Help me move away from grey....

[milkysmum]

I'm ready for a change in the living room but really don't know where to start. I can't afford to replace the sofas so looking to just paint and change the curtain, cushions etc.
The room is only small, we have a corner sofa and a single seater. Wooden floor which needs to stay, and a log burner. All the walls are pale grey will the alcoves a slightly darker gray. Would I be better going with a neutral wall and coloured accessories? Or getting some colour on the walls maybe? I honestly struggle to know where to start!

This is one corner of the room to give people an idea how it looks at the moment.

If you aren't sure, I'd say go with a warm neutral and use colour on accessories.

We have a small living room that we painted dark blue with white trim and wooden floors and it is lovely.

Or you could paint the walls a nice lemon yellow or pale primrose colour and add a very colourful rug and colourful cushions/throws and lamps.

If you search a site like houzz for colorful living rooms -or even just google it, you'll get some ideas.

What colours do you like? I think the green walls in this link would look good - same floor and sofa colour www.dunelm.com/product/martha-vintage-velvet-3-seater-sofa-1000197756?defaultSkuId=30764997&ds_c=Sofas_3+Seater+Sofas-SmartShopping_%5BGOO-PLA-FURNUPHOLS-3SEATER%5D&gclid=CjwKCAjw4JWZBhApEiwAtJUN0Na-7uLfsquevYdUZdSF5PIyfysbHyb0vELQUPL5by5J97m83G51XhoCNdgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yellow goes really well with grey. You can see it a lot in old Italian buildings, the stucco is yellow and the stonework grey, they complement each other. So painting your walls a soft yellow, perhaps with a slightly deeper, more ochre chimney breast would move the room into a different spectrum ; you could add a few yellow/ orange/ ochre cushions on the sofa

Just don’t be tempted by a throw though ,those bastards just end up on the floor all the time

I have yellow in my curtains and cushions etc. At the moment so looking to move on from that. My furniture is cheap looking white stuff- could potentially update that. The green is nice yes, I also like jewel type colours ( could be way too dark in this small room though ..) or open to any colours really.

These are my current curtains. Definitely ready to change them, they've been up years...

How about some nice big colourful art and some throw pillows to introduce warmth and colour? Do you have a rug in there?

Could we see the rest of the room?

If you like the jewel colours what about a deep green in the alcoves and a paler green on the walls.

The wall colour should be the last thing you choose. Find something you love such a a piece of art, rug or cushion with several colours (including some grey to tie in the sofa and chair) and pull out some of the colours into other accessories and wall paint.

You have a lovely fireplace and stove, I’d make more of a feature of that wall, it should be the focus of the room.

A warmer neutral colour on the walls would set off that sofa colour, e.g setting plaster or Peignoir by Farrow and Ball (muted neutral pinks). Or a rich deep mustard colour also. Your flooring and sofas look neutral so you can afford to go stronger/deeper on the walls. Think mixtures of texture and pattern rather than colour on cushions to add interest, that's more modern than block colour colourful cushions that match the walls or curtains.

Few other pics as the room is now...

This one too

I’ve read that pink is now the best selling colour. I’m looking at Ballerina Dance or Satin Bow for our front room. Soft stone is a nice colour too.

All by Dulux

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow I agree that would look lovely in OP's room

I agree pink would be good. We have F&B's
Setting Plaster in our living room with navy sofas and it looks brilliant

Thank you, yes those pinks would warm the room up. What curtains would go with that colour palette do you think?

Cream? Patterned?

I quite like these. But I’m not paying for made to measure.

These!

Or these

I'm a bit obsessed with subtle pink/blush atm.
Look at china clay by Little greene co. They have it in deep and mid too. A warm neutral but blush tinge.

Also when I've found a colour I like search for it on insta and see what it looks like in other rooms

Oooooh, that China Clay is gorgeous!

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
It looks so cosy! I have about 10 warm neutral testers on my bedroom wall and china clay mid is my favourite so far.