Living room ideas to inspire you
New year, new… living room? Our living rooms are called that for a reason, we really do spend most of our lives in them! Whether we are watching TV or chatting with friends, the living room is a place where we are at our most ‘us’.
For 2022, learning how to design your living room so it suits who you are and to go into the new year full of living room ideas, here’s 17 to get you started.
Try out wall panelling
Wall panelling your living room is the interior design choice that never goes out of style. Wall panelling might seem tricky, but it’s actually surprisingly easy - especially if you’re using laminate wall panelling - and makes a real impact on the elegance of a room. If you’re looking to give your living room a little face lift, go try out wall panelling.
Give grey a go
Grey is a great colour to build out from. A change up from the more traditional off-whites, grey gives your living room an extra cosy feel and helps you to really create your own palette. Going for grey floors to ceiling? Have a read of our top tips and tricks for designing a grey living room.
Add some colour
Don’t be afraid of colour in 2022. The more the better! With a roll of wallpaper and some time, you can make your living room exactly what you want. You only live once, so paint the walls that neon yellow and go for it.
For those who are looking to save
No one wants to overspend to redecorate, so try switching up your living room by getting (or making) some new sofa cushions or curtains - trust us it’s easy. Your living room doesn’t have to cost and warm and a leg if you’re trying to save this year.
Fresh and green
Complementing plants with green furniture and patterns creates a serene vibe to your living room. If you have a lot of plants, steer clear of leafy prints and opt for something a little more geometric to contrast your natural green plants.
Offset white walls with dark furniture
Pull the focus of your living room by contrasting white walls with dark furniture - if you’re really going for it, even make the floors dark! You don’t have to keep to black and white though, play with richer colours like greens and blues to keep the room unique and interesting.
Amp up the cosy with earth tones
It doesn’t just have to be brown either, but if you have got a lovely dark brown leather sofa then get some large plants around to (no pun intended) ground the room. By sticking to earth tones and natural materials, your living room will be feeling like a safari in no time.
Choose an unusual focal piece
Go antique shopping and find a piece that really speaks to you - whether it’s a coffee table, bookcase or sofa - and build your living room around it. Choosing more muted and natural tones, your piece will be the centre of attention.
Steer away from the monochrome and metal
The monochrome and metal era is officially over. From shiny silver walls to grey crushed velvet sofa… Please, go back to adding colour to your living room. As for metal, honestly, no one needs to try that hard anymore.
Go all country and head for cottagecore
Ok, so cottagecore isn’t a new trend, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming back already. Remind yourself of the countryside by sticking to exposed brick, natural materials and colours like deep red and off-white to make your living room all country. No need to keep watching Escape To The Country now.
Refresh your materials
If you want to shake up your living room without a complete upheaval, just change a few bits to give your room a little refreshing touch. Change bookshelves from flatpack to wood, coffee tables from wood to glass or even just the sofa cushions for something a bit more fuzzy and cosy.
Mix up textures for cohesion
With upholstery don’t just keep to the velvets, leathers and fabric. Switch it up and mix in some chords or some unique chairs, don’t be afraid of natural materials like wood and hemp and include your personality too. Think about places you’ve been or bits of furniture you’ve really enjoyed and find colours or patterns to bring into your own space.
Let the outside in
We’ve already mentioned about adding green, but get some plants in your life! If you have children or pets, keep to non-toxic plants and make sure that the plants suit you - researching the needs of your plants is important when it comes to placing and maintaining them. Get bigger plants for corners and smaller ones that don’t block the light for the windowsills.
Go big or go home
Get a huge coffee table. Why not? Build your room around the table and let the coffee table do all the talking. Whether it’s a wood table, glass or even marble, mix up your living room in a big way (if you have the space, of course). If a coffee table isn’t for you, you can pick another piece of furniture to be your showpiece.
Brighten up with some art
If your living room is looking a little drab, get a big, colourful artwork to hang on the wall. Pick up some of the colours already in your living room and bring them together in one artwork for maximum impact. Hang it on the biggest wall and watch the room come together.
Change up the prints, not the colours
You don’t need to pick up the same pattern in every piece of furniture, complementing or even - dare we say - clashing patterns can work together, as long as there’s one colour that’s the same in each one. It’s not all about sofas and chairs either, contrast your rug’s pattern with your wallpaper or the lines of your coffee table.
Just hire a professional
It’s 2022 and not everyone has the time to redecorate their entire living room, so treat yourself and actually hire someone who’s job it is to make your room look great! Remember, it’s the most used room in your house, so feel free to splash out a little on it.
Remember when decorating your living room, bring your own personality to the room and create a space you really enjoy spending time in. It’s important to think before you do when it comes to living room design, you’ll be sitting in there for a long time - so make sure you really love it.
