10 living room design ideas you'll want to steal

17 May

Our Reno Club student’s Anna’s living room

Living rooms are bursting with potential for little DIY projects, transformations, nifty tricks and cool design ideas to upgrade your room. And now we’re spending more time indoors, why not add or change a few bits here of there to spruce up the room where you relax, have fun and make time for you.

So, whether it’s a fresh twist on paint techniques, a new way to make the most of your storage space, a crafty DIY project or delightful decor inspiration, we’ve got an abundance of of tips, tricks, ideas and decor to get you well on the way to your next project. And if your home design project is all a bit intimidating for you, then take a look at our Home Design Lab for the ultimate helping hand.

Living room plants — Fi & Neil’s liivng room with plants

1. Bring in houseplants where you can

We’ve seen a huge trend around houseplants in recent years and we’re totally onboard with it.

Having houseplants in the rooms you spend most time in not only looks wonderfully vibrant but they also have numerous health benefits, least of all improving the quality of air in your home.

If you’ve chosen a neutral colour palette like Fi & Neil, houseplants can add a subtle but noticeable injection of colour into the room whilst still being calming.

Living room wall lights — Our Reno Club student’s Anna’s living room

2. Wall lights are always a smart choice

If you like to spend long evenings in your living room and don’t necessarily want the full brightness of ceiling lights then wall lights are your go-to.

You might even have exposed beams which don’t allow for downlights, in which case you can use wall lamps to make your living room even cosier.

Look out for designs that you can angle in different directions so you can focus on reading or a focal point in the room.

Living room sliding door idea - Image credit: Benjamin Moore

3. Sliding doors just make sense

Sliding doors work in a living room on various levels. First, they can be a great room separator if you’ve got knocked through to make an open-plan kind of layout but still want to be able to separate the two at times.

Also, sliding doors are neat. They take up far less space than a traditional door which swings out into the room.

You can find doors to match your decor or even consider a smaller sliding door for entry to the room.

living room drinks area — Living room bar area idea - Image credit: Design & Architecture by Rider Stirland / Photography by Adam Scott

4. Work a drinks space into your living room

We love how bringing a drinks area into your living room subtly is the newer and cooler version of having a full-blown bar in the home.

Whether it’s a beautiful bar cart or using the space in your alcove shelving to show off your tipples of choice, it’s like an open invitation to entertain and welcome your guests into your home.

It’s great to see how everyday objects can be used as styling cues and brings a bit of fun into the mix.

Living room reading nook — Idea for a living room reading nook - Image credit: ILIV

5. Create a cosy reading nook

For those of you with a space corner, bay window or a little extra space that you’re not sure what to do with, think about building a little reading nook.

You can start with a small space as you don’t need full ceiling heights and, if you got with a carpenter to build this for you, you can work in built-in storage, space for books and make it all a nice styling opportunity.

Think of all the sunny afternoons you’ll spend curled up with a book and a hot cuppa.

Coordinated living room furnishings — Idea for living room coordination - Image credit: ILIV

6. Create cohesion with a palette of soft furnishings

One of the single most impactful things you can do to give your living room a new look is to update the soft furnishings like sofa fabric, cushion cases and any window dressing.

We suggest starting with your colour palette of choice and then finding a handful of fabrics that work with the shade you choose and reflect that around the room.

Not only will this give serious cohesion in the room but it also looks mightily sophisticated.

Loving these designs but feel like you can’t do the same in your home?

You absolutely can!

Our FREE 3 day email series equips you with the best lessons in home design so you can do it yourself and love the end design.

Natural light idea for a living room - Image credit: ILIV

7. Harness natural light wherever possible

This idea looks absolutely stunning in this living room but can be applied to almost any living room in any home.

Whether it’s supersizing an external window, nestling your living area in a side extension or fitting skylights to make the most of what nature gives us, natural light is unparalleled in what it brings to a space. Think about the cosy Sunday afternoons you can spend reading perfectly illuminated, regardless of the weather outside.

This particular home also channels the best of nature in the colour palette and soft furnishings.

Exposed features in a living room — Living room exposed features idea - Image credit: Garden Trading

8. Harness your heritage features

When it comes to renovating your home, you might have all the style direction you need right under your nose.

Think exposed brick, exposed beams and even ripping up old flooring to uncover solid wood floors.

Be careful before you poke around but you might just uncover a gem of a feature that brings bags of character to your living room.

Colourful living room idea — Colour idea for a living room - Image credit: Benjamin Moore

9. Introduce a colourful wall shade

If you want a fun and energetic living room while still keeping it tasteful and refined, consider introducing a wall shade that stands out but coordinates with your broader colour palette.

Studies have found that green is calming and fosters creativity which makes it wonderful for a living room.

We also really like the idea of introducing colour to your coving for a unique look that brings something fresh into a space you spend so much time in.

Idea to bring hobbies to your living room - Image credit: Benjamin Moore

10. Pay homage to your hobbies

Whatever you like to do in your evenings, weekends and free time, it’s a really nice idea to bring that into your home.

Maybe it’s a sport, a club or a family pastime, bringing that into your living room is a great way to express yourself and really show off your individuality.

It might also just provide extra storage space for bulky items at the same time as using them as decor, so it’s a win-win.

From simple tricks in no time at all to projects to transform your living room, we hope these ideas have filled you with inspiration. As always, we’d love to welcome you to our growing community so do get in touch! If you liked this post make sure you check out our post about cosy living room ideas.