Welcome to my favourite room! I believe that your lounge should be the one room that is cosy, clutter free and welcoming. My style is glamorous but neutral. I really struggle to introduce colour into my home. Cool grey and silver tones create an environment of calm and tranquillity and that theme is continued throughout the rest of my home.
The layout of our lounge includes an open plan dining room which makes the room feel huge. Continuing the same décor and theme throughout the open plan space creates such a beautiful, spacious place where I always want to be.
I’m going to talk you through how I created and decorated this space and the important aspects to consider.
Let’s start with flooring. Whether you choose carpet or laminate, a light-coloured tone will always make the room feel bigger. It may not be the most practical colour if you have children or pets as it does involve a little more maintenance but the difference this will make is huge. I used to have a dark grey laminate, thinking it would be a practical choice with two young children. Perhaps it was the best decision back then as Leo had awful acid reflux as a baby and he decorated that laminate flooring many times over his first six months of life! However, when he was on his feet I begun to crave a warm, fluffy carpet as the laminate made the living room feel dark and cold. Faithful followers of mine from my early Instagram days may even remember it! Shout out to you if you’ve been with me that long! Here’s a little throwback:
I desperately wanted an isense (LINK) carpet after hearing some rave reviews about this impossibly soft carpet. I eventually chose this for my bedroom and hall but was talked out of laying it in my living room by the store which is a common occurrence! Unfortunately, we chose an Invictus carpet instead, which was so luxurious in the shop and its main selling point was that it was easier to clean than isense as they are made from different fibres. After a few short months the carpet was flat and coarse, and I finally bit the bullet and decided to get rid of it (18 months later) and change to the isense carpet which I had longed for. We went to Carpetright and spoke to them about our predicament. They were extremely helpful and helped us choose the highest grade of underlay available to ensure our new carpet remained as soft and bouncy as possible. My isense carpet in my bedroom still looks brand new almost two years on so I had full trust in it’s durability. We fell in love with the serenity range and chose a mid-grey tone. I didn’t want to go too light or too dark and this colour was perfection. To truly understand the quality and appreciate just how soft this carpet is, you must pop in store and step onto a sample with your bare feet. You’ll fall in love, trust me! Nothing else compares. Within a week our carpet was ready to be delivered and fitted by the most pleasant, tidy and quick carpet fitters I have met. Job was a good one and we were ready to walk on clouds! Our happy toes have never looked back!
The next important aspect for me, is the colour of your room/wallpaper. I am a huge fan of having my walls pure white and then a feature wallpaper to compliment your theme. Trends will come and go, but for me, this is a classic style that you will see in show homes across the country. Take a sample of your flooring with you when choosing your colour scheme or vice versa. Don’t make the mistake of mixing cool and warm tones. If you’ve chosen a creamy coloured carpet, opt for a warm, golden tone. I chose Laura Ashley Josette in silver glitter (LINK). The pattern is delicate and has a beautiful sheen that can only be seen in certain lighting. The white and silver coupled with my grey carpets and adjacent white walls is a match made in heaven. It’s worth noting that Laura Ashley always have deals on their wallpaper, never buy it full price.
I’ve had companies offer to pay me to change my wallpaper to their brand and it’s always a firm no! I can’t see myself changing it for a very long time indeed. I love it. If I could be a wallpaper, I’d be a Josette!
The next thing you may want to consider is your main focal point. This may be your TV, a shelving unit or photo. I love to have a fireplace. I chose the most gorgeous model from Next which is unfortunately no longer available, but you should be able to find something similar. The fireplace was cream with a brown wooden base which I quickly changed. I bought some tester pots from B&Q and transformed it to white and grey and it compliments the room beautifully.
Your sofas make a big impact in your room. On many occasions I have saw huge overpowering L shaped designs which take up the entire room when I’m scrolling on Rightmove. Choose a design that fits into your room and compliments the décor, not overpowers it. We have the Loch Leven Grand pillow backed sofa from and the marching armchair in silver from DFS. It’s a Chesterfield design which is timeless! We’ve had them for over a year now and they still look brand new. Worth every penny! We also paid to have it coated in a substance which makes stain removal a breeze. I highly recommend choosing this when investing in your sofa. We chose a footstool from a different range as we preferred the style and had them put the same fabric on it to match.
I also created a little cosy corner which is perfect for cuddling up and reading a book. This little occasional chair was from Next and I remember it taking 14 weeks to make. My excitement when it arrived was perhaps a little over the top! I love to accessorise this little area with cushions, throws and cosy lighting.
With having two rooms open planned, I wanted the exact same style in both and chose two of the most ostentatious chandeliers I could find. I opted for two Venetian lights from Next (LINK) which are now a staple in many homes across the Instagram community! If you invest in these I highly recommend a dimmer as they’re too bright for me in the evenings but they’re far too beautiful not to use. I dim them down to the lowest level so that they twinkle at night. It’s also the only way I can capture their beauty in a photograph.
I love that my dining room is part of our living area. It’s perfect for entertaining, which to be honest is the only time we use it. We’re lucky to have eating space in our kitchen where the kids can be as messy as they like! I wanted the room to feel luxurious and homely and I love nothing more to have a glass of wine in here by candlelight with the crackling fire in the background.
Your finishing touches are what will complete your room, adding your own unique touch and taste to make your mark. Adding mirrors will reflect the space back and make it feel bigger. Candles and lanterns add a warming touch. I also love flowers and have various faux styles around my home. The white flowers are from Ellie’s finishing touches and the hat box flowers are from a gorgeous company called Stephanie Smyth Events
All of the items here can be found on my Instagram page for further details. I love taking inspiration from my favourite accounts too. My home and taste has changed so much since my journey began, much to my hubby’s dismay! I hope you’ve enjoyed that little further insight into my home and let me know if you’d like to see more of my rooms in greater detail on a post!
Love
*This post was in collaboration with Carpetright. All opinions expressed are my own, as always.*
Hi I absolutely love your home. Pls where did you get the curtains from and what are they called as I love them. Thanks xx.