20 inspirational living room decorating ideas

Your living room, above all else, should make you feel happy. And there’s few things we find more joyful than a rainbow. This rug by Pieces in the Maine holiday home created for their lifestyling service An Aesthetic Pursuit is a quick and easy way to inject energy into a space without having to paint any walls.

Why choose one floral, when you can clash several with confidence? This home, belonging to jeweller and judge of BBC’s All That Glitters, is proof that by concentrating on complementary colours (in this case a verdant green) it is possible to pile on the pattern tastefully. As Solange says: ‘it’s about your own taste and what makes you happy’.

High ceilings and original features are blessings, but they can also be intimidating when it comes to decorating. By painting a low strip of colour around the walls and door in this living room, CaSA, the architects behind the renovation of this Barcelona apartment wrap the furniture in a warm embrace and create a cosy feel.

You can give even a blank canvas of a home a welcoming, heritage feel by concentrating on texture and pieces with a personal story. In this apartment by Ukrainian design studio Rosko Family Design, the tapestry – a reimagining of a vintage work passed down within the owner’s family for generations – has a pleasingly tactile quality.

Decorating for small living rooms doesn’t have to mean thinking small. In this Madrid home by architecture firm Plutarco restrictions in size were met with a joyful decision to go big when it came to colour. It only takes a few key pieces, like these ‘Ekstrem’ chairs by Terje Ekstrøm, to transform what could be a bland space into a memorable one.

When devoting an entire room to pattern, colour is key. Every surface in this striking living room is covered in a different geometric design, with the walls and floors married only by their shared palette of turquoise and white. By restricting themselves to these two shades, Spanish interior design brand Miriam Alía Studio was able to exercise complete freedom in all other choices. The result is a living room buzzing with energy.

Why restrict yourself to one standout piece of furniture? Create a confident explosion of colour by adopting a pick and mix of your favourite designs. The bold palette of Dimore Studio’s ‘Paralleli B1’ rug for Golran sets the tone, with its vivid stripes pulling together the bright red and green of Lucidi Pevere’s ‘Chignon’ chair for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna and the mustard hue of the small ‘Highline’ sofa by Sebastian Herkner for Linteloo.

Turn your living room into a zen retreat with a palette of textured, layered shades of white and cream. Stockholm-based studio Whyte Lilja complements natural tones with shapely pieces, such as Zanotta’s ‘Pianoalto’ sofa, Jaime Hayón’s ‘Palette JH7’ coffee table for &Tradition and an ‘Aballs’ chandelier for Parachilna.

Sometimes one well-considered architectural flourish is all you need to up the drama. The sculptural fireplace in this living room acts like an artwork, creating a real focal point. French studio Damien Langlois-Meurinne juxtaposed the sweeping lines of the bespoke plaster surround with softly curved classic furniture, from ‘Lady’ armchairs by Marco Zanuso for Cassina to a Vladimir Kagan sofa and a vintage brass coffee table by Armand Jonckers – try 1st Dibs.

Let your sofa shape your space. This bespoke pink perch snakes through the living room in a farmhouse in Provence, converted by Parisian interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch. For a similar sofa, we suggest the ‘Arcolor LH’ by Jaime Hayón for Arflex from Aram. The ‘squashed’ ceramic coffee table is by French craftsperson Armelle Benoit.

Greens, greys and blues should be your go-to colours if you are trying to create a sense of tranquillity in your living room. Painted ‘Goyder Green’ by the Australian arm of Dulux paint (‘Mint Macaroon’ is a good alternative in the UK), this room is a perfect example of how a lick of paint can change the mood. Note how the ‘Tweet’ coffee table by Gino Carollo for Calligaris matches the marble fireplace.