Help designing this room please

[Travelcrazy]

We are hopefully moving soon into a 5 year old house, I have never lived in a newish house and I am trying to think how to dress it to make it homely. The lounge is the first room we will do and I am trying to get ahead and plan it a bit now so we can hit the ground running.
I want something cosy and snug for this room because we will have another sunny and bright reception room. The panelling will definitely go as will the carpet which we will probably change to wood with a rug, we have a large TV but will be buying new furniture etc.
I am thinking of a false chimney breast with an electric log burner but not sure it will close the room down too much. If anyone can suggest what colour paint or wallpaper, sofas, lights, furniture and finishing touches etc would work I would be really grateful, I am not great at this! Thanks for any help.

Forgot not sure about having a TV on a wall so any solutions to that would be great too thanks!

Rather than having a fake fireplace with a fake fire, you could get a bioethanol wood burner eg:

Biostoves

We have one in our kitchen in a fireplace and it's great, you can also get the flues that bend round and attach to the wall so it looks like it's venting (is that the right word?) out into something if you don't have a fireplace.

You fill the little reservoir up with bioethanol and light it so it's a real flame, they are brilliant! Also don't give off too much heat like a woodburner would as your modern house is presumably well insulated, but the flame heats the stove and it gives off a lovely warm feel.

Re paint, what colour is your furniture? And what direction does the room face?

@OldieButBaddie
Thanks for the reply I will look at the fires. It is North facing, we will be buying new sofas and I am thinking of cream fabric, brown or tan leather or green fabric but open to suggestions!

@Travelcrazy we considered a bioethanol fire for our 'snug' but so pleased we avoided them after the recent scare where the home owner was burned when things went badly wrong (sorry, I'm struggling to find a link).

Instead, we bought an Everhot electric stove which we fitted into the faux chimney breast we built ourselves. It wasn't the cheapest option, but feels a lot safer.

Imo, your room will look better with the focal point a faux chimney breast will bring.

I'd choose a rich, saturated colour for the walls, but one that also suggests warmth - perhaps a deep olive green or terracotta? Then introduce pattern and texture with rug, curtains, cushions etc in a mix of colours.

We have a cream linen sofa (I'm currently painting the walls Edward Bulmer Nicaragua, a saturated, earthy pink), but no longer have pets or small people to make a mess or spill stuff 😄

@Travelcrazy Here's a pic of ours.....

Ex-BBC reporter and wife flee Penarth bio-ethanol fireplace blast - BBC News

Is this it?

I had never considered this, we always make sure we wipe any spills and fill it when it's cold and would never move it, but that is quite horrific! I will be extra careful in future!

Yes, that's it @OldieButBaddie. I'm sure it's an extremely rare occurence and if you're extra careful you'll be fine. But it was enough to make me think twice about going ahead with getting one.

Sofa away from the walls.
No to fake chimney breast.
There are too many mirrors - the coner one seems to make to other furniture look squashed into a corner.
There are too many objects on the floor.
I like the wall colours but not the panelling.

@LibertyLily Thanks for your help I will also look at the stove. I love the Nicaragua paint it's fabulous but I know my Dh would not want me to use it 🙄. I like the idea of rich coloured walls but a bit nervous of not getting it right!
@ChersHeart that's not our stuff it will be a blank canvas but thanks anyway

I agree with you about taking out the paneling and carpet. Put down wood floors and have a large rug - it is important that the rug be the right size.

I'd paint the walls a dark blue or green and put up crown molding in white. I'd build bookshelves along the panelled wall and put the tv within those iykwim maybe with an electric fire (some of them are really good) or bioethanol fire beneath. Cream sofas or a cream sectional would be great. Basically the look I'd go for is cosy library.

Our small living room is painted this colour with lots of white trim/bookshelves

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/hc-154/hale-navy

@Travelcrazy , I guessed it might not be your stuff.

I would suggest living there for a little bit so you can get used to the feel of the room and especially where the light moves.
if you put tester colours on a3 card you can tape to the walls and then see what it looks like at different times of the day. Good luck!

@Pallisers that sounds lovely thank you I will look at some on Pinterest.

@Lovemycat2023 ideally yes but I am a very impatient person 😅 I couldn't live with it like that. Thanks for your help