Help me decorate my living room (on a budget) it's so dreary.

[Raven77]

Its a small living room in a 2 up, 2 down terrace.

Not a lot of light.

About 3 years ago before winter I painted it beige and navy. With tartan accessories. It was nice for that winter but I hate it now. It's so dark and dreary.

I have 2 brown leather sofas. A white fold out table and a white bookshelf.

It's just so dark and boring.

Can you help me decide how to brighten it up please?

I can't have a rug because I have a puppy who is still training.

With leather brown sofas you could change the walls to a light sage (mine is mellow sage by crown) also have brown leather sofas and then I have sage cushions with pink roses.

It is really fresh and bright but still that country look.

We have neural beige curtains

Thats the scheme in my kitchen. Sage green with pink accessories.

we need a picture or two

This isn't my house but it's from rightmove and its on the same Street.

Same lay out. Same floor. Only my walls are beige and fireplace wall is navy.

Change the accessories. Bright pink? teal? lime? A couple of cushions is probably all you need, but in a bright colour that tones into what you have to keep.

Change the beige to a pale warm grey or off white. Add copper accessories. Add more lighting. Cushions teal or coral.

That's so funny.. You have the sage then.

Agree that copper lighting is really nice. Charcoal grey wall as your feature wall

Maybe go for cushions from habitat

A good lighting scheme so that it's brighter in a miserable day and cosy in the evening.

I really need lighter colours on my walls the beige is dark and the navy just kills the whole room

I agree you need different wall colours.

Can you tell us about the lighting in the room ?

Its very dark. There just one standard window and a down lighter. I have a cheap lamp too.

I really need it brightening up. It's very depressing

And also the aspect of the room - is it north /south facing ?

Do you use it much during the day, or is it mainly an evening room? Sometimes if a room doesn't have much natural light and you try and make it look lighter it can just emphasise that. You could always embrace the cosiness a bit? Sounds like lighting is key though. A central downlight will definitely make the room feel depressing. I'd definitely go for some more table lamps or a standard lamp to start with. I'd do that and the bright accessories people have mentioned (which could look great against the navy wall), and see how it feels before you go to all the effort of painting.