How would you decorate / design this room?

[Firsthomebuyer]

I’m buying my first home at last! It’s a small newish build (2017) 2-bed house, with an open plan kitchen-dining room downstairs.

The current owner has kept it very neutral which I think really helps to make quite a small space feel light and airy. The patio doors are south facing too which lets in lots of lovely light.

When I move in I’d like to put my own stamp on it though (as they say!) to help me feel at home, plus I will need to buy all new furniture as I don’t own any yet. I’ve had lots of people kindly offer second hand things, but while I think an older house can pull off a jumble of different kinds of furniture, I think it would probably look scruffy in this age of house and I need to make some effort to match things up.

Interior design is not my forte so I’m in need of inspiration! Please tell me how you would arrange / decorate / furnish this space if it was yours! :-)

Thanks in advance!

Do you have room elsewhere for a table?

A nice rug with a bit of colour in it. I’d personally probably paint the back wall with the mirror on it. And I’d also probably gallery wall the stairs. But that’s just me… I also know nothing of interior design.

Congratulations on buying your first home, so exciting!! And it looks lovely.

I think don’t be shy to use colour, maybe wallpaper one wall (not all) and pick out one colour from that and repeat in a chair, a couple of sofa cushions and a piece of art. Say teal, or orange or forest green.

Can you get the TV to sit on a uni under the stairs?

No I don’t think so, the kitchen it pretty small and I don’t think a table will fit.

The house is just for me, so table could be a small one that extends if I have a guest.

I thought teal would look quite nice.

Oh wow thanks, lots of replies already! Yes, the TV aerial point is under the stairs!

What I’d do is go on Pinterest or Houzz and find some images of living rooms that you love. Then try to recreate that look, sticking to the colour scheme. You can then create a moodboard on your photo or an app like Canva. It makes a huge difference to get inspiration from a well designed image.

Oh thanks, that’s a good tip about the colours, I like the idea of teal or green!
I suppose I am slightly nervous of colour in case it makes the room seem smaller or darker, which wall would you suggest?

What a lovely bright space.

If it were me I would start by introducing colour in the curtains, cushions, lampshades and rugs, etc. From here you'll start to build confidence in your tastes and could then paint an accent wall or use wallpaper.

Congratulations on your new home!

Thank you! I guess what’s tricky for me is that I really love period rooms with fireplaces and bay windows! That kind of property is something for me to hope for in the future though, for now I need a bit of help picturing what looks good in a modern house.

Thank you! ☺️

Can you fit a table closer to the kitchen & have the lounge bit at the back?

Yes I think so! I’m not sure about how to arrange the TV and seating if I do that, although I barely watch TV at all tbh so it doesn’t need to be a priority or the focal point of the room.

Haha I’m much the same. My house is white! I use furniture/furnishings/art to bring in colour. But I’m moving soon and intend to be braver.

I think the wallpaper needs to be on the main wall opposite the stairs. The sorts of rooms I’ve seen on TV and in pictures have say one “feature” chair in a colour pulled from the wallpaper. People are t so matchy matchy any more.

Good luck!!

Interior designer here....

I'd probably use the area nearest the kitchen for a dining table, perhaps a corner sofa or chaise against the long wall (still facing stairs) with a nice big rug. The one there looks too small at the moment.

You could build a media unit with storage under the stairs so you could have a tv there and use it to hide away clutter too.

Personally I would keep the walls light, maybe go bolder on the staircase and media unit.

A few statement light fittings always add something extra 'special'.

Then some pattern and colour in cushions and throws. Lots of houseplants!!

Thanks @Robinredface ! By light fittings you you mean I should think about getting wall lights, or just buy some lamps?

You could go for wall lights but looks like you have the cables already in the ceilings for ceiling light fittings. I'd probably go for two of those then some lamps dotted around

You could add colour with the furniture and keep the walls neutral. If you paint the second-hand furniture in shades that go together it’ll look like it’s meant to be there rather than a hodgepodge. I love Annie Sloan chalk paint, no primer required.

I'd go for brighter colors and would probably rearrange the furniture to get as much space as possible. Wall lights sound like a good idea, too.
If you want to visualize things before applying them or try out different looks, you may look into 3d design programs like this one, it builds a model of the place you are working on and seeing the way it would look helps a lot.