Neutral Living Room Ideas
Neutral Living Room Ideas
Brown-grey walls provide a rich background for the cream upholstery and splashes of turquoise. Photographs: Colin Poole
A new wall colour, pared-back window treatment and textured flooring has resulted in an elegant makeover for this neutral living room
HOW IT BEGAN
Debs Cutting, husband David, children Ross and Ally, and dog Daisy have lived in their detached four-bedroom Edwardian house in Hampton, Middlesex for five years. First they extended the back and combined the kitchen and dining room, then they tackled the living room.
ACTION PLAN
- Fit folding doors between living room and kitchen
- Find warm neutral paint for walls and carpet to match
- Decide on simple Roman blinds for square bay
- Buy traditional sofa with plain linen cover
- Add turquoise accessories
Photographs: Colin Poole
What did you change first?
As we're great party people the first step was to be able to open up the space between the living room and kitchen but not permanently. The solution was to fit folding doors, which we can open up when we entertain. A great carpenter did the work and while he was doing the doors we asked him to build some shelving and cupboards either side of the fireplace and paint them white. That's how it stayed for a year until I realised I was fed up with the wallpaper that was on every wall. It was too busy and made the room feel small.
So the wallpaper had to go….
Getting rid of the wallpaper really opened up the room. I decided to have one paint colour and I wanted something neutral – but not wishy-washy – that would go with my favourite colour, turquoise. After trying lots of shades, I went for a mid-tone browny grey that warms up the room and makes it feel cosy. It's painted right to the ceiling to give the room height. I picked a paler shade in the same palette to repaint the shelves, cupboards and woodwork because white would have been too stark.
Photographs: Colin Poole
What sort of look were you going for?
Something elegant that suited the age of the house, as well as a room with plenty of texture that felt tactile and cosy. I didn't want to go ultra-contemporary, but I don't like fussy designs either, so curtains are a no-no. I was keen to have a carpet as we have wooden floors in the kitchen/dining area and I wanted this room to be a contrast.
You kept the window treatment simple
Bay windows are quite hard, as curtains can look too full and get in the way. Here blinds work best, but you have to get your measurements spot on and pick a plain fabric or one that's not too bold or patterned.
The floor was the other concern…
I found an interesting loop pile carpet and the colour goes brilliantly with the walls. At the last minute I decided to change the modern but rusty radiator and had a traditional one fitted the day before the carpet came. It was a bit of an extravagance, but I realised that removing the old radiator later would mean holes in the carpet.
Photographs: Colin Poole
What about the furniture?
I've had the brown leather Laura Ashley sofa for years – it just keeps on looking better the more battered it gets. But I didn't want any more leather as it could look too 'gentleman's club'. To keep it simple the new sofa is covered in a natural linen/cotton. I found the small buttoned chair at a Graham and Green sale. It's worth getting on the mailing list as it does a fantastic twice-yearly warehouse sale.
And the colour accents?
I found a lovely turquoise textured rug as the main impact. I'd bought a footstool to go in the bay and hunted down some Clarissa Hulse fabrics in shades of turquoise. I had the footstool covered and cushions made with the rest of the fabric.
WHAT IT COST
Sofa, chair and footstool… £1,765
Paint… £114
Carpet… £511.84
Shelving and cupboards… £1,200
Lighting… £160
Blinds… £362.83
Fabrics… £360
Rug… £70
Radiator… £400
Total… £4,943.67
- Words: Stephanie Smith
- Photographs: Colin Poole
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Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/renovate/homes-makeovers/news/a302/chic-and-cosy-living-room/
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