf or 2 with some ornaments, pictures etc. Maybe a couple of things on the windows, again like pi,tures or plants, again, the same with the fire place. Thats very bare. It just needs a bit of dressing up. I would also lower the picture about the sofa, and make sure its flat on the wall, but that's because I can't stand sloping pictures. Maybe a big mirror somewhere.

If you are considering changing the rug, how about a kilim? Get some pattern into the room to liven it up. That and some plants and a big mirror over the fireplace would do wonders. And a coffee table.

Books would help too. Don’t you have books? Is there space for a bookshelf or two?

Also, you need to center your pictures on the wall. The one above the sofa, and the one above the little table against the wall ate off center.

Agree to changing the picture above the fire place. Its not the right size or shape.

I would paint a strong colour, like F&B Calke Green, to balance out all the beige. Maybe some gold accessories like a mirror over the fireplace.

Firstly it's a beautiful room with heaps of potential. It's very bland in colour and old fashioned. I'd change the rug and go kilim. Paint the walls. Picture above the fireplace is too small. Your sofas look comfy but I'd be saving up for new plain covers and you can accessorise room. It really could look beautiful, the bare bones are there. Please post a pic when it's done

Kilims look good. I'd like a rug that brought some blue and other colours into it all.

Yes we have plenty of books.

I hadn't noticed the pictures are off centre. Won't be able to un-see it now .

I don't think I'm brave enough for calke!

If any of you were picking a rug for in there what would you go for? Links appreciated. Or would you just leave the one that's there?

Thanks for all of your suggestions, they've been so helpful!

Rugs Op - any of these? All Dunelm, if you like them I'll post links. Can also go on the scout for more from other places. I bloody love rugs!

I agree that, given the beige/brown-ness of your furniture, a colour on the walls would really help. if you're scared of Calke Green, have a look at Light Blue by F&B, it's very definitely a colour, but not too bold.

Yes indeedy to house plants. A couple of big ones in pots standing on the floor would be great. Ikea do cheap large plants, if you're near one.

I love your sofas! Where are they from?
You don't need to do much. Agree about a big mirror and plants.
Depending on which way the room faces you could do the walls a deep green or a green/blue (North and East light is blue toned).
If it's South or West you could even paint a deep Chinese yellow, deep pink or terracotta ( it's back in!)
Change the rug to something more colourful to pick up whatever colour you paint the room. I would stay neutral for the curtains.
You could make a gallery wall of old family photos, or the kids art work in nice frames. You can buy ok looking frames in places like IKEA, TKMaxx or even Asda.
Get a couple of nice throws in TK Maxx too.

I'd put in some window dressings, cosy throws with a bit more colour and texture, a new rug - again with more colour, different size plants around the room, also dress the mantle and a get a big mirror or larger piece of art to go over the fireplace. Would also get big chunky basket for fire logs and a trunk for the toys. I also love having books and candles and little things the kids have made/given us sat about.

Have a look on the OKA website or app. They have lots of ‘rooms’ dressed really well. Whilst I’m not suggesting buying from them - they can be very budget busting - the ideas might well work with your rooms and furniture.

As the sofas are patterned I would go for a plain rug to match blinds/curtains and some cushions

The picture frames don't do anything for the room.

A couple of nice ornaments/candlesticks on the mantelpiece in differing heights would be nice

I personally think that rug is fine, but combined with the neutral walls you’re right that it does start to look a little bit bland.

If this were my living room, I’d paint it in a soft shade of green. F&B do a whole range of blue-green-greys and I reckon one of those would work. I like their Blue Gray (which ironically looks green in my living room 🤔)

There are quite a few things in this room with a horizontal orientation. I think that, combined with some of your pictures being way too high on the wall, gives the impression that the ceiling in your room is really low. You could balance that out by adding some more verticals like upright houseplants, pictures etc.

My secondary school art teacher told me that when you hang a picture the centre of the picture should be just below eye level. I’m sure there are exceptions to this rule, but I’ve found it to be a really helpful rule of thumb.