Living room design ideas: What's in trend, feel cosy, colour paint?

Your living room is often the place you go to relax after a hard day, the space you use to entertain guests and where they will spend the most time in your house. The impression you give off in this room can say a lot about you, and with more people spending more hours in the home, now could be the perfect time to make a change.

Whether you prefer to look trendy, cosy, or both, just a few simple steps could be all it takes to give your living room the freshen-up it needs. Take a look at some of our top living design ideas this year and get thinking about your own living room today.

Living room design ideas

The colours, furniture, fittings and décor can all be cohesive and contrasting parts of your living room design. Some people choose to stick with one theme, piece of furniture or colour and build their living room around it. Others like to be daring and jumble old and new styles together. There is no right or wrong answer.

Living rooms now often have to be everything from an office and a school room to somewhere to connect with the family or just relax. Whether you want your living room to be all of these or something else entirely, here are some ideas to help inspire you:

Think fabrics

The fabrics you use can set the tone for the entire room, and more and more people are opting for a variety of textures in their living rooms. Velvet is still very much in fashion, as is bouclé, ideal for statement sofas and soft furnishings.

Display don’t hide away

Rather than clever storage options, another option is to proudly display your belongings. Shelves, cabinets and cupboards that showcase what you like rather than hiding it can make a room feel cosy and inviting. You can also easily update your display and change the focus of the room in a moment.

Brighten up your day

Cosy and warm living rooms can be fantastic, but you can still achieve a warm and welcoming room without it being dark and dim. Bright colours can really make your living room look great. Go for a yellow or blue sofa and then match the rest of your room around it.

Multi-functional furniture

Since many living rooms are now more than one thing, your furniture should reflect that too. Tables that can expand or shrink, footstools that double as storage and fold-down desks are all excellent options to achieve this in your living room.

What’s in trend with living room design in Australia?

Some of the biggest trends in living room design have to do with expressing yourself more in your home. Now that people know what it is like to spend a lot of time there, you should feel truly comfortable and happy with your living room and saving on energy at the same time is a real added bonus. Some of the top trends this year are:

Plantation shutters

One of the most impactful changes you can make to your living room is to change up your window coverings. Plantation shutter installations are a great way to add class and value to your home, as well as offering so many other benefits including reduced energy bills. How could you say no?

Go Green

Green is really in at the moment from the colour palate to go on your walls and furniture to the plants you should use as decorations. Mixing and matching vibrant emeralds through to the palest of greens that all go well together can give you a gorgeous spectrum. The plants themselves add oxygen to the air so they don’t just look good, but make you feel good too.

Antique style furniture

If you want to get the antique look and feel but can’t or don’t want to buy originals, introducing antique-style furniture can be the way to go. You can find pre-owned items for great prices, alter something you already own and have a lot of fun finding the perfect furniture for you.

How do you make a living room feel cosy?

A cosy and welcoming living room can seem costly to achieve. If you are thinking of installing a fireplace or remodelling this can indeed be true, but there are plenty of ways both big and small that you can make your living room cosier today:

The furniture – you can have a lot of fun with squishy armchairs, low tables and even bean bags if you want to make your living room as comfortable and cosy as you wish.
The windows – opting for thick curtains can really make your room feel cosy, as can having windows tinted. This keeps out the glare, increases privacy, and generally makes you feel safer and cosier.
The floor coverings – never underestimate the impact of a nice warm rug to make a space feel more welcoming.
The décor – personal touches, such as photos and art, can have a big impact.
The lighting – consider lamps, layered lighting and dimmer switches so you can control the amount of light to a greater degree and keep it as cosy as you like.

What colour paint looks nice for a living room?

The ideal paint for your living room will vary based on the end result you wish to achieve. Do you want the room to look spacious or cosy? Bright and energetic or more neutral or relaxing? All paint colours have different meanings, and while the cost to repaint a house can seem a lot, it does have a huge impact.

Some of the best options for a living room are:

Go timeless with a neutral base of beige white or grey – then add colour through furnishings
Add a feature wall – again go neutral but then draw the eye with one bright wall
Get cosy with a darker theme perfect for settling down with your loved ones and a movie
Start with your sofa and paint the room to match

Final thoughts

The way you decorate and design your living room will vary based on how you best like to use this space. As a place to work, lighter colours and a brighter design may work best. A relaxing and cosy room may benefit more from darker tones, comfy seating, and dimmer lights.

However you prefer to approach your space, try out some of our tips and ideas to help inspire your new living room design today.