Which living room design suits a neutral country Cotswolds style best?

[MerryRobin]

Hi all

We are renovating our living room and my designer has come up with two similar designs for our living room and I can't decide between the two and wanted people's opinions as that may help me.

I was aiming for a country Cotswolds style with an elegant feel and in neutral colours.

I like both so much and can't decide between the two I like the first option with the eucalyptus tree because it feels cosy and warm but then I like the balance and elegance that option two brings with the matching sideboards which do you prefer out of these two?

Presumably the designer will also be turning the image into reality so she's not necessarily ripping you off by using AI to create the images- just be aware that this is what she's doing when it comes to charging you (eg if you ask for small changes- that is a 20 second job).

I would practice sitting looking up at where the TV would be and see how you feel.

I prefer the first one, depends on how much storage you need. The TV looks awful tough and either needs to be in a cabinet on the right or be a ‘picture frame’ TV.

They are very similar! It’s like one of those quizzes where you have to Spot The Difference!

I do prefer no 1 but use real plants, Id also put the TV on a stand,

I usually like symmetry, but based upon what you've said re your Christmas tree, definitely the first one - with the following caveats...

No faux plant and TV needs to be lower! I'm also not a fan of TVs over fireplaces, but if it had to go there I'd be looking at some way to 'hide' it such as having doors cunningly disguised as art covering the screen.

The version @2msoundsright did with some colour other than taupe/beige is far nicer, imo, but I get that's not an option for you @MerryRobin!

Sorry if I missed it, but what other seating do you have planned for the space?

A comfortable height for tv is eye level, sit on the sofa and measure how high that is.
A tv over the fireplace will be very uncomfortable unless it’s on a bracket that means it can be moved down for viewing.

I follow a lady on Instagram and love her living room and I think that's why the designer went with the TV on the wall but I agree I prefer it on a TV stand or even on the sideboard I want.

I'm getting a 3 seat sofa from oak furnitureland it's the same one the lady I follow on Instagram has and I love it I saw it in person and we both loved it. If you are on Instagram this is her so you can see the sofa

https://www.instagram.com/mrs_roobottom_home?igsh=b2VlZXZqbzE1dHdx

Once everyone was telling me these images are chatGPT I just opened an account to see how easy it may be to create images myself and I needed a little guidance from hubby but I created this it's changed the photo of my boys but never mind it AI after all but I think I definitely prefer the TV on the sideboard.

The other thing about the tv above the fire is that if the chimney breast heats up it’ll
wreck the tv- ask me how I know.

The rooms are also different dimensions aren't they on the first photos? Are you having the whole fireplace built?

Personally I like the last one you've come up with. The TV looks better on one of the sideboards

I like option 1 but I do think the telly looks ugly plonked on the chimney breast like that

Why would you put a vase of flowers ( fake or otherwise) on a fabric footstool?

Where the TV will be on the wall will be where the photo of my boys currently is so I've sat looking up at it and my neck doesn't go back but I have to raise my eyes which I think after a while will cause eye strain I don't know how so many people have TV's on there walls

You'd have to ask the designer that , that wasn't my idea

I’d probably build shelves into the left hand alcove if the tv is going on the sideboard on the right. Also…. and this is controversial so I’m prepared to get hated on…. photos of family and pets on walls ( especially huge ones) are considered a bit of a no for a more formal vibe like this - art goes on walls. Photos go in frames on a shelf or table.

OP if you think about these designs for a few moments you’ll see that they just don’t work. Interior design starts with practicality - how will we use the room? What do we want to do it and how many people? Read? Have drinks with friends? Watch TV? Relax on the sofa with the dogs? The pretty “decorative” bit comes at the end.

As someone else has pointed out the TV is the wrong height on the wall and it can’t be above a fireplace/ woodburner anyway because of the heat. What’s more, do you really want a decorative horse and matching candlesticks in front of your TV when you’re settling down to a movie? Or do you want to have to move them out the way every time? That whole chimneybreast wall would look very meh without those details, or the blazing woodburner, but they’re all eye-catching decorative fluff that aren’t practical.

Then the armchair is actually pointing the wrong direction for watching the TV. And you’ve also mentioned a DP; so where is he going to sit? There’s currently only seating for one. So your room scheme doesn’t even have the right furniture set out.

Back to practicalities; where does your log basket go, that goes with the wood burner? Or is that meant to be it in the left hand alcove? In which case what’s with the faux lollipop tree sticking out of it? Is it a log basket, or a basket planter?

There are a number of decorative things in these room schemes that give it the atmosphere you are going for, but don’t work in practice. That would really worry me that you are not going to get the room you have in your mind.

It wasn’t the designer’s idea either, it was AI. This is why AI is so crap for this, it has no logical thinking skills. TV placement all wrong and a vase on the foot stool. No designer worth their name would put this together.

Your designer!?
No decent interior designer uses AI. Bloody awful.

Neither of them. They're bland and uninspired. Get a proper interior designer.

You also need to think about lighting. AI can create images that look as if they are beautifully lit without the lights actually being there to do it. I would expect the designer to be able to advise you on the lighting you will need to get this sort of cosy, glowy feel- one central big light as in the first picture is going to have a very different feel to multiple smaller, lower lights.

I looked at that Instagram account and it's so pale/washed out and couldn't be further from my own eclectic taste, but each to their own, of course.

Imo though, an interior needs to be founded on things you love - which, if you genuinely love that woman's style is fair enough - but shouldn't be slavishly copied from someone else's choices. There are certain interior designers who's rooms I admire and would like my own spaces to emulate in some way (eg, how they successfully mix multiple patterns and eras), but whilst I covet some of the things they've used, I wouldn't expect mine to be identical as we have collected our furniture and decorative stuff over many years because they 'spoke' to us, so it all means something.

We both actually don't want the TV on the chimney breast wall but designer was adamant it's what everyone does nowadays and I agree I was worried the candlesticks would be annoying next to the TV and since I already have them and the horse ornament I didn't want to move them and we both would prefer the TV on the sideboard.

The wall opposite the chimney breast will have a 3 seat sofa there in cream

Our log basket will be on the left side of the fireplace hearth which you can't see in the image because Ai couldn't create that.

I know my style is very bland and boring to others but I like neutrals my brain stays calm then I look at neutral colours I just can't do actually colours because they just overwhelm me my autistic brain just can't handle it. I already put myself through hell at Christmas with colour everywhere mostly red green and golds but my love for Christmas makes me push through and thankfully it's only once a year.

The only thing the same is the sofa but that was more I really loved her sofa everything else I'm picking myself like the sideboard I fell in love with them even though they went against what the designer originally picked which was a painted one but I thought the oak was more me and added warmth. The horse ornament I have on my fireplace has meaning because I own a shire horse and was brought up around horses so I'm definitely adding my personality where I can even if it's all neutral.

I used ChatGPT in my spare room and it took the bedside cabinet that is currently there and put the top of it on the bed 🤣. It also didn't get rid of the soctopus I had hanging on the curtain rail.

I'd get rid of your designer, she hasn't even got the ceiling height right as it differs between the two pictures. Are you sure she's an actual designer, what is her training and qualification?

She's also completely wrong that "everyone" has their TV on the wall. That's a really naff place to put it, looks dreadful, and neither I nor anyone I know has it in that position. We put art above the fireplace. I'm very surprised a designer would put it there. Putting it on a sideboard is much better.

The wreath is awfully twee, get rid of it, same with the plastic eucalyptus tree. Houseplants should be real.

I prefer no. 1 and agree it’s AI. Unfortunately it’s a sign of the times that people will be ripped off by AI being used. Copy the photo into Chat GPT and ask it to take TV off wall and put it on stand elsewhere. Agree it being on wall isn’t giving country vibes

Sorry OP didn’t see your update!