Cosy living room ideas: our top picks

There’s nothing better than coming home to a warm and inviting space, especially the living room where you can curl up with a good film or book. Luckily for you, we have lots of style tricks to help you create your own cosy living room, from choosing the right type of flooring to being clever with colour and accessories. Whatever the size of your room or the style of your home, we’ve got lots of great cosy living room ideas and tips.

How to make a living room cosy

Whether you prefer a warm and inviting den or a sleek elegant space, there are lots of clever ways to cosy up a living room, using colour, furniture, and accessories. Dark colours will warm up a space, while keeping the walls and flooring light will make the room feel bigger. Use rich pops of colour in furniture and accessories to add interest and create a cosy corner for an easy chair or sofa with a feature wall painted in an eye-catching shade, like textured blue or charcoal grey (in fact, if you love clashing shades of grey, take a look at our guide to grey living room decor ideas).

Pile sofas and armchairs with tactile cushions – velvet, fur, and wool work particularly well. Add touches of warm wood tones in picture frames, mirror surrounds and lamp bases. Stack an open fireplace with wooden logs.

Keep lighting soft and diffused with dimmer switches, use pretty lamps to illuminate cosy corners, and make a feature of easy chairs and bookcases. Add warmth with candles but remember, never leave a burning candle unattended.

What flooring works well for a cosy living room?

Carpet is the ultimate flooring choice for a warm, cosy, and rustic living room. Soft underfoot and easy to maintain, it creates a very inviting space and reduces noise. Carpet can make a room look and feel a lot warmer, providing insulation and saving energy especially when fitted with the right underlay. Use pattern to create a warm and inviting space or keep it minimal and elegant with a neutral shade.

Hardwood floors are also very popular in modern living rooms because you can warm up the look with deep pile rugs or fluffy mats. Remember, laminate flooring and luxury vinyl tiles are warmer and often a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring and feel softer underfoot. There are many laminates and luxury vinyl tiles that are suitable with underfloor heating to give you that cosy underfoot feel. Both require minimal maintenance, are durable and long-lasting and, installed properly and well cared for, will last for decades

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Cosy living room design: choosing colour

Pastels in warm shades of light-coloured tones will make small rooms feel larger – try pale blue, dove grey, dusky lilacs or a palette of neutral tones and apply to walls and flooring. Keep floors clutter-free and use clever furniture options to maximise storage, and choose white or blonde wood to continue the theme. Introduce patterns and accents of darker colours in cushions, curtains, and accessories to liven up the look and stop it from becoming too ‘beige’. To discover even more inspiration, head on over to our guide on picking a colour scheme for your living room.

Warm-up a large space with a deep and dramatic wall colour - aubergine, stone grey and navy blue are all very fashionable right now and feel very autumnal. Alternatively, make it feel like summer year-round with a sunny yellow or deep mustard.

Be bold with colour and really make a statement with a dark coloured carpet. Or contrast light and dark with richly coloured walls and light flooring for a modern, sophisticated look.

Use dark rich tones on walls and flooring to make a room feel cosy.

Cosy living room inspiration: furnishings and accessories

Creating the right cosy vibe starts with the senses – sight, smell and touch! Use candles and diffusers to create the scents that really relax you – and if you've been to any of our Tapi stores, you will know that they look and smell amazing! In which case, you should give our Tapi Breeze Diffuser a whiff!

Once you have a delightful smell, you want to focus on textures and tactile accessories. Soft textured cushions which range in colour and size add a more relaxed nature to a room – too much uniformity can make a room feel a bit formal. Chunky knit throws, woollen rugs and even leather or velvet seating can give a sumptuous and inviting feeling to a living room.

If you’re searching for further cosy living room ideas, why not take a look at our Ideas Hub for some more inspiration? You can find a range of guides on all rooms in the house, including our tips on making your bedroom cosy. Alternatively, you can also check out our range of sumptuous (and obviously cosy) carpets to find the flooring that will crown your cosy living room.

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Post author

Jeremy Garrish Buyer Jeremy has 35 years of carpet industry knowledge

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Published: 03-04-2022