What to do with living room? With pics.

[StormyTeacups]

We have just had a large extension built, which is very light and bright, but is making our cosy living room feel a little neglected.

We can't do anything major like carpets etc yet due to funds, but I was thinking of repainting the fireplace, corner but where TV is etc.

Any other suggestions? Or thoughts on colours? We tend towards the slightly eclectic I guess. I thought it all looked a little intentional, DH thinks it looks scruffy/thrown together.

Any advice?

Yeah, i think if you declutter and rearrange the furniture youll be massively surprised at how different it all feels.

Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions, they're great! I agree that it needs a little something. Daughter has taken on the project and thinks we should go for a green (either rich or sage) on the fireplace wall, and repaint rejig the corner bit. This may have to wait a month or so.

I haven't worked out how to have the furniture elsewhere without cutting off the window yet, I'll have a play over the weekend. I think one of those large armchair/'cuddler' sofas would be good in the bay.

Am also going to keep my eyes open for some nice bits for the wall.

And thanks to those who like the room as it is, it's always been quite a calm, cosy space and despite appearances, was once quite intentional. But time and use has taken its toll and it is now a bit tired and battered. But all the feedback has given me confidence and ideas!

I think the tiny rug and boat picture look a bit lost in the room. I would get a much bigger rug and either a gallery wall as pp's suggested or a couple of larger frames prints. I think some cushions and throws on the sofa would add to the cosiness too. I would also change the light shade to a fabric one.

@JaninaDuszejko

I think it looks cozy and friendly if not the most stylish room at the moment. You probably need to think about how exactly you are going to use it. Is it going to be a playroom or a family room or a more formal adult space? That will dictate what you need to have in the room.

Free faffing: you've currently got single pictures on each wall, rehang them as a gallery wall above the sofa you hate (to distract the eye although it doesn't look so bad, what is it about it you hate? Would painting the wood at the bottom a different colour help?). If you cut up a newspaper to the size of the frames you can play about with the arrangement on the wall before committing, the mark on the paper where the hook goes and drill or nail in the correct place. Like everyone says declutter and hide that mess of cables in the corner. Can the chest be used as a coffee table between the sofas and then you won't need all the side tables? Is the TV in the best place, would having it on a wall bracket somewhere else make the fireplace look better and less cluttered.

Some money: repaint, agree with a PP that a dark colour would enhance the coziness. If that's a bit scary earthy colours are becoming fashionable again and would go with the sofas, carpet and blinds so a beige or terracotta might work. Wash the carpet, I'm a great believer in the refreshing powers of a carpet cleaner, if you don't like it buy a big vintage rug off ebay and use that as inspiration for your colour scheme. Do you like the lampshade in the centre, if you like it keep it and think about using the colours elsewhere, if you don't like it replace with a cheap paper balloon shade until you find something you love - you could paint it to go with your colour scheme. Do you use the central light or would it be better to have a light to the side of the sofa? You could buy a few metres of braided cord (colour chosen to go with colour scheme) and a ceiling hook and get a light where you need it. Can you put cupboard doors on the shelves behind the TV, would give you more hiding space for all your stuff rather than it having to be a display space in an already crowded corner.

I think this is excellent advice, I was going to say this too- start from the function, decide what is going and staying, declutter and use what is staying as a colour scheme.

The idea of the gallery wall is great, you could paint the frames to go with your new colour scheme and tv on wall would also help with the symmetry/space of the room. Central ceiling light is quite small.

Personally, I'd much prefer wooden floor with a big rug but you may not have budget for this as you have just done an extension.

Also second the idea of being brave with wall colour. Take your inspiration, again, from the pieces you have and you like which are staying.

It is a room with great potential, it has good bones and sofas are good (even the one you don't like). It will look great when you are done!

Step 1. Have had a swap around of sofas etc. I can't figure out the right angle to have them so they don't look ridiculous, I'm used to liking things neat and tidy and symmetrical by the walls 😂

Have cleared top of corner, haven't cleated bookshelves yet as don't have anywhere else to put the contents until our other shelves are restored.

Daughter and I also picked up some paint cards to look at.

Think we need some more pictures and something bright for the top corner.

Pictures 😂

The smaller tan sofa looks much better than the big dark brown one, and having it angled looks more cosy and less "doctor's waiting room"
If you love that sofa it might be worth buying some leather restoration cream for the seats. I treated a battered black leather chair with stuff from The Furniture Clinic and it looks gorgeous now.
Clear the stuff from the area around the burner

Honestly the major issue is the carpet, is there no way to stretch to replace it to a neutral colour? If not then a really large neutral rug would help a little. Irugs are good for cost effective over sized ones.

Maybe next year, but we have nearly 50 sq m of patio to do more pressingly so it is quite a way down the list. I will look at large rugs though.

I had contemplated lifting the carpet and giving the floorboards some tlc, but dh is convinced it would be cold.

Clear the selves and take the picture that’s propped up in the top left corner. Hang it with some others.
Remove all pictures then rearrange as a gallery wall
Large round mirror above fire place
Remove coal scuttle etc and update with basket
What’s the blue toy in front of fire place?
Do not pain the wall green with the current carpet!
Tuck the yellow ottoman away when not in use.
Large rug
I would street clear of a “colour” until you can replace the carpet. “All white” by Farrow and Ball is a great soft chalky white that would lift the room straight away.

Sofa layout looks much much nicer.

I would paint every bit of wood matt white, including the furniture, the picture frames, the lampshade and the blinds. But I wouldn't paint the fireplace tiles/bricks unless they have already been ruined/painted. Your pictures are really too small though, so I'd buy newer much, much bigger ones, or do without. I'd choose pictures, throws and cushions in white and blue to complement the brown sofas. And I might even take up the carpet and paint the floorboards white., or just get a huge blue and white rug.

Why not get rid of that rug altogether? It doesn’t go with the carpet and it’s too small. If the carpet needs to stay for now then get a washable sheepskin rug for in front of the fire. Also, do your green paints go with the carpet? I can’t tell if it’s red or orange or pink as it looks different in every photo, so they might not. If they don’t go, I’d pick a different colour that does go.

Have you got wooden floorboards under there? If so then get rid of the carpet, hire a sander, sand and then varnish, and just buy a large rug. It will keep it warm

I’ve exposed floorboards and have a very large rug down, so under the feet of the sofa large, and you just see about a foot and a half round the edge of floorboards,

You need to move the gold framed picture - it doesn’t fit.

Sofas look better, but look on free cycle pages for one that fits better under the window. There’s a few purples ones about at the moment which would clash lovely with your peach sofa.

Paint the walls in a new fresh colour - I would choose so soft furnishings first and pick out those colors for the walls, if you want a snug, choose planets, cushions and rugs first then the walls.

I would also go to charity shops and warehouses and look for different frames and things for the shelves. Even hanging children’s paintings would look good in there.

And B&Q currently have battery operated candles in offer, this would lift the fire place - think about lighting by the sofas for reading or hobbies etc

Carpet is a little darker and cooler toned than the pics portray

Those with actual floorboards, did you need to fill/caulk many gaps?

Your second pictures are a huge improvement. Much prefer the angles of the sofas!

I know it's not relevant but I love the photo that has caught your DS playing in the background .

Ditch the postage stamp rug already, it does nothing for the room.

Ha @janinaDuszejko, he's a very bouncy little boy 😁

I love the shelves, and the shape of them. But- they need a good declutter. Style them to make a feature ( tons of inspo on Pinterest). Can you re- orient the room so the TV is elsewhere? Put it on the wall with a frame around it, perhaps?

I’d go for a large colourful print or gallery wall over the sofa, and a large colourful print over the fire. Ideally with bright colours to echo the rug. The blinds, cushions and a lampshade in colours from the rug to tie everything together and make it look a bit more deliberate.