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8 Updates That Will Change the Look and Feel of Your Living Room
Turn up the style and elegance in your living space by upgrading one of these key features
Our living rooms are typically the calm, cosy spaces where we relax after a busy day. As such, it’s worth investing in furniture and features that both look good and function beautifully.
Whether you smarten up cornicing, invest in bespoke cabinetry or simply fit a beautiful pendant light, any one of these updates could give your space a boost. Take a look at this list and let us know in the Comments whether there are any you’re tempted to undertake in your living room.
More in this series 9 Updates That Will Change the Look and Feel of Your Hall
Whether you smarten up cornicing, invest in bespoke cabinetry or simply fit a beautiful pendant light, any one of these updates could give your space a boost. Take a look at this list and let us know in the Comments whether there are any you’re tempted to undertake in your living room.
More in this series 9 Updates That Will Change the Look and Feel of Your Hall
Reupholster a favourite piece
There are lots of reasons to reupholster an old chair: it’s a sustainable way to furnish your home; it can be a way to give a treasured piece a second life, and it’s a great way to display fabulous fabric and create a focal point in your room.
The chair in this home stands out against the dark walls and also links the space to the dining room beyond by echoing the wallpaper.
Reupholstering isn’t cheap, but ending up with a bespoke piece that should last for years and will be a centrepiece in your room can make the investment worthwhile. Costs vary widely, but expect to pay around £400 to £700.
There are lots of reasons to reupholster an old chair: it’s a sustainable way to furnish your home; it can be a way to give a treasured piece a second life, and it’s a great way to display fabulous fabric and create a focal point in your room.
The chair in this home stands out against the dark walls and also links the space to the dining room beyond by echoing the wallpaper.
Reupholstering isn’t cheap, but ending up with a bespoke piece that should last for years and will be a centrepiece in your room can make the investment worthwhile. Costs vary widely, but expect to pay around £400 to £700.
Reboot your fireplace
If you have a chimney breast in your living room but no fireplace surround – or one that doesn’t do the room justice or has seen better days – it might be worth hiring someone to replace it.
The fireplace in this home was a plain opening that was too small for the proportions of the room. Karen Knox of Making Spaces enlarged the opening and had a new black slate surround and hearth fitted. “The room now has a striking focal point that’s much more in keeping with its 2.6m-high ceiling,” she says.
Fireplace surrounds needn’t cost a fortune, though unsurprisingly, more impressive designs tend to be pricier. Look for second-hand or simple surrounds; you can pick up a very basic pine one for around £100 or, for something more decorative, search for Victorian cast-iron surrounds at around the £200 to £400 mark. If you prefer carved stone, you can pay anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousand.
If you have a chimney breast in your living room but no fireplace surround – or one that doesn’t do the room justice or has seen better days – it might be worth hiring someone to replace it.
The fireplace in this home was a plain opening that was too small for the proportions of the room. Karen Knox of Making Spaces enlarged the opening and had a new black slate surround and hearth fitted. “The room now has a striking focal point that’s much more in keeping with its 2.6m-high ceiling,” she says.
Fireplace surrounds needn’t cost a fortune, though unsurprisingly, more impressive designs tend to be pricier. Look for second-hand or simple surrounds; you can pick up a very basic pine one for around £100 or, for something more decorative, search for Victorian cast-iron surrounds at around the £200 to £400 mark. If you prefer carved stone, you can pay anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousand.
Up your storage game
Living room alcoves are the perfect spots for storage. Shelves can look lovely filled with books and objets, but how about going a step further and having beautiful cabinets made for a really smart solution?
This glass-fronted cupboard by Golden Design gives the room a refined air. The glass is museum grade, which reduces reflection, while the base quietly hides away less attractive possessions. Wall lights above highlight its beauty in the evening.
Living room alcoves are the perfect spots for storage. Shelves can look lovely filled with books and objets, but how about going a step further and having beautiful cabinets made for a really smart solution?
This glass-fronted cupboard by Golden Design gives the room a refined air. The glass is museum grade, which reduces reflection, while the base quietly hides away less attractive possessions. Wall lights above highlight its beauty in the evening.
If you don’t have alcoves, consider a wall of bespoke cabinets, like this unit by Clare Elise Interiors. The panelled design gives the modern space character, while the deep colour – Basalt by Little Greene – draws attention to the displayed objects and away from the TV screen.
Make the challenge of finding the right people for your project easier by searching the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Make the challenge of finding the right people for your project easier by searching the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Invest in a comfy sofa
The perfect sofa is both lovely to look at and a joy to relax on, so if yours is uncomfortable or has seen better days, consider an upgrade. This is an investment – for a good-quality sofa, you really need to spend upwards of £1,000 – but it’s also a seat you’re likely to have for at least a decade.
First, decide first which shape would suit your household – a modular or L-shaped design with room for several bodies to stretch out on, or a long squishy chesterfield like the one in this scheme by Domus Nova, or perhaps there’s just you and you want something more cocooning?
Whichever you settle on, don’t forget to check it will fit through the front door and that the size is correct for your room – it’s worth marking out the shape on the floor with masking tape first to be sure.
The choice of filling will depend on how firm you like your seat. Fibre fillings consist of hollow polyester strands filled with air and give a soft feel, but will need daily plumping. Foam is firmer and will keep its shape; it comes in different degrees of firmness, so try before you buy.
Feathers are gloriously squishy, but they can clump together. For many, the best option is a mixture – foam wrapped in feathers or fibre.
The perfect sofa is both lovely to look at and a joy to relax on, so if yours is uncomfortable or has seen better days, consider an upgrade. This is an investment – for a good-quality sofa, you really need to spend upwards of £1,000 – but it’s also a seat you’re likely to have for at least a decade.
First, decide first which shape would suit your household – a modular or L-shaped design with room for several bodies to stretch out on, or a long squishy chesterfield like the one in this scheme by Domus Nova, or perhaps there’s just you and you want something more cocooning?
Whichever you settle on, don’t forget to check it will fit through the front door and that the size is correct for your room – it’s worth marking out the shape on the floor with masking tape first to be sure.
The choice of filling will depend on how firm you like your seat. Fibre fillings consist of hollow polyester strands filled with air and give a soft feel, but will need daily plumping. Foam is firmer and will keep its shape; it comes in different degrees of firmness, so try before you buy.
Feathers are gloriously squishy, but they can clump together. For many, the best option is a mixture – foam wrapped in feathers or fibre.
Add a fabulous light fitting
A centrepiece light can draw the eye and lift your room out of the ordinary. There’s a massive range of light fittings on the market, so take the time to find something that works with the scale of your room.
If you have the height, consider a large, striking fitting such as a chandelier, a midcentury classic or a modern design like this oversized rattan Screen pendant light from Market Set in a room revamped by Andrew Jonathan Griffiths of A New Day – Interior Design Studio. “It looks like an art installation; the scale of it is just amazing,” he says.
A centrepiece light can draw the eye and lift your room out of the ordinary. There’s a massive range of light fittings on the market, so take the time to find something that works with the scale of your room.
If you have the height, consider a large, striking fitting such as a chandelier, a midcentury classic or a modern design like this oversized rattan Screen pendant light from Market Set in a room revamped by Andrew Jonathan Griffiths of A New Day – Interior Design Studio. “It looks like an art installation; the scale of it is just amazing,” he says.
Revitalise your window treatment
You may prefer shutters or blinds, but, as windows tend to take up a fair amount of wall space in a living room, curtains can act almost as an artwork. To create an impact, think either pattern or texture – a striking design or a sumptuous, tactile fabric such as velvet.
The colours in these curtains were the starting point for the whole scheme in this living room, but if you’re adding them to an otherwise finished room, try choosing a fabric that includes some of the colours you’ve used in your décor.
There’s a huge range of ready-made curtains available, but for something special that’s exactly what you’re looking for, consider investing in made-to-measure. The price will vary according to the lining, fabric choice, drop, width, style and finish. Taking curtains down to the floor, while needing more fabric, will look more elegant.
You may prefer shutters or blinds, but, as windows tend to take up a fair amount of wall space in a living room, curtains can act almost as an artwork. To create an impact, think either pattern or texture – a striking design or a sumptuous, tactile fabric such as velvet.
The colours in these curtains were the starting point for the whole scheme in this living room, but if you’re adding them to an otherwise finished room, try choosing a fabric that includes some of the colours you’ve used in your décor.
There’s a huge range of ready-made curtains available, but for something special that’s exactly what you’re looking for, consider investing in made-to-measure. The price will vary according to the lining, fabric choice, drop, width, style and finish. Taking curtains down to the floor, while needing more fabric, will look more elegant.
Refresh door furniture
Finally, while focal point pieces are important, it’s worth giving some attention to the details in your room, too, such as light switch plates and door handles.
In this renovation by Cairn, the door plate was removed and cleaned. The handle and escutcheon were missing, but the team found new ones in the same ribbed style to match for a smart finish.
Tell us…
Are you tempted to do any of these updates in your living room? Or have you already created your perfect space? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
Finally, while focal point pieces are important, it’s worth giving some attention to the details in your room, too, such as light switch plates and door handles.
In this renovation by Cairn, the door plate was removed and cleaned. The handle and escutcheon were missing, but the team found new ones in the same ribbed style to match for a smart finish.
Tell us…
Are you tempted to do any of these updates in your living room? Or have you already created your perfect space? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
Plasterwork, whether a simple shape that softens the line of the ceiling or an elaborate design that’s an artwork in itself, can give a living room an air of elegance. The icing sugar-style curls of the plasterwork in this room by BLOCK Design & Build, for instance, contrast beautifully with the pared-down chimney breast.
If your cornices have been removed in the past or need some attention because of damage, neglect, the opening up of rooms or the removal of a chimney breast, it could be worth restoring them.
Prices obviously vary hugely, but as a rough guide, Stevensons of Norwich, a specialist in fine plasterwork, offers cornices in numerous designs from around £35 for 3m, and ceiling roses from around the £40 mark to more than £1,000 for very detailed creations.
Numerous companies can also make moulds of existing cornicing to replace damaged sections. Stevensons of Norwich, for instance, would charge a few hundred pounds for a new mould set-up for a small, plain profile, with the cost increasing the larger and more decorative the cornice gets.