Making a lounge feel more cosy?

[Fourarmsv2]

I hate our lounge.

It's rectangular.

One short wall has central wide French doors (2 doors and small glass panel with on either side).

Opposite short wall has a radiator.

One long wall has TV & phone connections plus fireplace.

Opposite long wall has a set of glass double doors to dining room & door to hallway.

Floor is laminate & sofa (3&2) is chunky black leather.

Any ideas to make it feel more cosy? Thinking of removing laminate and getting carpet?

Coffee/side tables with lamps? Cushions and throws. Pictures on the wall to soften sounds. A big fluffy rug if practical for you. I read somewhere that every room should have a "touche de rouge", whether a cushion, an ornament, a lamp shade - anything, so long as it's red.

Also, I was looking at room layout suggestions on Pinterest last night. Maybe setting the furniture out differently would make a change.

a rug, cushions, side lamps and blankets on the sofa would do a good job. do you have curtains over your french doors? If not get some!

We have just bought some throws because toddler DD and Pointless cat have teamed up to ruin the sofa with sticky hands, runny noses, fur etc. The throws definitely make the room more cosy (even if it really pisses me off that I have to keep readjusting them because they keep falling off the sofa!).

If it's affordable, remove laminate and replace with real wood/engineered wood + rug. If not, stick with the laminate and get a large rug. I think this looks a lot better than carpet, and if you get a rug that goes under your sofas you get the added warmth and comfort.

Other than that, get several lamps and use them instead of the overhead light. Fresh flowers if affordable, if not several plants - big ones that sit on the floor are very effective.

Throws and cushions to soften the black sofas.

Some artwork - make sure it's big enough.

Thanks for the ideas.

We have throws as we're a family that likes a blanket over us on the sofa of an evening. They normally go away in a blanket box in the day so will see about leaving some artfully draped.

We do have a big-ish rug actually.

I wonder if colour is a problem. Light floor, magnolia walls, cream stone fireplace. It's very boring. I wonder if painting a wall would help?

I will look for something red :) Plants are out.... They die in my care!

Will have a hunt for a big picture. Which wall do you think? We have a large mirror over the mantle piece. Good or bad?

Soft lighting and soft fabrics.

You could try candles, twinkly lights or having some uplighters installed with a dimmer switch.

Dulux almond White is warmer than white or magnolia paint. Curtains, throws and cushions in warm colours. Taupe and burnt orange can feel very cosy.
Fabrics like chenille or the kind of knitted waffle material style can also look and feel cosy.
Walnut or dark oak wood for furniture is also warmer than either very pale or very dark.
A rug will really cosy the place up.

I think your room needs an accent colour, but I would be wary of painting a wall as it could make your room look more of a rectangle.

I have a similar shaped lounge with the same sort of colouring too. I have curtains with a large pattern in colours of brown and shades of blue and turquoise. The settee and armchairs have cushions in different blue / turquoise / brown shades. The cushions are all different textures and patterns such as knitted, woven and stripes. I have two large paintings on the wall and a few family photos and small ornaments. I agree with the comments about side lights rather than overhead lights too.

The TV needs to go in the corner and a focal point (fake electric log burner) in its place

Curtains to pull over the inner glass doors. Give that a try.

Lighting is the key I think. Dimmer switch, lamps, fairy lights, candles.

I wouldn't paint a wall but would add colour through accessories and think about texture as well as colour.