Madalynn Dudley
Join our newsletter Name: Your Email Address Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to Realhomes. The more cozy of living room ideas are perfect for winter of course, but will also work throughout the year by swapping in different decorative accessories that nod to each season. 'A great way to make your living room feel and look cozy is with a large rug that stretches out underneath the furniture – so there are no draughts and your toes only touch soft tactile surfaces,' says Debbie Drake, head of design at Dunelm (opens in new tab).
Create an unfussy but chic look with abstract paint stroke motifs, curved silhouettes, and strokably-soft velour.
Trust us when we say it pays dividends to invest in a material that won't make you shriek first thing in the morning (hello cold tiles, we're talking to you!). ‘Your carpet is the perfect place to start when creating a cozy living space,' says Jodie Hatton, residential design manager at Brintons (opens in new tab).
'The texture of wool underfoot coupled with warm color or welcoming pattern makes it the perfect base upon which to shape a comfortable and inviting interior scheme.’ While the corporate office space you usually commute to might not be the most aesthetically-pleasing environment to get the job done, creating a cozy living room as a WFH setup can help you be more productive in your professional role.
Grey and brown living rooms are a stark contrast from the harsh white and brightly-lit business bases we're familiar with, and so this soothingly warm scheme full of earthy hues and nature-inspired textures will help you stay calm when working to the tightest of deadlines.
'Contrary to common belief, making the most of a small living room doesn’t necessarily mean painting it white,' explains Joa Studholme, color curator, Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab).
'In fact, one of our favorite methods in any room is to embrace its diminutive proportions with an inviting, enveloping deep shade on walls. In this stylish living room, inky Black Blue (opens in new tab) creates the perfect conditions for intimate get-togethers, impromptu movie nights, or reading into the small hours – for maximum effect, take your chosen deep shade over the dado rail and skirting boards too.'
Where sage, pistachio, or mint green can feel too fresh, and the wrong brown a bit too old-fashioned – compromise with khaki. 'Choose grey-greens and warm neutrals,' instructs Abbey Hesketh, assistant brand manager, Graham & Brown.
Green has calming properties as it so closely emulates nature, so it is ideal for a living room, creating an environment you can relax and unwind in.'
Instead of looking at short-term styles, intended only for here and now, opt for a classic and timeless take on whimsical woodlands by filling your space with wooden furniture and verdant-hued homewares.
'New beginnings is a contemporary and pared-back trend which plays on bringing the indoors in and maximizing our outdoor space to create a real flow of indoor/outdoor living,' says Julie Varma, senior design director, George Home (opens in new tab). 'Hues of green are mixed with natural materials, with added textures including fringing and macrame, and soft furnishings covered in ditsy foliage prints.'
'There are a number of simple ways you can add some warmth to your living space, making it the perfect place to curl up in your favorite spot,' says Nadia McCowan-Hill, resident style advisor, Wayfair (opens in new tab). Yep cream and beige room ideas are back, and they are the perfect hues for creating soft, cozy, but still light-filled spaces.
Boucle is super on-trend right now and is perfect for adding extra texture and make sure to add in some dark colors too to create a contrast for a really contemporary look.
It doesn't have to be expensive either as most of these budget living room accessories can be found at main street stores like H&M (opens in new tab)!
As well as obviously adding warmth, they instantly become the focal of the room and you can create one that fits perfectly with your style – we love this more contemporary look with the cassette fireplace installed into the wall, and the wood for burning nestled below. If you haven't got dedicated space to store logs for your woodburning stove, pile them up high to add a rustic living room touch.
You know what, even if you don't have a fire, a log pile can just be lovely decor on a shelf, fill in an unused fireplace or add interest to an alcove. This rusty-colored wall and dark mustard velvet sofa together create the most perfect warming color palette, especially in an apartment living room where you might need to work a little harder to differentiate yours from your neighbor's.
This is your starting point and you can then go on to add tactile cushions and throws – as many as you fancy - and dark wood furniture to create contrast.
This modern rustic-looking room has all the key textures to make for a cozy Sunday afternoon relaxing in front of the log burner. The exposed brick wall gives both character and a tactile quality and pattern is added with the fringed throw and rattan coffee table. So you have your cozy textures in the form of a velvet sofa or two, tactile rug, and super soft cushions, and now you need to set the scene with your living room lighting.
'Cozy living rooms and the ‘big light’ are a bit like oil and water,' explains Eleanor Cording-Booth, interiors writer, John Lewis & Partners (opens in new tab). 'The Scandi trick is to position your lamps only in the areas of the room where you need them, to create inviting, peaceful zones for reading and relaxing. Choose warm 40W bulbs and combine floor and living room wall lighting with your table lamps for a soft, layered look.' Fall and winter are not the only times of year we yearn to be cozy and a beautiful light and airy space whatever the season can tick the relaxation box for you to chill in.
The plush velvet sofa and accompanying cushions are super squishy, all you need is a good book and a scented candle to complete the scheme. All it could take to changing up a few cushions, throwing down a rug, you could even paint a wall (we love this olive green).
You almost want the room to feel cluttered, but in a good way – so curate an accent corner or full on gallery wall, picking color schemes and planning where everything is going to go. Obviously, you can't forget tartan too – this classic plaid print is a bit of a love/hate thing, but personally, we think in the right situation and in the right shades it can really cozy up your living room.
This modern take on the motif, from Carpetright (opens in new tab), is much more versatile than the original red/green colorway if you're a tad timid with bold hues, and would look stunning in a grey living room.
'Adding depth of color or a bold print to your walls can have a big impact on how characterful and cozy a living room feels,' says Cording-Booth.
'You could research color psychology (darker hues are said to make us feel more enveloped in a space) or just take a punt on the shades and patterns that you’re most drawn to. You don’t have to spend a fortune on original paintings either – create an eclectic gallery wall of framed prints by your favorite artists, exhibition posters, vintage finds, and the kids’ masterpieces from school.'
If you do nothing else to swaddle up your living room for winter, invest in some scented candles – they’re such an effective way to get into a snuggly state of mind. 'Cushions are the oldest cozy-trick in the book and for good reason – they’re one of the most underrated and most impactful buys to quickly change the appeal of a space,' says Cording-Booth.
A simple way to re-style a room and pull a design scheme together, cushions also help to visually soften the angles of a sofa, making it look less formal and more irresistibly squishy.
