Warm Cosy Living/Sitting Room Ideas

No matter the size or layout of your home, the living room is a space people naturally gravitate to. In this article, we’re sharing our

No matter the size or layout of your home, the living room is a space people naturally gravitate to. In this article, we’re sharing our tried and tested ideas for a cosy living and sitting room that’s warm and inviting year-round.

Cosiness As A Concept

When we refer to cosiness in interiors, we are talking about how to use furniture, accessories and styling psychology to make your home a place that truly exudes comfort that’s subtly practical, too. The actual sensation of cosiness is however down to personal interpretation on an aesthetic level so it can easily be adapted to your home style from the minimalism of Scandinavian interiors to the romantic sensibilities of Cottagecore. Your living room is the space you, your family and your guests are likely to spend the most time, especially in Ireland, so it should be as cosy as you can possibly make it.

The Five Principles of Cosiness In Living Rooms

In every home, implementing the key principles of cosiness will evoke a sense of comfort and security that appeal to all five senses. Keep in mind the following five aspects to cosiness so no matter your interior style or a room’s size, the space itself immediately encourages relaxing, gathering and connecting:

Texture plays a big role in the feel of a room. Play with texture through rugs, blankets, upholstery and curtains rather than focus on just one type of finish in a space. Remember that your sofa plays a central role in this so its shape is an important part of building texture.
Fabrics tell a visual and physical story tying in with the aspect of texture. Aim for cosiness with every fabric and make sure key items are soft and inviting such as velvet sofas and leather footstools. These can then be accented with harder finishes in complementary colours.
Colour Palettes are integral for all interior design with every hue suited to cosiness when styled correctly. Warm up a cool colour selection with extra texture such as throw cushions and work back dramatic dark shades with glowing metallic accents.
Simple layering is a go-to styling trick in every home and effortlessly enhances a space. Abundant soft elements with throw blankets, cushions and even layered rugs are a must for cosiness.
Atmosphere is that invisible finishing touch that can’t quite be quantified. One major way to shift the atmosphere of a space is with varied lighting so add candles and lamps to cultivate a serenity that goes perfectly with a sumptuous easy chair.

Sasha Chair

Waldorf Charcoal Velvet 2 Seater Sofa

Gianni Butterscotch Leather Footstool

Complement Principle Aspects With Natural Elements

The trends of scenting and ‘greenify-ing’ homes have been a standout of the last decade’s focus on comfortable interiors. When it comes to amping up the cosiness, aromatherapy elements such as diffusers and plants can help both with pleasantly scenting your living or sitting room as well as creating calming aesthetic features. If you are sensitive to essential oils, try scenting the room with fresh flowers in a softly-patterned Barfly Grey Vase and then pair with low-maintenance air-cleaning plants like a zanzibar gem or jade leaf for greenery in a striking Sevilla Off-White Flowerpot. We also love a nod to nature with the delicate details of the Sunlight Mirror that emulates sunshine or candlelight as a functional item in your living room.

Sevilla Off-White Flowerpot

Barfly Grey Vase

Sunlight Mirror

Equally, wooden furniture accents and fixtures decorate with the easeful principles of texture and palette to balance out a living room. Additionally, wood is proven to have properties that have psychological and atmospheric benefits that help create a more pleasant space. You can work wood into your living room in all different ways making dark wood an understated finishing touch with the tapered legs of the elegant Brinley Sofa that you can sink into and catch your breath. Alternatively, bring wood into your colour palette with the gorgeous detail on the Chevron Peppercorn Nest of Tables or the oak tones of the open Curve Tall Bookcase ready to display favourite figurines and framed photos.

Brinley Sofa

Chevron nest of tables

Curve Oak Tall Bookcase with Drawer

‘Cosy Up’ Furniture Pieces Every Living Room Needs

Fit out your living room with the balance of two types of pieces. Firstly, you will need your core furniture and accessories that ensure the room is liveable and pleasant no matter the weather, the day you’ve had, or when you have guests. Then, you build out your remaining pieces around climate and lifestyle so that you rotate through the year, adding in extra items as it gets chillier and then easily updating in the sunnier months. No matter if you’re bunkering down and snuggling or throwing the windows open to feel the breeze, a living room with core and seasonal pieces is a delight to be in.

365 Days of Furnishing Comfort

The first secret to cosiness lies in the foundation so every living room needs a lush rug. We adore the tonal neutrality of the Abstract Light Blue Rug that’s interesting on the eye and sublime underfoot. Now bring in your seating that’s comfy and supportive. The Isabelle 3 Seater Recliner is particularly idyllic with its soft fabric upper and generous feature of individual recliner settings! Adding in the aptly-named ‘Cuddler’ Eton Armchair creates another oasis of comfort in your living room with the Sleigh Ottoman Navy bringing modern luxury as a footrest or additional seat. Complete your living room or sitting room fit-out for all seasons with lighting and mirrors which add dimension, warmth and a break from overhead lights which works to demarcate work and play. A range of contrasting lamp styles meet the different needs of every person in the room with a Round Gold Floor Lamp offering illumination for the entire space while the Vancouver Antique Black & Glass Table Lamp is the perfect minimalist option for a side table. The final touch is a large mirror like the classic Turin Dark Oak Mirror that brings the illusion of extra space without overshadowing any other furniture or weighing down the room.

Isabelle 3 Seater Recliner

Eton Armchair

Abstract Light Blue Rug

Sleigh Ottoman Navy

Round Gold Floor Lamp

Vancouver Antique Black & Glass Table Lamp

Turin Dark Oak Mirror

Winter to Summer Seasonal Rotations

Your seasonal accessories do wonders to elevate your living room or sitting room and usher in a new time of year. Cushions always refresh a space and help achieve the principles of texture with layering of a range of styles like the Honduras and Paloma in soft playful patterns. Throw rugs are the logical next step and can easily be stored or arranged over a chair to maintain the cosy colour palette when not in use. Our go to for velvety nights on the sofa is the Halo Taupe Throw. The final accessory you need is a range of candles and decorative lanterns that work as display pieces year-round. Pillar candles are an essential home item for good reason with the Mustard style available in a range of sizes that look fabulous in a group or arranged in Giardino Gold Lanterns. The effect of candlelight and their placement around a room also signify that your living room is the ideal space for unwinding and wiling away the hours.

Honduras Blue Cushion

Paloma

Halo Taupe Throw

Candle Pillar Mustard

Giardino Gold Lanterns

Space-Saving & Restful Finishing Touch Accessories

Balance your living room with these final items that make you want to relax and welcome guests to stay longer. Any finishing touch accessories in your living room need to make the space more liveable, encourage easy relaxing and cause you to exhale allowing the overwhelm of the outside world to drift away. Aim for double duty pieces that you can use daily, rotate into other rooms of the house where needed, or even use as a statement piece. We love the modern meets rustic lines of the Indus Oak Side Table that you can use for your laptop during the day then turn into a happy hour table as the sun goes down. The cosiest living rooms often feature a fireplace which is why we adore the characteristics of the Batavia cube, an all-rounder that you can use for firewood, as a side table, footrest, reading table, and anything else that comes to mind. Your final touch is a timeless brushed gold reading lamp with the neat design of the Bryce Gold Table Lamp ideal for a living room corner or you can even use it for narrow spaces like a mantlepiece. Just pull up your comfiest armchair and add a functional Charm Bench so you can put your feet up in style on a quiet afternoon as well as have sumptuous seating on hand for when you have a bigger group of guests.