Who would like to critique/provide inspiration for my sad living room?

[Sadlivingroom]

Massively outing to anyone I know IRL hence name change...

No, we don't have two TVs...that's the fire which is getting ripped out tomorrow 🙈 the door to the right of the fire (which only leads to a cupboard) is also getting blocked up.

It's a completely blank canvas though very awkward due to all the doors and the wall where the tv and fire are not being flush.

Any ideas for colours, furniture arrangements ANY inspiration welcome. Can get new flooring and considering a corner sofa? Going to get stove type fire with wooden beam. I think. I don't know. I'm absolutely rubbish at interior design and want someone to do it all for me (coughs hopefully)...

Pictures would help wouldn't they!

I really don’t see much wrong with this room! The double doors could be switched to French doors, which are gorgeous as interior doors. I would definitely change out your overhead lighting. I know it’s difficult to find flush lights but you should be able to find a natural linen lamp shade that won’t draw attention to itself.

Also lower the pictures above the sofa and to the left of the door. Also, find a larger picture for above the sofa or do a grouping of three. Get rid of the grey/silver sconce hovering above the table lamp.

The rug could do with being a lot bigger to sit at least under the front legs of all the seating. I would change the seating around a bit to feel more homely and sociable and consider having a small two seater/ loveseat or cuddle chair in the middle of the room at a right angle to the big sofa just past it so you could still walk through the room and there would be plenty of space behind it towards the internal doors. You could put two armchairs and a small round coffee table in the window as another place to sit.

One thing I would do is to get your furniture away from the walls. You’ve created a corridor instead of a cosy space. Don’t be afraid to see the back of a sofa.

For me, the main issue is the walls, which I find too light to highlight your beige furnishings. I'd try painting them a dark colour - probably a dark blue.

Will check back later, but this is what stood out for me immediately, too!

@PersonaNonGarter

One thing I would do is to get your furniture away from the walls. You’ve created a corridor instead of a cosy space. Don’t be afraid to see the back of a sofa.

This! I managed to miss out the quote in my previous post.

the door to the right of the fire (which only leads to a cupboard) is also getting blocked up.

I can't see this in pics. But why block up valuable storage? You'd be better off using the cupboard then the Ikea storage box.

I'd start with a rug you love and get some colour on the walls.

Ask yourself these questions. Who uses the room? What do they do in there? When do they use the room? That will help with the practical requirements for the room.

Decoration wise which pieces of furniture/decoration do you want or need to keep? Which do you want or need to replace? Which direction does the room face? What colours and styles do you like - look on pinterest or instagram for inspiration.

I always include something old (antique or vintage or hand-me-down or second-hand), something new, something designery, something high street, something IKEA in a room to make it interesting. Make sure you have a variety of textures and shapes as well. And think about where you need light. Are you a big light on kind of person or do you like a variety of lamps.

Decorating a room is a kind of puzzle, think of the practical things, then the things you like, then the things that you think make it interesting whether that is a gorgeous painting, a quirky ornament or a cool light. Take your time and don't expect it to be perfect straight away.

It needs some colour. I'd replace the rug with something larger and more colourful (IKEA used to do some lovely Persian style ones). The sofas are very far apart from each other - pull in the one that's under the window. Move the TV to the space vacated by the fireplace. A colour on the walls. What colour do you like? It's all pale neutral so there's nothing to clash with whatever you choose (within reason).
Definitely replace the lights as a pp suggested. Glass doors instead of the double doors to add lightness.

Put the rug underneath the front legs of the sofa (about 1/3 of the depth of the sofa) and bring the armchair onto the rug. You could use the storage unit as a coffee table or replace with a similar storage chest.

You need a bit of colour - it's all a bit washed out and even the dark flooring gets a greyish tone due to white wall reflections. Some eye-level lighting, like floor lamps or side lighting will make it feel cosier. It's a big room, so closing the end doors would also help.

I agree with PP who mentioned it seems like a walk-through space. having the doors closed and the armchair more in the room will help with this.

Nothing much wrong with it I don't think. Definitely change your rug. We used to have one exactly the same and someone on here told me I needed a much bigger one with a bit of a pattern, so I swapped it out and it does look much better. I did go against the advise to put it under the front part of our sofas, as it wouldn't have fit in the room properly because a wall jutted out.

Personally I think that modern houses with low ceilings which don't have any coving really look a bit unfinished. Not sure if there's anything you could do about that really.

I'm not keen on your overhead lighting, looks a bit Argos/Next. Your TV stand clashes a bit with the flooring.

@PersonaNonGarter

One thing I would do is to get your furniture away from the walls. You’ve created a corridor instead of a cosy space. Don’t be afraid to see the back of a sofa.

Yes, this stood out to me as well.

You need some colour, I think paint the walls a nice shade of something that isn't sludgy. I love bold colours but that might not be your style.

It looks a bit cold/stark - agree a bigger rug, or multiple rugs. Some blankets, art on the walls, nice table lamps, new ceiling lights.

I like it! Shove up on that settee because I want to read my book with my feet curled under! Can I have a cup of tea, please, as well?

I'd get a new floor, something like Karndean Van Gough Birch. Will warm it up straight away. I'm not a fan of beige tbh. I think cream is nice but beige is drab. Bigger sofa or a sofa and mismatched chair. Get some colour in there x

I think you need to go on Pinterest or similar and just browse around for a while until you see things that get your interest, and where you might see colours, fabrics or designs that appeal to you. I pin things I like, sometimes 100 things, then go back and look to see what I could use or if anything is worth a second look. You see, I'd mess that room up with loads of stuff - colour, plants, rugs, artwork - but you might hate that!

I think the two key problems are it is too much of a corridor and too bland. Cream, white and brown... It needs some colour. If you want to keep white walls I think you need big, colourful artwork and brighter rug, cushions, throws etc

Could you put a rough sketched room plan on here?
I agree most important is to work out the main use of the space and how many you need to seat, when the room will be used, entrance and exit points etc.
Where will the TV go?
I think planning the room layout is the most pressing, then you can work out what furniture you want to keep/replace and then after this comes wall colour/rugs/art etc.

Is the only route through to the back of the house via this room?

I quite like it. But looking around my own living room it's quite sparce .

The fire seems to be the focal point of the room. I know MN doesn't like TVs on the wall, but I'd put the TV on the wall above the fire.

I definitely think a different sofa would work, either a darker one or a more colourful one. Use a colourful rug, cushions and curtains to lift it a bit perhaps.

I think the flooring looks nice.

Some houseplants would cheer it up and it will be massively improved once that abomination of a fire is gone!

La Redoute have some really nice rugs at the moment.

I like the floor. I’d keep that . The sofas too look ok but if they’re different sizes I’d put the smaller one under the window then put the other sofa on the big wall with the chair where your side board is . In my opinion it looks bland as you’ve not got a feature . Make your new fake wood burner a feature by tiling the wall behind it and making a hearth too . Nice slate look tiles or Matt tiles would do the job. Doesn’t have to be the whole width of the wall , just where the fire is on floor and wall. Then paint the room a deeper colour. Be bold , it’s a bright room. I’d also get lots of same colour but different textured cushions to liven up the sofas if you don t want to spend on new.

These photos show what I mean about making a feature by tiling behind your new fire. These are different because some are actually inside the chimney breast , but you get the idea.