You should start with the space itself and map out where all your big furniture could go – so your sofa, any armchairs and freestanding bookshelves for example.
If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, make it a focal point, arranging your sofas and chairs to face it, and decorating the mantelpiece with pictures and ornaments. Consider putting in some joinery and bookcases that can help you make the most of the room's height and provide valuable storage. We love the distinguished feel of wooden flooring, preferably with some rugs layered on top for softness. Starting with the bones of the room, there are paint colours and flooring to decide on, which will set the tone of the space. To make it more complicated, you need to consider the fact that you'll spend time in a living room at various points of the day, so it needs to work as well at midday as it will with the curtains drawn and candles lit. There are so many elements involved in decorating a living room and it's a room that we spend a lot of our time in so you want to get it right.
