How do I make this room more welcoming for EA photos

[Gilesmummy]

please help..
we had the photos taken for our house this week and I think the drawing room looks,to put it mildly ‘Boring.’ I love my wallpaper and can’t replace sofas so need some ideas to inject some life..
the room has original oak panelling and shutters..

it’s a very traditional Georgian house so nothing outrageous. Although I’d quite like to see people’s ideas for creativity.

i think I’m going to be shopping this week…

It’s a beautiful room nastily decorated (for my taste). I don’t think you should bother redecorating even in the most minor way, OP — the dimensions and light speak for themselves to potential viewers. In your shoes I would just make sure that the EA photographer takes some photos that show, clearly and close-up, the beautiful original panelling and shutters. Which are gorgeous. A potential viewer can see just how lovely the room is.

Mirror above the fire place
Cushions & throws on the sofas
Pictures on the back walls
Plants

Just make it look a bit more homely and lived in without being too overwhelming. I'd keep the coffee table as it completes the furniture arrangement.

The room is beautiful, love the light, panelling, windows. That alone would sell it to
me instantly.
I wouldn't even notice the furniture.
Just keep it simple.
Take the blanket off the sofa on right, either put a patterned one there or a contrasting colour.
Def keep
the coffee table.
Stack books and magazines and some candlesticks on there. Lots. Look up coffee table scapes.
Get a flower pot , one you use for potted plants and arrange lots of e.g roses or tulips in there but at half the height of the roses.
You want it to look like you
just cut lots of flowers in your garden and are settling down in front of fire to read the paper.
Get estate agent to take photo with fire on in wood burner.
It would be nice to have a rug but it would have to be very large so part is under sofa and armchair.
Nothing looks cheaper than a rug that is too
small, better to have none.
You could get 3 or so huge tall palm type pot plants in e.g Ikea and group
them the left hand corner. Single ones look too puny.
The room will sell itself, love it.

It wouldn't bother me how much you tarted it up - it's the lovely light wooden floor but the awful dark wood everywhere else. Sorry.
You can break up the plainness, that would help and distract.

It's got that overly sparse, Air BnB rental look about it. I know they say you should de-personalise your house and remove clutter before marketing it, but this goes too far the other way. I'd get a big rug in a traditional style, some squishy cushions in nice colours, a big mirror or painting over the fireplace and a couple of large floor standing pot plants. Put a pile of coffee table books or magazines on the table.

I would definitely want to paint all that panelling, but I think most prospective buyers have enough imagination to realise it's a simple enough job and they don't have to live with acres of dark stained wood if they don't want to. I doubt it will put anyone off buying the house if everything else about it is right.

Its a great space but does look quite bare and uninviting.
I would go to a local auction or two and try to find a large persian rug (no matter if its worn), a mirror for above the fireplace and a brass chandelier along with some old table lamps.
Perhaps some kelims over the sofa backs to reduce the leather overload.

Unfortunately you can’t buy rugs big enough for this room without spending thousands and I mean thousands…We’ve been looking for ages.. love the other ideas. It is our formal sitting room so we don’t want to buy anything that won’t go in our new house which is similar but even more formal..

Hi Op! The room already looks very classy and spacious, but here are a few suggestions;

1. Framed artwork above the fireplace as this looks a bit empty
2. A potted plant to add height and greenery.
3. Do you have access to a dog you could include in the photos to help make it look more pet friendly?
4. Adding in an extra armchair would add to the cosy feel

you need crap
colour
rugs
art
plants!
somthing like that!

The panelling cannot be painted it’s several hundred years old and a major historical feature of the room. If you didn’t like dark wood you wouldn’t be looking at this style of property.
I was thinking more ideas like cushions and ornaments.. what colour? Red tone or yellow or neutral
The room is massive 7m x 6m roughly so rugs aren’t available in the size needed. We’ve been looking since we moved here..
it’s funny, I hate the pine colour floorboards but again they are hundreds of years old..
We had planned to get more furniture then decided to move instead…😉

You could definitely find an 9x6 ish rug. It wouldn't have to cover the whole room.

If you're looking for accent colours, go red.

I would go salon style picture hanging above the panelling. Take the wall paper off paint in a bold colour and hand as many pictures as I could find.

That AI picture looks as if you have Jimmy Savill over for afternoon tea.

I agree with this.

As everyone else is saying, that is a room screaming out for a rug, lamps and artwork.

Omg, you can't paint ancient panelling!! Sacrilege!!

Op, some plants would help. A rug under the coffee table, a couple of bright, warm cushions to break up the dark couches.

A rug that sits inside the sofas would work. Have a look at Nain Trading- they have thousands at different price points and you can search by exact size.

The room is stunning. I don’t think the sofas really work in there but tbh it doesn’t matter much- buyers will be able to see past that. I really wouldn’t waste money on a load of tat that you don’t want.

But there are shutters! Why curtains?

The rest of the house is fabulous, I can't see why the living room would put anyone off. Just hang a mirror over the fire and a few nice cushions 👍

Mirror over the fireplace (large). Gilt?
Some items on the mantel to give a bit of interest and personality.
(These two will make the chimney breast the feature-point of the room)
Plants (large, vertical)
Turn on the standard lamp and the other overhead light.
Add some table lamps, also lit.
Some additional, lighter furniture e.g. cane chairs, small bookcase
Some fabric for texture and colour e.g. cushions (large)

Fold the throws lengthways and diagonally drape across the sofas, or on the arms of the sofa - it will help break up all the straight lines and corners in the room.

And get a far bigger vase and bunch of flowers. The current vase is lost in the space.

and agree with comments re rugs/cushions/art.

Amazing room but it looks like it might echo.
Huge rug needed https://rugs.co.uk/light-brown-palace-kensington-area-rug-33136157?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAtNK8BhBBEiwA8wVt9yCW3r_4EpTOCneB_Hf9pEodKK0XTxWGaHKMXzVGZb1j9JzhcelKJhoC17AQAvD_BwE

You don't have to spend thousands on a rug to go under the coffee table. Something like this from John Lewis would help make the room look a little less bleak: https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-fusion-manisa-kelim-rug/p2481406?size=l300-x-w200cm

And do you really have no pictures or mirrors or anything on the walls? That looks really odd to me in a 'traditional' style room.

At least a mirror over the fireplace plus some plants would help too.

thank you. The panelling is what makes the room. When you are in the room it feels much nicer than the photos look…
We use danish oil on the panelling.
so many people have suggested painting it 😱