Snug & Stylish Living Rooms

WHETHER IT’S A QUIET NOOK TUCKED AWAY FROM BUSY FAMILY LIFE, A RELAXING ROOM FOR CHILLING WITH FRIENDS, OR A SOPHISTICATED PARTY SPACE, OUR COSY LIVING ROOM IDEAS ARE COMFORTABLY ON POINT…

- Linda Clayton

SWEET & COSY

A small living room can work in your favour on the cosiness front. Huddling chairs together can encourage more relaxed, intimate conversations. Here, designer Vanessa Arbuthnott has used pretty prints in soft tones to make a small setting undeniably sweet. ‘I particularly like sandy yellow mixed with a pale, delicate blue-green,’ says Vanessa. ‘The lighter tones help make a smaller living room feel cosy but not claustrophobic.’

CAUSE TO CELEBRATE

Christmas styling is a chance to celebrate your room’s best features. ‘For a captivating centrepiece, choose a real wreath to sit above the fireplace. Incorporating authentic foliage into your scheme never fails to create a sense of warmth,’ says Meaghan Hunter, stylist at Neptune. ‘Trimming the mantel with traditional velvet stockings will provide colour and texture – co-ordinate the stockings with your tree decorations, gift wrap and ribbon for an elegant folk feel in your living room.’

FARMHOUSE FEEL

‘Achieving a rustic farmhouse look should always start with inviting seating. Go for natural linens and battered antique armchairs, then dress with colourful throws and plump, down-filled cushions. If you have wood floors, add sisal rugs; if not, use sisal wall-to-wall,’ says interior designer Marion Lichtig. ‘Depending on the light, I tend to keep the walls white, introducing colour with interesting objects and art.’