Looking for inspiration, redecorating living room

[Reflections2021]

Hello,

Help, Edwardian house classic character living room 5 panel bay window, character fire place with alcoves either side. Room roughly 15 x 13 need inspiration. Room gets used lots, can change all furniture (although current brown leather couches could survive as nothing wrong with them). Want a touch of classic, luxury look that won’t date too quickly and don’t want the room to look like it’s too ‘overdone’, and to achieve an understated ‘feature’ room that does not feel too functional purely designed to get through the day to day functional aspects of family life.

Please inspire me with paint colours, furniture, and ‘look and feel’ ideas, I’m open to being inspired.

TIA

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Do you prefer colour or neutrals? I really like this look because I think it’s easy to achieve and looks understated but elegant. Do you have kids though? Lots of pale colours in this one…

Pinterest is what you want

Have a look at Imperfect Interiors (Beth dadswell I think is the designer’s name). She seems to do a really good job IMO of making period houses look smart but homely rather than overdone hotel style.

Pinterest is also excellent, find one picture you like and it will lead you to loads of others. Search for things like Edwardian living room or bay window living room.

@LeavesOffTheCactus I like that look, and prefer neutral colours to bold colours. Also, tend to bring colours in through soft furnishings as easier to change. I do have children, and hopefully their getting to the age of knowing to draw on paper and not the walls - so hoping we can do a proper overhaul of the room.

@minipie @maofteens thanks for the other suggestions too, and will definitely have a look at these.

At the moment we have wooden blinds but also thinking on whether to go for shutters?

Keep eyeing up a MADE Margot chaise longue to complement the couches - I like the mustard colour, DH doesn’t, and we both like the grey option but I’m feeling like that might be a bit of a ‘safe’ option. Like the really dark navy one too, DH doesn’t - but I feel it may hide any natural wear and tear in time from use by the children, but thinking the furniture may all seem too dark if we keep the brown leather couches for now although could sell these and get new ones? if I did go for the very dark navy, I would look to brighten with scatter cushions. And noting the colour of the couch and cushions in @LeavesOffTheCactus image, is making me think the very dark blue chaise longue could be the way to go.

Got some tester paints this afternoon to start getting a feel for what kind of colours we like, denim drift and polished pebble coming out as popular options, but wondering if natural calico or fine ivory will give a warmer feel than something like polished pebble?

Thinking white wood work and ceilings.

We never painted a radiator and wondering whether we should do so - need to be confident it would work as it’s a bay window one so would otherwise be an expensive mistake or any other suggestions on what to retrospectively do with a 5 panel radiator from a decorative perspective?

Also, wondering whether to do a feature wall around the fire place upto picture rail or whether feature walls are now dated?

Will definitely look at Pinterest and imperfect interiors, and would welcome any thoughts on the above or any other suggestions - want to love my living room when finished instead of sitting in it and pondering its potential

Excited to receive thoughts on the above, or any suggestions and ideas will be very much appreciated.

I have a similar age house, and bay window, although my living room is relatively small so I don’t know how well my ideas will translate. But I have painted mine in F&B pale powder and I’m really happy with it. I think grey and feature walls have had their day personally - I would go with one colour all round and a big piece of dramatic/interesting art above the fireplace rather than a feature wall.

MADE look good but having taken a trip to a showroom, they are not comfortable to sit on (and online reviews seemed to back this up). After a very long sofa search I have concluded that sofa.com have the best combination of fabric colours and styles. I’m about to go with one of the blue velvets and a contrasting footstool, probably in peony. I also thought about a mustard colour and think that would work fine too, it’s just personal preference. I would lose the brown leather sofa tbh, it’s going to be hard to work around that.

Colour wise - do you know what direction your living room faces and what sort of light you get? If you get north light I’d do as you’re suggesting and go for something warmer as polished pebble is quite cool. I personally wouldn’t go for a navy sofa with denim drift or any blue colour as i think blue can be overwhelming and feel clinical, though your other option of a mustard sofa would be nice.

The farrow and ball book is quite good for giving you lots of options for how to manage colour and light and architectural features like picture rails.

Really helpful, thanks!

According to my phone compass looking out through the centre of the bay window is facing the direction of ‘120 SE’.

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You can probably make any colour look great then!

I think in an Edwardian bay windowed room, with alcoves etc, yes to picture rails and one colour on all 4 rooms. Colour below picture rails, above + ceiling + woodwork in white.

I think dark blue sofas sound lovely, as does mustard. I would get rid of the brown leather.

@Africa2go think your spot on. Thank you, your reply is helpful and I’m beginning to get clear on some of the things I’ve been debating in my mind.

It’s a definite no to Denim drift, lovely colour but sat here typing and looking at the sample on the wall and it seems very dark without any natural day light. So think it will be a more neutral colour with a hint of something for the wall colour.