What Decorations Can Be Added To Plain Curtains

Whatever the living room ideas you're searching for – whether elegant, archetype or contemporary, we have wonderful decor schemes to suit your home's style and your color preferences. Plus, nosotros accept included a ton of added-value design advice, too.

Then whether your living room decor is expansive, open-plan, a shared dwelling office space or on the compact side, there are looks to suit.

Plus, of course, we have catered to a broad variety of styles, colour preferences, and budgets, and, as ever, there are ideas yous tin adopt speedily – and whole-renovation inspiration.

Living room ideas

These are our favorite living room ideas and nosotros've added in-depth communication from well-known designers and our own team of experts, too, so that you know how to design a living room with aplomb.

1. Offset with a moodboard

neutral living room with green sideboard and beamed ceiling

Sometimes the hardest thing to do when looking for living room ideas is to really get started. We asked Patrick O'Donnell, Brand Ambassador at Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab) for his invaluable advice and the most of import role? Get moodboarding to inspire living room color schemes.

'Remember that any room is a sum of diverse parts so try and create a moodboard with as many elements every bit you can get your hands on. When choosing paint colors, think about the aspect of your room (northward, due east, south, west) – a color you have seen in a mag or friend's house may not answer in your room and then sampling is essential, try and pigment large swatches that you can move around the walls at different times of day to see how the color transitions in all natural lite conditions.'

This beautiful room by interior designer Cortney Bishop (opens in new tab) is the perfect example of successful moodboarding.

two. Pigment all the surfaces in one single color

living room ideas with blue color scheme

'We have establish that as we've all been spending more than time in our homes, there has been a actually exciting shift in how experimental we're existence with living room paint ideas and our customers are increasingly focusing their living room scheme on a tone that they want to immerse themselves in,' says Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands (opens in new tab).

'One such trend is head-to-toe color – painting the walls, woodwork and fifty-fifty the ceiling 1 color for a welcoming, immersive room with a modern border. We'd always recommend really thinking nigh how that color will interplay with the light in your room and trying samples first to brand sure you beloved it.

'A full immersion of color, with one stunning shade for all walls and woodwork, tin can bring interest into the room without overwhelming the eye; mid-tone colors piece of work peculiarly well for this. The style also complements stiff architectural features in a fresh and modern way.'

3. Lucifer walls to piece of furniture

Some other fabled living room idea that we're starting to see appearing is to friction match your walls to your furniture.

'Nosotros all strive for cohesive interiors when planning our décor and colour choices are core to creating the mood and theme for your dwelling,' says Patricia Gibbons, Design Team at Sofa.com (opens in new tab). 'When looking to match your walls to your furniture or vice versa, the question is to lucifer or to contrast equally each will produce a dissimilar manner.

'If you love a color and are wedded to the idea of mirroring it throughout the space, whether it be a dusty rose sofa on pink walls or greenish wallpaper to friction match an olive sofa – matching color on colour is a fun, considered way to stamp your personality and style into the space.

'We recommend breaking up the upholstery and wall color with textural touches via accent pieces and accessories: think woods, contumely, woven finishes and greenery, to go along the terminate-await counterbalanced and welcoming.'

4. Cull 2 or more shades of the same color

For a thoroughly modern feel – in a period property – choose a couple of shades of the same colour and utilise them in various spots in the living room. Consider painting the ceiling too, it'due south been a big trend recently that nosotros experience will behave on for a good yr or so. Here, you can run into how well it works with the Masquerade shade, and the patterned rug pulls the tones together.

Little Greene (opens in new tab)'s colour cards, 'Colour Scales' and a refined and refreshed 'Colors of England' feature collections of beautiful graduated shades that all work together.

5. Perfect positioning is invaluable

living room ideas with blues and neutrals

Once you've got your key ingredient – the colour scheme – in identify you can start because furniture and where to put information technology. Right placement in living room layouts is invaluable and can make or intermission a scheme.

For the formal living room in this Park Ave flat in NYC, BarlisWedlick (opens in new tab) removed ane of the cabinets that flanked the fireplace and incorporated a custom settee with rounded edges and fur trim in its place.

Colorful, jewel-toned throw pillows add together a liveliness to the room, which features subtle pale greyness-green walls and neutral fabrics. Artwork placed directly beyond a tinted yellow mirror balances out the opposite side of the room and allows the artwork to be seen from those sitting directly under the sofa.

6. Consider an emphasis colour if your walls are neutral

living room ideas in green and white with rattan

If you lot've decided to go on your walls neutral or white, but still fancy a splash of color and then consider choosing accent colors to boost interest. Information technology's a fabulous way to comprise a shade y'all beloved and you can become all out with patterns too – it needn't be all virtually plains.

This refreshing grass light-green shade turns this white painted living room into a modernistic space full of contemporary prints teamed with natural wood and woven touches to soften the overall await.

Gathering a few two-tone prints in a similar palette helps to go on a scheme feeling cohesive. So even with lots of different blueprint, the colors assistance all the diverse elements to sit together happily. The pattern mix here include the Anna French (opens in new tab) lampshade fabric, Schumacher (opens in new tab) defunction and plump Rapture & Wright (opens in new tab) seat cushions.

Botanical artworks compliment the textiles and add to the state feel. Clean white walls and white pieces such as the lamp and side tabular array ensure the space feels modern, light and blusterous - useful if you lot're looking for modest living room ideas.

Natural materials, as seen here with the wood console and woven rattan chair, are an essential part of whatever mod country look, and help to add warmth and an organic softness to the scheme.

vii. Embrace the tendency for reimagined ditsy florals

living room with blue floral sofa pink rug and black cabinet and artwork

This minimalist living room thought from one of H&G'south decorating shoots is brought to life with a fabulously vibrant twist on traditional chintz – perfect land living room ideas when you want a more contemporary feel.

The neutral backdrop allows for the vivid, colorful textile pattern to take center-stage. The simple lines of the elegant, contemporary sofa have been covered with this glorious Jump Garden textile design for a heavenly pairing. The pinkish kilim, artwork and co-ordinating cushions all help to pull the living room together for a mod twist on a classic look.

eight. Layer colour on colour for a warm, welcoming infinite

living room with white sofa and colourful armchair and accessories

A harmonious and joyful living room has been created using the colors in the rug as the center point, pulling tones out to feature inside the scheme. Muted pinkish walls offer just the right background palette and work well fix against the crisp whites, which are key in the mix to offering breathing space amidst all the color.

Shapely furniture in warm hues is layered aslope a classic sofa in chalky white linen, punctuated with accessories in jewel brights.

nine. Rethink the colors yous choose for woodwork

living room ideas in leather and blue/black

Sometimes it'south skilful to think 'out of the box' when it comes to searching for living room ideas – nosotros're and then oftentimes ruled by the 'paint your skirtings and woodwork' white that nosotros forget that nosotros can do something different.

We honey this expect by Andrew Dominic Article of furniture (opens in new tab) – the sash windows and panelling painted in this inky blueish shade creates a stunning focal indicate that acts as a perfect backdrop for the paw-made article of furniture placed in forepart of it.

10. Tuck a sofa into a window bay

A mutual solution for a bay window in a living room is to covert it into a window seat. Instead, utilise a bay window equally a brilliant-but-cozy inlet for a statement sofa, a la this space past Connecticut-based Camden Grace Interiors (opens in new tab). Think of it every bit the window seat'south sophisticated older cousin.

Add sconces and you'll have your new favorite reading nook.

11. Cull a bold wallpaper for an impactful space

Living room papered in Morris & Co wallpaper

If maximalism is your thing, assuming living room wallpaper ideas, similar the one in this living room by Morris & Co (opens in new tab), are a good way to create a infinite that feels eclectic, lively and fun. Choosing a pale green or blue for a maximalist design is a good choice for a living space – it volition tone down the effect of the blueprint to create an overall much calmer experience.

'For a playful room go for a vibrant printed pattern on your piece of furniture. If you're non brave with pattern choose a plain hardwearing woven textile and add some stylish cushions,' says Hayley McAfee, Design Managing director, Villa Nova (opens in new tab).

12. Don't exist agape to mix different eras

You lot don't need to accept a one-track mind when looking for living room ideas.

'Nosotros aim to create spaces that are inviting and timeless and we dearest to create a balanced mix of older antique pieces juxtaposed with vintage items and contemporary designs,' says Susie Atkinson, Founder of London-based Interior Blueprint Studio Susie Atkinson (opens in new tab).

'Sometimes we might incorporate antiques that our clients have had forever as a starting point for a living room scheme, or we will source some characterful pieces for them. Mixing the old and the new ensures that a room won't be overly influenced by current trends and date chop-chop, while statement pops of color and pattern combined with natural materials will really bring information technology to life with a tone of modernity.

'For this room, we sourced a beautiful antique bobbin chair and updated it with a lovely slubby antique linen which nosotros had dyed in this sunny yellow color, and the sleek lines and mirror finish of our cube steel side table contrasts it beautifully.'

'We love to contain unlike design styles into our spaces, including mixing new with antiquarian pieces. It helps to make the space feel layered and similar it has been effectually for a long time,' says Heidi Caillier, Founder, Heidi Caillier Blueprint (opens in new tab).

thirteen. Use rugs to tie living room colors together

Living room rug ideas aren't used every bit much as they should be – simply they can add so much to a scheme, including color and pattern. We asked Clara Ewart, Caput of Blueprint at Kitesgrove (opens in new tab) for her thoughts on how important they can be to a scheme.

'A strong rug can exist transformational, bringing personality, texture and warmth to a living room. Sometimes they are a subtle design that anchors the overall scheme but sometimes it'due south a stronger statement piece that dictates the tone of the whole room. We love to work with our clients to source something special and and so use this equally the starting betoken for the wider scheme.

'Whether you accept a dramatically patterned rug that will be complemented by softened tones in the balance of the room, or a more neutral rug that volition work with bolder colors and patterns, it's probable to exist an investment piece that will stand the exam of time. As a guide, we ever recommend making certain your living room rug is as big as possible – anything too small-scale will look pinched and uncomfortable.'

14. Permit artwork inspire the all-time color for a living room

More often than not, nosotros cull our living room art ideas at the terminate of the decorating process, but actually, a favorite painting tin can be used as your starting point, every bit Cath Beckett, Co-Founder of British Interior Pattern Studio, Xanthous London (opens in new tab) explains:

'We ofttimes commencement with artwork our clients choose or already love and extrapolate a wider scheme from there, drawing out hitting paint colors to create harmony within the room. Fine art is and then personal but if it is a slice that really speaks to us, it is a great place to start a scheme as it will say a lot about a client'south general style and colour preferences.

'Once we have those details decided, complementary upholstery and the softer details will catamenia more naturally to create a cohesive and beautiful scheme.'

'Fine art is always part of the moving picture for me. For me these terminal elements are what gives a firm soul and a affect of magic,' says Rebekah Caudwell, Founder, Rebekah Caudwell Design (opens in new tab).

xv. Choose earthy tones for an enveloping feel

Earthy tones and textures in a living room

How we dearest the terracotta tones of this living room, which has been created with a Zinc Textile (opens in new tab) x Martin Hulbert Design collaboration. Plaster-outcome walls combine with dark wood to conjure up a desert-home feel that's actually highly-seasoned. The low-slung sofa is a clever trick designers utilise to make rooms seem high.

sixteen. Layer color for an energizing space

Peter pennoyer living room idea with colorful Palm Beach inspired interior

If you're upward for a bold stroke, effort decorating your living room floor-to-ceiling in saturated colour, like this Palm Beach room by Peter Pennoyer (opens in new tab).

There are a few ways to pull off such a daring wait. One, choose an inspiration piece, like a carpet or artwork, to pull hues from. This ensures your room stays cohesive and creates a reference point for each color.

Two, continue the colors in a similar shade or tone, like brights or pastels. Matching tones will keep the room feeling unified.

Or three, if you're partial to a single color, mix upwardly a monochrome look by incorporating diverse shades and tones of a single color.

17. Pile on texture with archetype living room ideas

Classical living room with neutral palette and textural materials

Piling on texture can be smart when creating neutral living room ideas.

'In a tranquility corner, the elegant grade of a classical pedestal tabular array offers the perfect perch for a display of shapely vessels. The absurd white marble peak, ensures a modern classic experience, equally does the monochrome palette which works beautifully confronting the natural plaster walls and warmth of the cane chair seat, wooden floors and woven rug,' says H&M's decorating editor Emma Thomas, of this room that nosotros recently created for a Archetype Decorating set.

'Consider texture to be equally important equally color and pattern. There is nothing worse than a flat design.Try mixing different textures such as natural linens with soft velvets or robust leathers with thick wools,' advises Camilla Clarke, Artistic Director, at interiors agency Albion Nord (opens in new tab).

18. Warm up a monotone scheme with wood

South Carolina-based interior designer Cortney Bishop is known for her modern pattern vision that runs the gamut of style and construction, balancing comfort with creativity and functionality.

She brings this to the living rooms she designs by combining neutrals with a ton of wood textures, which brand the spaces feel easy to live with, blusterous and bright, only warm and welcoming, likewise. Here, the wooden ceiling is the star of the show, subtly echoed below by the warm tones in the piece of furniture and soft furnishings.

19. Plan the layout to the last inch

UK-based designer Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan (opens in new tab) believes careful planning is all-important when it comes to design – and since your living room ideas are quite literally the center of your home, it'southward all the more of import.

'Measure out and plan where you lot are going to put each piece of piece of furniture and make sure you lot take sockets in all the right places before y'all get decorating or ordering,' she says.

xx. Split a living room to adjust your daily routines

Where once living rooms were somewhere we watched Boob tube in the evenings, they're now invariably sitting rooms, homework studies for kids, dwelling offices for adults and, of course, pic rooms – which is why searches for cleaved program living rooms are rising sharply.

So how to pack this all into one infinite? If yours is a long living room yous can divide it semi-permanently without closing off an surface area of the room entirely. The smartest, nearly permanent manner to exercise so is with a wall of glazing, equally above, which can include doors – allowing family members some time apart to pursue dissimilar activities, while keeping the room feeling spacious and open.

21. Create a welcoming space with a ton of texture

If you are looking for long living room ideas that make cold and disunited spaces experience more than cohesive and welcoming, look to this room. ots of texture in furnishings, article of furniture and fifty-fifty wall surfaces and flooring, can make the space feel more cohesive and warmer.

In the living room film higher up, the rug is the ascendant textural feature in the room, echoed by the textile the blinds are fabricated from and the various pieces of wooden or wicker furniture. The effect is heightened and complemented by the texture of the wall panels.

22. Use article of furniture scaling to exaggerate a living room's proportions

If your living room has low ceilings – or you want to make a living rooms ceilings experience taller than they are – picking a low-slung couch for a small living room is a uncomplicated way to make the room feel taller.

Notation, too, low furniture creates a much more relaxed living room, while taller piece of furniture or high-backed seating creates a more formal feel.

23. Enliven a patently scheme with bold artwork

Living room ideas with bold artwork and modern furnishings

Whether you are considering a quick living room update or are looking for living room ideas for creating a focal point, artwork is an fantabulous option.

'Knowing the ambiance y'all are aiming to accomplish in your living room helps,' advises Federica Barretta Director of Opera Gallery London (opens in new tab). 'Consider the architectural features of the room yous are buying for, from ceiling elevation to the color scheme and lighting, when choosing a work of art. Living rooms are where the family gets together and where guests are entertained, making them the best places to showcase the richness and eclecticism of one's art collection.'

Living room ideas featuring upholstery with a shimmering finish

Metallics in a living room needn't exist limited to hard surfaces such as light fittings and furniture – upholstery or drapery fabric with a shimmering finish can also bring glamor and enliven an otherwise neutral space.

'Velvet is extraordinarily hard-wearing material,' says Homes & Gardens Editor in Master, Lucy Searle. 'I inherited a sofa from my parents that they bought in the 1970s. Information technology is a archetype velvet slice with a strong, sculptural frame, and the fabric looks equally expert every bit it did when they bought it. If you are considering living room seating ideas, know that a well-cared for velvet sofa will however look fabulous in decades to come.'

25. Mix motifs just keep the scheme elementary

Living room ideas showing a striking wave design on the sofa offers a contrast to the more subtle prints elsewhere

Monochromatic color schemes make for very restful living room ideas. Using a variety of motifs in 1 hue and keeping pattern to the upholstery, while walls and floors remain obviously, brings depth to a scheme without it feeling as well busy. In this room, a striking wave design on the sofa offers a dissimilarity to the more subtle prints elsewhere.

26. Create an accent wall with art

Looking for accent wall ideas to give your living room focus? If y'all are because a brandish of artwork in a living room, i style to actually arrive shine is by painting the wall behind it a assuming shade that's a total contrast to the colors within the pictures or paintings.

This series of leaf prints set confronting a vibrant emerald-green wall offers a very modernistic have on the botanical theme. Sparse accessories and the make clean lines of the piece of furniture add together to the gimmicky flavor of the space.

27. Highlight original features with pigment

Simply a few simple living room paint ideas tin transform a neutral living infinite into one that's really quite special.

Here, the black-painted window frame and original shutters provides both a contrast to the walls of the room and creates a frame for the deep emerald green sofa, drawing the heart for a dramatic focal betoken.

The lustre of brass elements shine brightly when set against a calm properties of cool greys, too.

28. Pick a subtle mural to add definition to a plain room

Living room ideas featuring an architectural mural and a scheme with neutral, muted furnishings

Intriguing and subtle, this architectural mural adds a lighter decorative touch to this scheme in which neutral, muted effects permit it to take centre stage. A ledge of rustic wood echoes the horizontal lines of the print and creates display space for elegant accessories.

29. Brand a dark living room feel instantly summery

If your living room is north- or east-facing, or if information technology lacks natural daylight, your option of decor can change its mood dramatically.

This is where light-green living room ideas can come in useful: it's a transformative colour that can connect indoors with outdoors, and make a room feel brighter and more cheerful, fifty-fifty when the tones you choose are quite subtle or elegant. This trellis wallpaper speaks of blissful summer days in the garden. Working geometric motifs into the scheme gives the finished look a modern edge.

thirty. Layer texture—and rugs—for a cozy space

Layering a variety of textures is a surefire way to brand a room experience inviting. In this seating area, blueprint firm WellXDesign (opens in new tab) mixed and matched a polish velvet sofa with nubby boucle chairs, and a petrified wood coffee tabular array to achieve texture harmony. On the floor, a wool rug is overlaid on a jute version to create another tactile moment.

31. Give a muted living room a bright spot (or two)

The term 'pop of color' has become a chip of a decorating platitude, but like all clichés, there'southward adept reason for it. Adding a dose or two of color to an otherwise neutral room tin turn a pretty space into a memorable one.

If y'all're looking for a mode to liven up white walls and neutral furniture, effort on colour with bright mantle, throw pillows, and a floral system.

32. Layer natural tones on natural tones for a calm appeal

Mixing elegantly crafted gimmicky pieces with a serene palette of materials and hues gathered from nature will create calming interiors with a focus on the finer details.

Timeless living room decor offers respite from the whirlwind of modern life – and with the neutral elements in identify, it is like shooting fish in a barrel to play with the rest of your palette every bit seasons alter.

33. Enliven an all white scheme with clever accessorizing

Living room with brown detailing, dark wood flooring and a table of leafy plants

A blackness cane sofa arranged with palm leaf-motif cushions against plain ochre linen lends an elegant exotic experience to a classic scheme – and it'due south a look that y'all tin create apace, and update again by simply swapping out the cushions.

Dark wood flooring and a tabular array of leafy plants complete the await.

34. Choice mismatched chairs for a relaxed wait

Don't feel yous always accept to match everything in your living room – in fact, a mismatch can be mannerly if the colors you use complement each other.

Simple utility is given a light and pretty dimension with horticulturally themed decorative flourishes and happily mismatched pattern in schemes that embody relaxed charm.

35. Use checks for a smart update

This smart living room decor, which mixes different-sized checks on upholstery, blinds and cushions in a dashing combination of black, white and xanthous, gives traditional gingham a refreshing contemporary twist.

36. Focus on flooring

Living room flooring sets the scene, then it is a very important starting point for a living room design. 'Commonly, I begin thinking about the hall floor,' remarks Sean Cochran, artistic manager, Cochrane Design (opens in new tab).

'For instance, if I've used directly wooden boards along the length of the hall, I might utilise parquet in the same tone and end in the living room.' We accept seen a resurgence of interest in forest flooring, so there are now all kinds of parquet styles, extra-wide boards and different finishes available.

37. Pattern a picture perfect living room

Yellow living room ideas can be really elegant if you combine them with antique pieces and traditional article of furniture, arranged in considered fashion around a key coffee table to create a classic look. The grand proportions of the room are accentuated past the serial of prints hung symmetrically across 1 entire wall, adding both personality and color to the scheme.

38. Instill purity in your space

Living room with polished concrete flooring, organic-shaped furnishings, and a smart grasscloth wall covering

Go dorsum to basics with your living room ideas. Alongside all the clamor of color, pattern and shape in current interior pattern, there's a quieter story of considered, understated forms and textures at their finest.

Dress your scheme with simple linen or silk, sleek metal, rich forest and polished stone to bring an elegance and timelessness to interiors, placing them in a higher place and across seasonal fads. Here polished physical flooring offers a smoothen, subdued contrast to organic-shaped furnishings, while a smart grasscloth wall covering lets dramatic artwork practise the talking.

39. Add an element of light elegance

Living room with fire, rug and traditional armchairs

An antique Farsi carpet defines the seating areas in this living room. The rich colors of the rug and traditional armchairs add warmth, their formality start past comfy couches covered in natural linen to introduce a lighter mood.

Furniture is symmetrically placed to create a balanced wait, while the centre is fatigued to the focal point fireplace in this cozy living room.

40. Create interest through scale and texture

living room ideas with fabric and wallpaper

'Blueprint is a great way to introduce character to living room decor,' explains Bunny Turner, interior designer, Turner Pocock (opens in new tab). It tin can be used to define a infinite and change the tone of different areas. 'For example, y'all might want a bolder pattern on upholstery in a formal living area with a constant pattern used in an next snug.'

The key is to offset with a fabric that has a striking pattern featuring more than three colors. From that fabric choose the colors to be used in the scheme, then select a combination of designed in that palette, mayhap a stripe, a geometric, a floral and a textural selection such as a coarse linen or herringbone.

41. Create a wall characteristic

The space above the couch itself can often be forgotten, but information technology needs but equally much attention every bit other living room ideas. Choose prints that coordinate with the overall scheme of the room and hang in an assortment of matchings frames. Group in odd numbers to create harmony and visual interest, or play around with a symmetrical look to create remainder.

42. Brand a statement

Living room with blue sofa and wall panelling

Go bold and inject colour with a mix of textures and prints. If you've got a plain backdrop, opt for a vibrant couch, such as a shade of hit bluish, and dress it with a collection of contrasting cushions for a real visual feast. And don't neglect the area under your feet – add a patterned rug to anchor the space.

A tactile rug on top of a forest floor adds a layer of interest and condolement to a living room. Choose a large rug, and so y'all can position all the furniture on it, rather than half-on, half-off, which is distracting.

In a large open up-programme room, a rug can define the seating area. If there is a signature piece of piece of furniture, for example a blue chair, pick a carpet with an accent of blueish to brand the chair stand out.

44. Let the lite in

Sand colored firep;ace with tiled backing, white, horizontal walls

A refined palette or soft colors and pared-dorsum way give this modern family living expanse past interior designer Cortney Bishop its bright, uncluttered feels. Sinuous living room ideas, such equally the curvaceous furniture, accentuate the calorie-free mood of this design.

Note the color punch supplied by the patterned rug, which adds involvement and warmth to the room, and the filmy defunction that allow lite into the room.

'A quick and easy mode to turn your window into a decorative characteristic is to introduce trimmings to existing defunction. For patterned curtains find a trim that complements the print and use it to add an interesting border, whilst with a apparently fabric yous can have a bit more fun, utilise the trim to create a stripe effect beyond fabric, creating a unique design characteristic,' says Hayley McAfee, Design Director, Villa Nova

45. Utilise lighting for dramatic effect

living room ideas with impressive chandelier and pink rug

Chandeliers and pendants are popular living room lighting ideas for dramatic effect, but they don't need to be in the center of a room. Endeavour hanging a pendant low over a desk or table, or perhaps 3 blown-glass spheres suspended at different heights in a corner. Using a pendant is an unusual way can add a fun layer to your lighting scheme.

46. Choice a stand-out furniture

Living room with bold blue walls and red sideboard

Only a single piece of living room furniture tin transform a living room scheme. It needn't exist equally assuming as the sideboard above – it may be shapely, from a contrasting period (call back mid-century in an otherwise country-fashion space) or it may be its proportions.

Or, to look at it a different way, it may be that you tin add together a unmarried, boldly colored piece that's an utter contrast to your living room pigment ideas. This will require some bravery, experimentation, and a willingness to acknowledge when you have got it wrong.

47. Go along information technology slap-up and tidy

Modern life requires that the main room of the abode fulfil a multitude or functions, then well-planned living room storage is key when designing and planning a living room. Good storage is essential in a family room, and this shelving unit of measurement provides generous space for displaying favorite objects, books and photographs, while built-in cupboards and drawers conceal DVDs, games and AV equipment.

48. Make a characteristic out of a monochrome scheme

living room ideas with monochrome details

Black and white is ideal for a living infinite, where you can actually go to town with pattern, texture and prints. If a white sofa isn't practical, then choose a design in charcoal or pewter and layer with throws and cushions in various muted black and white. Plenty of black and white prints and an eye-catching pouf or rug will brand a statement, and yous tin always soften the look with pale tones of grey, beige or creamy whites.

49. Let the floor do the talking

Introduce blueprint and natural character to the abode with an e'er-pop forest floor. Wood remains an enduring choice for interiors and is wonderfully versatile. An intricately laid parquet combining marquetry and parquetry demonstrates the highest level of craftsmanship in this living room by architectural and interior design visitor, Indicate 3 Design (opens in new tab).

Take a light-touch approach with other aspects of the decorating and keep the residue of the scheme neutral to focus the eyes.

50. Take inspiration from nature

Living room with wood panelling by Studio Ashby

Interior designer Sophie Ashby (opens in new tab) reveals that nature provided the inspiration for this scheme's welcoming, bawdy palette. This is quite a grown-upward room, and the seating arrangement reflects this, with a pair of bespoke, classic couches in a sage-green velvet, teamed with a tan daybed.

'The palette was inspired by Holland Park in London and features neutral colors: greens, blues, russets, oranges and yellows,' says Sophie. 'We started with the rug, which we designed as an ode to the park, incorporating peacock feathers too as leaf motifs.'

'When looking at softer aspects within a infinite, opt for richer colors that can give a sense of warmth. If you are looking for a more tendency led pattern then focus on investing in items with fringing or trims as it adds more depth to the design,' advises Holly Gannon, Design Manager, Milc Interiors (opens in new tab).

51. Unite classic with gimmicky elements

Katie Harbison of belongings development and design studio Banda (opens in new tab) achieves an elegant mix of modern and mid-century modern living room design in this room. Allow the room's beautiful proportions and original moldings to shine by keeping the backdrop neutral.

'Walls are painted in a subtle grey and the flooring is a natural oak, topped with a silky grey rug,' explains Katie. The sofa'southward rounded shape virtually embraces the athwart coffee table by artist Thomas Markunpoika. Every piece in the room is individual, only together they create a sense of harmony, thanks to their natural colors and subtle textural interest.

52. Pick a unmarried stand-out accent fabric

living room ideas with pink walls and armchairs upholstered in stripey fabric

A evidently room tin wait utterly different if you lot add in some dauntless upholstery – here, an otherwise neutral living space has been given a affect of archetype glamour with upholstery in broad stripes.

Decorating with stripes similar this can likewise play with a room's proportions – putting them vertically on upright chairs will make the chairs look taller and narrower, creating a subtle focal point in the room.

53. Be sympathetic to the age of your property

Work with the age of your home to create a sympathetic living room decor scheme that is both timeless and stylish. To reflect the age of the property, interior design company Sigmar (opens in new tab) used traditional grey for the walls, providing a gimmicky note with pale-greenish doors and woodwork.

A stronger colour was added with green Kaare Klint Safari chairs and cushions in ocean blue tones to create a calm but edgy wait. 'This infinite was stripped of its Victorian details in the 1960s,' says designer Ebba Thott. 'We reinstated cornicing and deep skirting boards, raising the door frames to gloat the ceiling superlative.'

54. Requite florals a modern twist

Living room with green sofa and fireplace

Use the latest foliage and floral motifs to bring uplifting color and decorative interest to your living room ideas. Pair botanicals with dramatically dark walls to give a surprising gimmicky twist to a traditional look. Use vibrantly colored upholstery to add further layers of richness.

55. Decorate with a ocean of blueish

Breathe new life into the classic coastal look with a breezy palette of blues, from soft shades of stake through to denim, teal and Breton navy, all complemented by pops of vibrant ruby-red.

Opting for bold, block color, such as azure, denim or sapphire, on upholstery and in rugs allows depth to be added with pattern.

In this blueish living room, a fine ticking stripe and geometric print fabrics provide lively highlights that catch the eye.

56. Mix and match materials

Accents of chalky terracotta, brown and duck egg blue combine beautifully to bring depth to this scheme'due south neutral base. Comprise accessories in a diverseness of materials, including glass, metallic, ceramic and wood, to create a modern look. Soften the scheme with costly upholstery fabrics, which raise the feel of understated luxury.

57. Create a second focal betoken with a Tv set cabinet

If you lot take both a Telly and a fireplace in your living room, they don't accept to co-exist. In fact, many interior designer would cringe at the thought of mounting a goggle box above a fireplace. Instead, Connecticut-based Camden Grace Interiors (opens in new tab) immune each of these prime living room features its breathing room by building a wall chiffonier for the tv set. The furniture layout is fluid enough to allow either allure to take eye stage.

58. Innovate wood for warmth

If you're looking for living room ideas for a cool space – maybe 1 served past due north- or eastward-facing windows that only deliver morning daylight, if at all – it is a wise thought to add warmth to the room with structural materials. You tin can do this with a wooden flooring, wood-paneled walls or wooden ceilings.

Or, of course you can simply add together warmth with wooden furniture and complementing colors and textures in other furnishings.

This gorgeous room is by Champalimaud Pattern (opens in new tab) in New York.

59. Replenish wisely around statement lighting

Living room ideas with lighting and low furniture

If you are picking out statement living room lighting for a room that doesn't accept really high ceilings, ensure your furniture – specially the coffee table and seating grouped on an area carpet beneath the lighting – is depression-slung. This will allow the room to breathe and for the lighting to be a focal betoken without the infinite feeling crowded.

'Exercise non be afraid to play with scale when it comes to bespoke statement lighting,' says Natalia Miyar (opens in new tab), an LA-based interior architect and designer, who designed the room above. 'There are some wonderful high street options available if you do non have the budget to committee something bespoke. My advice is to not play too safe and utilise this equally an opportunity to have a piffling fun.'

Architectural lighting is a solution that designers also use to light dark areas, surfaces and to highlight a room's construction. 'Think of the angles in the room and how to lite them,' continues Natalia Miyar. 'What y'all desire to accomplish is a range of light sources, calorie-free should be emitted from various points of the room and at different levels.'

60. Choice a dark wall colour – merely add touches of lite and warmth

Living room with dark walls and pale sofa

Stefani Stein (opens in new tab), who runs an interior design studio in LA, specializes in room schemes that are piece of cake to live with but which even so create affect.

This nighttime living room above typifies her arroyo – drama in the contrasts, curvaceous furniture that's modernistic but welcoming and a really traditional feel, despite the modern approach.

If, like Stefani, yous wish to use a dark color on your living room walls to create a cozy, intimate feel, exist sure to balance out the darker shades with pale colors, seen hither on the sofas, the floor and at the windows – and add together a touch of warmth with emphasis colors in piece of furniture and accessories.

61. Choice an eclectic combination for a welcoming living room

Living room with colorful sofa and bright accents

London-based interior pattern studio Kelling Designs (opens in new tab) honey to design rooms that waver betwixt elegance and practicality – and we call back this living room encapsulates that perfectly. The eclectic mix of patterns are perfect for weathering busy family life, while adding color, interest and – importantly – warmth to the space. The employ of contrasting patterns work because the color palette is complementary, with each subordinate to the couch.

62. Go for a calm, pared-dorsum await

Featuring beautifully crafted pieces with cleaner lines than their rustic cousins, this season'due south take on land style shows perennial favorites in an elegant new lite.

For pared-back living room ideas, upholstered furniture should have a simple silhouette and minimal detailing. To accomplish this look, opt for a neat sofa in a plain linen with no buttoning, while loose covers tin can exist fabricated for existing armchairs. Hints of subtle pattern and colour can exist introduced with soft effects.

63. Use a bay window for storage and seating

Inspired by the timber-clad summerhouses of Scandinavia and New England, this relaxed decorating scheme, which echoes the delicate shades of nature, has been designed to mistiness the boundary betwixt indoors and out.

Meliorate all the same? The window seat provides a pretty focal point, can hide storage below a hidden, lift-upwardly lid, and is a wonderful identify to perch.

64. Go for contemporary grey

Living room with dark blue wall, grey sofa, pink rug and bold table

'Greyness living room ideas' is 1 of the nigh searched for phrases online – but many are really simply a whisper away from neutral or beige living rooms, so pale are they. If you lot want to create a dramatic scheme that'due south cozy at night, a deep, contemporary greyness similar the one in this room is a bold but rewarding move.

Exist sure to add together warmth to the scheme with hotter colors, but choose them to match the depth of the grey so that the look remains modern and so that they tin can stand up to the grayness.

65. Comprehend symmetry

Living room with symmetrical mirrors and lamps

Symmetry in interior design is usually introduced to create a balanced, calm infinite that's perfect for a living room that you want every bit a retreat. The simplest way to create symmetry is around a fireplace, only you can employ a large piece of furniture with matching side tables and lamps for the same upshot.

66. Decorate in a neutral palette

Living room in neutral colors with outdoor courtyards

The search for the ideal neutral is not every bit easy as it would initially appear. Pure whites can often exist likewise stark, while trying to warm it up means possibly straying into magnolia territory. The colour cycle is your oyster when it comes to choosing accompanying shades. For a soothing experience, sage or olive are perfect partners, soft browns and whites add together elegance, while dusky pinks add subtle vibrancy.

Hither, a nature-inspired palette of cool neutrals provides a cute backdrop to a host of raw materials, delicate texture and lush greenery.

67. Pick a palette of master colors

One or two master colors against a muted palette has an artistic border. If you are as well nervous to become all-out with a chief palette – a single vase or key piece of piece of furniture will suffice.

68. Add together an unexpected twist

living room with warm tones and textiles inspired by South American influences

Inspired by funfair in Rio, nosotros are transported to warmer climes with these bohemian living room ideas. Feel the rut with a warming palette of earthy red, spicy coral and sandy yellow mixed with a riot of design. A plain curtain fabric is brought to life with a vibrant pattern on the reverse.

Set confronting a warm neutral rock backdrop, the warm tones used throughout are layered upwardly for maximum bear upon, from the curtain fabrics with trim pelmet higher up, to the pattern-rich sofa, cushions and rug. All the colors and blueprint brand for a happy and uplifting combination.

69. Create a conversation area

living room with traditional furnishings

To give your country living room an atmosphere of warmth and welcome, arrange seating to make conversation – non the TV – the focus.

'In this room, the armchairs and sofas face each other across an upholstered ottoman, on which a tray of drinks or afternoon tea could be placed,' says interior designer Jojo Bradley (opens in new tab). 'The comfortable furniture is softened further with cushions that invite you to relax and settle in for a while.'

This type of piece of furniture arrangement works really well for minor or larger groups, too. The pair of armchairs with their own side table provide an expanse for ii people to sit down and talk together, while the sofas provide additional seating when crowds gather.

70. Introduce an creative touch with a painterly mural

living room inspired by Japanese design influences

Meandering florals and cake-printed patterns are paired with rattans and jewel-similar teals for a living scene with a Far Due east twist – it's like a gentle stroll through serene Japanese gardens. Warm and cool tones piece of work well together, as here with the contrast of the cool teal blues of the coffee table and sofa, upholstered in rich velvet, fix against the rich bawdy reds of the wallpaper panel and painted cabinet.

How should I decorate my living room?

A proficient starting point for decorating a living room is to call up nearly how many people you need to fit in your space on a regular basis. This will help you lot to choose the correct living room furniture and living room storage.

Your floor plan should consider the room's layout from a social and practical point of view. Plan seating in groups to ensure conversation flows when you take guests and consider scale and how different pieces will sit together. Seating heights vary so balance is cardinal, but make sure guests are seated at the same level.

'Non everything has to be 2-by-2 when it comes to layout,' says interior designer Nina Campbell (opens in new tab). 'By combining different styles, colors and finishes you volition create an effortlessly eclectic look.'

'Do put together a measured programme of your living room before buying new pieces of furniture to understand the sizes you require,' explains Emma Sims Hilditch, interior designer at Sims-Hilditch (opens in new tab). 'That way you lot will avert making expensive mistakes.'

In terms of color, your living room should reflect how y'all want to feel in that space. It is the room in which you will spend the most fourth dimension in, and so it is of import to get it right.

Which colors brand a living room expect bigger?

'White and neutral shades are e'er the become-to color equally they make a small living room wait bigger, airier, and more open,' says David Harris, Blueprint Director at Andrew Martin (opens in new tab).

'All the same, for small space living, yous can be more than daring. Don't be afraid of dark and rich colors, like coffee or dark grey, such as or try teal or even orange, for a braver burst of colour.'

These hues bring richness, intimacy and actress depth whilst allowing you lot to testify personality and flair. Layering these deep rich colors with artwork likewise adds fantastic texture and interest.