Advertisement

10 cosy living room ideas

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Dan Duchars
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Dan Duchars

As the nights draw in and the weather turns chilly, curling up on the sofa in front of the TV or a good book becomes commonplace. To help you create the ultimate cosy living room, interior design experts share their simple top tips for making the most of your lounge space this autumn and winter. From soft furnishings to mood lighting, learn how to create a cosy living room setting and make your space more inviting.

1. Keep the heat in

It's crucial to make sure your living room is well insulated for the winter months. Start with the main culprit for heat loss – the windows. 'If they're ill-fitting and draughty, it's worth replacing them with double- or triple-glazed units to help retain the heat, keep draughts at bay and maintain condensation-free sills,' says interior designer Julia Kendell.

Additionally, individual thermostats on radiators are useful so you can adjust each room's temperature when needed and minimise fuel costs. For more advice and information about keeping your house warm, visit the Energy Saving Trust.

2. Create a bold palette

Using rich and deep colours is an effective way to give an impression of warmth, says Julia. 'Dark charcoal and navy both look fantastic on walls and work well together, especially when teamed with furnishings in contrasting colours, such as berry shades and mustard yellow,' she explains. 'Wooden furniture is also excellent in combination with a dark palette.'

Bring in burnt oranges, deep reds, mustard yellows, earthy tones or saturated colours for a bolder choice. 'Reflecting the seasons in your home is a great way to freshen up your space. To really lift these colours and bring them to life, consider a mixture of creative layouts, patterns and textures,' says interior designer Rukmini Patel in collaboration with 247 Blinds.

Mid-century modern and industrial styles in particular look great teamed with rich shades.

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Dan Duchars
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Dan Duchars

3. Add some shine

Copper and brass work especially well with grey and navy walls. 'You can introduce a bit of sparkle with most colour schemes if you go for small highlights such as scatter cushions, tea light holders and picture frames,' explains Julia. 'If you want to go further, opt for a wallpaper or curtain fabric with a metallic element in the design.

'Another great use of metallics is on the inside of lampshades as it will cast a warm glow to the surroundings, and even when not lit will still add interest and opulence to the scheme.'

4. Cast a glow

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Rachel Whiting
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Rachel Whiting

With fewer daylight hours in winter, it's important to ensure every cosy living room is well lit. Aim for soft background lighting, says Julia, preferably with ceiling fittings that are dimmable, and a task light by the sofa for reading.

'Low light from table lamps are an excellent addition, use warm LED light bulbs to add additional warmth and comfort to your room, the more yellow the light, the cosier you will feel,' adds interior designer Vanessa Arbuthnott.

And, if you’ve got a darker corner, you could use a lamp to transform it into a reading nook. Try adding a ceramic-based or rattan style table lamp next to your favourite armchair or on either side of your sofa.

'When settling down for the evening, cosied up on the sofa, you don’t want garish overhead lights which can feel too bright and cold,' says interior design psychology expert, Niki Schafer, in collaboration with B&Q. 'To achieve the feeling of cosy – the point at which our bodies relax and we feel a sense of safety – it’s best to sit in a pocket of light. A dimmable floor lamp is perfect to achieve this, as it casts a warm puddle of light in a specific area.

'To create a sense of balance throughout the room, wall lights can also create soft light that doesn’t dominate. Try leaving them on a circuit of their own so they can be used as the sole source of light.'

Mood lighting is also key to creating a snug and cosy environment at home. Vanessa suggests making the fireplace (if you have one) your primary light source for cold evenings.

Julia echoes this idea: 'A woodburning stove will add a warm glow and candlelight creates a cosy atmosphere. Enhance the effect with carefully positioned mirrors and reflective surfaces.'

5. Use home fragrance

Updating your home fragrance is a simple way to introduce the new season into your living room.

'The ambience of your room is identified by the scent, and you can find one which not only matches the season but the décor of your room. Go for rich and warm scents combining bergamot, frankincense and amber, to match the autumn landscape outdoors and sit well with an open fireplace,' suggests Vanessa.

6. Add rugs to hard flooring

Photo credit: Carolyn Barber
Photo credit: Carolyn Barber

'Older properties with exposed floorboards can be particularly draughty from below,' says Julia. 'Filling the gaps with flexible filler can help, or covering the floor with a room-sized rug will instantly deal with the problem.'

A rug over hard flooring can create the warmth and texture to transform your sitting room as well as enhance its visual appeal. 'Place your rug just under the front legs of your sofa and completely under your coffee table,' advises Vanessa. 'Keep it neutral with a plain colour or a light pattern. You can change the entire ambience by picking a bright coloured abstract rug.'

In terms of materials, opt for chunky knit wool rugs or faux fur styles.

'With the ability to create a design statement, soften a hard floor, or even freshen up a lived-in carpet, a rug is a brilliant starting point to transform your home in time for winter – and nothing screams cosy more than a faux fur rug,' says Daniel Prendergast, Design Director at The Rug Seller.

'Whether you choose to place your rug at the heart of your living room or use it to enhance and soften a cosy nook, a faux floor rug can add a luxurious Scandi feel to your living space, creating a soft and warming effect. Choose a neutral tone such as grey or ivory for a contemporary finish or a natural brown for an animal fur (yet faux) effect.'

7. Layer textures

Photo credit: Rachel Whiting
Photo credit: Rachel Whiting

The secret to a warm and cosy living room? Layering. There's nothing quite as inviting on a chilly evening as soft, warm textures to sink into and snuggle up in. Layering and accessorising with extra throws and cushions is a must for lounging.

'Go for a mix of throws and cushions in chunky knit, faux-fur and felted fabrics for the ultimate in cosiness. You can also add in wool and silk for a fabulously indulgent and luxurious effect,' suggests Julia.

Vanessa adds: 'If you have a leather or bright coloured sofa, opt for neutral or contrasting dark shades to tone your living room and make it weather appropriate. Buy a few textured throws and matching pillows, layer them up or drape them over the arms.'

Opt for oranges, reds and caramel, all great tones for this time of the year that will transform your sofa and indeed the whole room.

8. Bring the outdoors in

'Introducing nature indoors is a great way to enhance the cosiness of your home,' says Rukmini. 'Pile pinecones in a vase along with silver birch to add a connection to the outdoors. Placing fire logs near the fireplace, surrounded by candles in lanterns will make you feel warm and snug as the weather changes.'

9. Choose the right blinds

Photo credit: Hillarys
Photo credit: Hillarys

The right window dressing is very important during the autumn and winter months, and blackout blinds can be a great way to insulate the home. These thick fabrics help to keep the heat in during the winter and, in turn, keep it out during the summer.

'It’s important to let the sunlight in during the day to gain as much natural heat as possible. Blinds should be open during the day and closed as soon as dusk falls. On especially dreary winter days, consider keeping the blinds down all day to retain heat,' explains Rukmini.

Additionally, Jason Peterkin, Director at 247 Blinds, explains: 'Wooden Venetians and shutters are often thicker and essentially act as a barrier between your windows and the room. They are particularly good at retaining heat, as wood possesses insulative properties naturally.'

10. Update curtains

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Jo Henderson
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Jo Henderson

Rather than altering the whole scheme, Julia says we should give some thought to year-round options for the living room, for example, replacing lightweight summer curtains with heavyweight drapes in winter, or adding lining such as thermal fleece fabric to lightweight curtains as the season changes.

'When it gets dark and rainy outside, drawing your curtains can make your living room warmer and cosier,' says Vanessa. 'For autumn/winter, beautiful linen curtains with insulating inter lining are a must. Again, choose warm colours such as reds and oranges to create the ultimate warm ambience.'


Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

SIGN UP

In need of some positivity or not able to make it to the shops? Subscribe to House Beautiful magazine today and get each issue delivered directly to your door.

You Might Also Like