Hello Carol, definitely wouldn’t go to the expense of a new floor and sofas before trying out some of the following ideas first. Your views are stunning and those patio doors let in so much light. Have a cull of the books and ornaments on all your shelves and surfaces, having them full makes them look heavy and closes the room in. Put back only a tiny few well loved pieces. Paint the fireplace the same colour as your cupboards and remove the rug. Remove, or paint, the tall dark corner cupboard the rectangular mirror. I would choose either a circular mirror or a landscape painting. I would replace the heavy wooden coffee table and replace it with either some lighter, circular side tables or a circular set of two. And I’d replace all the pastel coloured cushions with one bold colour such as navy or teal. Choosing a lamp shade and curtains similar to your new cushions will tie it all together.

I think there are two ways to tackle this.One is update your sofas. The other is do the hardwood floor. I always ask myself how long are we likely to stay in a house? If it's a good few years then I would update the floor even if it is a new carpet and not hardwood. If it's only a stepping stone buy the furniture you love so you can take it with you when you move. The longest I have spent in one house is 7 years and we renovated everything. Beware of job creep too. If you lay a hardwood floor then you will want to update the fireplace and possibly lighting and window treatments, the list goes on.... I think your choice of bright accessories and decor and keeping the large items neutral makes sense. Much more flexible and can change with the seasons.

Thank you both that's very useful advice. I'll probably start with a strong colour accessories and maybe a wooden floor as not intending to ever move on as we love it here.

What a fantastic outlook! Lovely room too. Nothing wrong with your sofas and carpet, although I think a wooden floor will bring it all up to date. The fireplace surround is dated, would you consider changing it to something more neutral? A simple plastering job after removal of the stone and a nice piece of oak as a mantel will give it a more modern country look. The fireplace wall is very cluttered and heavy. I would cull the items so there is some space for your artefacts to breath. Leave gaps in places on the bookshelves. Too many family photos adds to the clutter. Try to have one or two and that’s it. I only have one in my living of my parents who have now passed and that’s it. Then I would paint the walls in a lovely soft light green to pick up the beautiful views outside. Something like Dulux Tranquil Dawn, or if you like Farrow & Ball colours try Mizzle or Cromarty, but they have lots of other gorgeous greens. You can then add accessories to create that modern country look like Laura Ashley (still available at Next online) in natural wood, creams and greens. Your cushions will sit well with the green walls and neutral sofas.

Hi Carol,

If you are going for green tones with the walls & decor then I would suggest a natural oak in a medium-sized plank (180 - 200mm wide). Here are some of our pictures as examples to help you visualise.

These are engineered wood floors. Its a hardwood floor on a plywood backing to help stabilise it and eliminate issues that came with a 100% solid wood floor. Feel free to have a look at our engineered range or reach out to us. Happy to give you more advice.

Steve

Looks like you have seating for 5 people. Do you need that? If not I would remove the armchair in front of the bifolds and enjoy the view. If you think that leaves you without enough seating you could replace the other armchair with a snuggler/liveseat if you have space.

Loveseat

Following from Jessica Z - you have 2 lamps with cream shades. They are prime candidates for some color! Shout yourself some new lamp shades in muted tones like your cushions or this could be a chance for some stronger color.