Design/ style help for dated living room - pics included

[livingroom]

NC as it is so clearly my house to anyone who knows me!!

I really don't know what to do to improve our living room. I am very bad at picking out style etc.

The stone wall cannot be changed. Neither for now can the glass unfortunately - I could possibly change it to something else. Behind it is the hall with the front door.

I think around the TV/ window looks very bare though. Maybe cornice could help? I was thinking of maybe getting large pictures and nicer frames.

Gorgeous view you have from your window. And lovely pup too.

First thing I’d do is change the sofa. It’s way too big and bulky and is taking up all the space and blocking off the glass doors. Can the kids toys be moved elsewhere or a better storage system be found? Picture frames are hung too high.

@RitzyMcFitzy We bought the couch when I was very heavily pregnant, I think comfort was at the forefront of our minds! It is only over a year old so I probably won't replace it, it is big though. Yes the kids toys could go to his room. He is 1 so I tend to play with him in there a lot and just leave them there.

Hanging the pictures lower I can easily do. What about those cornices? Would that make it look a bit more finished? In the corner where the ball pool is we used to have a book shelf but moved it when DS became mobile. We also had a large coffee table + TV stand.

I think it's the two walls either side of the window that I think look very unfinished. We never used that glass door so weren't worried about shutting it off

Can you add some shelving around the tv or a unit under it and hang some full length curtains to frame the window?

OP I’d paint the walls a nice neutral, like Little Greene slaked lime. Then I’d paint the window frame and the internal glass door frame black. I’d paint the stone wall a light neutral too.

in the corner next to the window I’d put up a nice tall ficus tree.

im afraid the sofa would then need to go - and would replace it with a nice neutral sofa, and a boucle cru armchair.

Agree with getting rid of the sofa - it’s far too big and ugly and dominates the entire room. It doesn’t leave much room for other furniture either!

my advice would be a smaller sofa and for the TV to stand free on a unit, perhaps a low mid century style sideboard with drawers or cupboards for storage. A nice rug. Store the toys somewhere else and invest in some nice artwork to put among the photos - you could create a gallery wall that’ll be more visually appealing but still have your photos amongst it. A plant or several - some tall dragon trees would be nice. And it’s a big job, but I’d get rid of the cladding on the chimney breast if you can afford to undertake that kind of work. A marble fire surround would be much nicer.

Pictures and television far too high. Do you not get a sore neck watching tv?
Plush rug and a new light fitting along with full length curtains would help soften the look.

For winter I would be tempted to put a big curtain over that glass wall.

I don’t think a cornice is going to do much to add to the ambience.

You can stick wallpaper over that sort of glass ( I am looking at a door I did three years ago now, and it is still secure) just use PVA.

Agree with all this! I actually really like the stone and the windows, they could look amazing if you make them a feature rather than trying to hide them.

I know the sofa is new, but it's way too big. I'd try and sell it on Gumtree and replace with something smaller and more neutral, probably a single sofa, pulled forward away from those windows. Nice rug and a 60s/70s style coffee table.

Coving would be fine, but it wouldn't do much overall I think, you'd be better putting the money towards a new sofa. I'd get built in storage around the TV and use it to store the toys.

Lots of plants, full length curtains in front of the window. I'd consider hanging from a track on the ceiling, it makes the room seem much taller.

Look at Instagram for inspiration.

Way too much clutter everywhere.
Your photo frames are in random places on the wall in cheap looking frames.

You can dress your window really nicely, what a stunning view😍!
Invest in some beautiful storage and don't have all the clutter on display.
The sofa needs to go too

I like the glass.
You say the sofa is staying (does look comfy!)

I'd:
-Paint the walls a nice light colour
-Hang curtains in a chosen colour
-Add a couple of throws & cushions onto the sofa to break up the black (coordinate with curtains)
-Small rug in front of sofa (coordinate with curtains)
-Cluster all your photos/frames onto one side of the window
-Add a big print on the other side of the window
-Add another print or hanging to the right of the TV
-Maybe hang a few plants in front of the stone wall to break it up (& keep plants above baby height!)

Edit: And forgot to say: new lampshade!

A lot of potential there.

Agree the couch is ugly, but if you do have to keep it, would it be an option to move it to the other wall, so under the tv?

Then move the tv to the other corner of the room, on a unit or some sort (useful storage) rather than on the wall?

I would then get lovely full length curtains to frame the window and the great view, and I would paint the walls a nice dark blue or green to make the room feel much cosier. I really like the glass wall, it brings in a lot of light, and think a lot of plants would look great.

Is the sofa modular? could you lose, say, one of the end seats?

Do you use the fireplace?

I would love to get rid of the stone on the fire place but that is a no go. It's complicated we sort of own the house but are under the thumb of the ILs as to what we are allowed to do to it.
We won't live here forever so I don't want to put too much money into. But we could be here for a few years so I want it to look nice.

DH picked the couch, I was pregnant and wanted to sit down. I don't think we can afford a new one again right now.

Would you put up curtains? Or maybe some shelves on the sides?

@Rattysparklebum I really like how that looks.

DH wants to move pictures to over the window but I'm not sure about that. Yes the frames are cheap I will be replacing those.

Good point!

@SoupDragon yes it is, we could lose a fair bit of it and turn it into a 2 seater and get an arm chair for visitors.

@ShineLikeA yes it is lit every day in winter and we have a back boiler so it's great

Oooh your view is gorgeous!! I love your space.

Decoration wise. Good quality paint that goes with the wood floor (Pinterest!)

A neutral set of tartan curtains (Dunelm or Next)

Buy a luxuriously soft and thick throw. This will break up the huge dark sofa and add some lovely cushions. (Dunelm or Next)

Your pictures / photos are too small. Take them all down and start again. (Sorry!)

A fabric ottoman for the toys. It's your space too. Clear away those toys at bedtime and enjoy your new neutral relaxing room with the gorgeous pup and view! You can get them cheap off eBay!

Buy some nice throws for that sofa. It is horrible. Consider selling it and getting a new sofa at some point. Take everything else out of the room and strip it of decor. Only put back what you want and need. Chuck the rest.

Also Facebook Marketplace for bargains. I've chosen 3 sets of curtains and odds and ends for much less than expected.

Ottoman for Toys! - this one is from Dunelm. £20!

OK, do as @SoupDragon suggests and experiment with taking away bits of sofa to reduce its impact on the room at large.

I think the problem really is with the proportions of things in relation to one another -- even losing the bit of sofa that is jammed right up against the chimneybreast would make the place feel more spacious. I also agree with whoever suggested hanging a curtain over all that glass, if it's not absolutely needed to light the room (and it doesn't look as if it is?) I think the reason the room feels so uncomfortable is both the size of the sofa in relation to the size of the room, and the fact that it's visibly blocking what looks like another means of entrance into the room (the glass door behind the sofa?)

I think another easy thing to do is better storage, and something that can incorporate the TV, or have the TV stand on it -- like your pictures, it's hung far too high, and must be agonising to watch for longer than a few minutes.

Your pictures could also do with nicer frames and to be hung in the proper places -- don't let your DH do it, if he says he wants to put them above the window! He clearly has no eye!

Repaint (not the fireplace wall, obviously) -- something deep and vivid. A kilim for the floor.

Your view is absolutely lovely!

Could you switch sofa to the other wall so it unblocks the glass wall?

It’s quite a seventies room so I’d embrace that. Mid century g plan type coffee table, curtains, new lampshade, mirror over the fire place, a mid century type living room storage shelf thing instead of the modern one, textures fabrics and bold colour, would work with the sofa as well. Plus a big plant somewhere.

Wow with that view who cares what the room is like?!! I think the only problem is the sofa. It's too big, too dark and looks a bit old fashioned. Get rid of that, add some nice cushions throws and rugs and I think it will be 100 times nicer

Paint the window and the frames of the glass partition the same colour.
Invest in some curtains. Get rid of the waiting room look.
Buy a low level unit such as a sideboard to store the toys and to stand the TV on.
Ask in-laws if you can paint the stone fireplace and/or put up a proper plasterboard wall where the glazing is.
Change the sofa for a 2 or 3 piece suite.
Invest in a coffee table or storage pouffe.
Rule of thumb is 60% main colour (eg walls) 30% secondary colour (eg large furniture) 10% accent colour (eg vases and cushions).