Living Room Design Ideas for Large & Small Lounge Rooms

16 April 2024

The living room is the heart of the home, a place where you relax, entertain guests, and spend quality time with family. Designing a living room that reflects your style while also being functional can be challenging.

This comprehensive guide provides a wealth of ideas and tips to help you create a living room that you and your family will love. From small living room solutions to stylish decor ideas, we cover everything you need to know.

Key Considerations for Living Room Design

Before you start designing, it's essential to understand your living room's dimensions and layout. Measure your space and note any architectural features like windows, doors, and built-in furniture. This will help you make informed decisions about furniture placement and decor.

Functionality

Purpose: Consider how you use your living room. Is it a formal space for entertaining, a family room for watching TV, or a combination of both? Your design should reflect the room's primary function. For example, a formal living room might focus on stylish seating arrangements, while a family room might need comfortable sofas and entertainment units.
Traffic Flow: Ensure there's enough space for people to move around comfortably. Avoid overcrowding the room with furniture and leave clear pathways. Arrange seating so that it's easy to converse and watch television without obstruction.

Style and Theme

Personal Preference: Choose a style that resonates with you, whether it's modern, traditional, bohemian, or coastal. Your living room should reflect your personality and taste. Think about colours, patterns, and textures that you love.
Consistency: Maintain a cohesive theme throughout the room. Consistent colours, textures, and materials create a harmonious look. This can be achieved by repeating certain elements like a specific wood finish or a colour palette.

Layout and Furniture Arrangement

Open Plan Living Rooms

Zone Definition: Use rugs, lighting, and furniture placement to define different zones within an open plan space. This helps create distinct areas for lounging, dining, and entertaining. For example, a large area rug can anchor the seating area, while pendant lights can highlight the dining space.
Multi-functional Furniture: Opt for pieces that serve multiple purposes, such as a sofa bed or an ottoman with storage. This maximises the functionality of the space. A dining table that doubles as a workspace is another great option.

Small Living Rooms

Scale Down Furniture: Choose smaller furniture pieces that fit the scale of the room. A compact sofa and slimline coffee table can make a small room feel more spacious. Avoid bulky furniture that can overwhelm the space.
Use Vertical Space: Take advantage of vertical space with tall bookshelves and wall-mounted storage. This draws the eye upward and makes the room feel larger. Floating shelves can display decorative items without taking up floor space.

Large Living Rooms

Create Intimate Areas: Divide a large living room into smaller, cosy areas with furniture groupings. Use area rugs to define each space. For example, create a reading nook with a comfortable chair and floor lamp in one corner.
Statement Pieces: Large rooms can accommodate bold statement pieces like oversized artwork, large plants, and grand lighting fixtures. A large, dramatic chandelier can become a focal point in a spacious living room.

Colour Schemes

Neutral Tones

Timeless Appeal: Neutral colours like beige, grey, and white create a calm and timeless backdrop. They also make it easy to switch up decor accessories for a fresh look. Neutrals can serve as a versatile foundation for any style.
Layering Textures: Add interest to a neutral palette with varied textures like a chunky knit throw, a velvet cushion, or a woven rug. This keeps the room from feeling flat and adds a cosy, inviting feel.

Bold Colours

Accent Walls: Introduce bold colours through an accent wall. This adds a focal point without overwhelming the space. Choose a vibrant colour, such as orange, red or purple, that complements your overall palette and apply it to one wall.
Colourful Accessories: Brighten up the room with colourful cushions, rugs, and artwork. This is an easy way to experiment with colour without committing to a full room makeover. Try rotating accessories seasonally for a fresh look.

Furniture Selection

Sofas and Seating

Comfort and Style: Choose a sofa that is both comfortable and stylish. Consider the seating depth, fabric durability, and colour. A well-chosen sofa can be a statement piece that ties the room together.
Accent Chairs: Add character with accent chairs in complementary or contrasting fabrics. They can provide additional seating and serve as a design statement. A patterned or brightly coloured chair can add a pop of interest.

Coffee Tables and Side Tables

Functionality: Select tables that offer storage or additional functionality. Nesting tables are great for small spaces, while a coffee table with drawers can hide clutter. Look for pieces with shelves or compartments.
Materials and Style: Choose materials that complement your overall design. Wood, glass, and metal each bring a different aesthetic to the room. For example, a glass table can make a room feel more open, while wood adds warmth.

Accessories and Decor

Lighting

Layered Lighting: Use a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a well-lit space. Ceiling lights, floor lamps, and table lamps each serve different purposes. Dimmable lights can adjust the mood and functionality.
Statement Lighting: A bold chandelier or unique pendant light can serve as a focal point in the living room. Look for designs that add to the room's style, whether it’s modern, vintage, or eclectic.

Rugs and Textiles

Rugs: Rugs add warmth and define spaces. Choose a size that fits your furniture arrangement and complements your colour scheme. A large rug can anchor a seating area, while a smaller rug can highlight an entryway.
Cushions and Throws: These accessories add comfort and style. Mix and match patterns, colours, and textures for a layered look. Seasonal changes in cushions and throws can update your decor without major changes.

Wall Art and Decorations

Artwork: Choose artwork that reflects your style. Large pieces can make a statement, while a gallery wall can display a collection of smaller works. Mix different types of art, such as paintings, photographs, and prints.
Mirrors: Mirrors reflect light and make a room feel larger. Place a large mirror opposite a window to maximise natural light. Decorative mirrors can also serve as stylish wall art.

Plants and Greenery

Indoor Plants: Add life and colour with indoor plants. Choose low-maintenance varieties if you're new to gardening. Plants like succulents, ferns, and snake plants are good options.
Planters: Select stylish planters that complement your decor. Consider hanging planters or plant stands to add height and dimension. Grouping plants of different sizes can create an attractive display.

DIY Project Ideas for Small Living Rooms

Floating Shelves

Materials Needed: Wooden planks, brackets, screws, drill.
Instructions: Measure and mark where you want your shelves. Install the brackets into the wall studs for support, then place and secure the wooden planks on the brackets. Use these shelves to display decor or store books and other items.

Custom Cushions

Materials Needed: Fabric, sewing machine or needle and thread, stuffing.
Instructions: Choose fabric that complements your living room decor. Cut the fabric into the desired cushion size, sew three sides together, stuff the cushion, then sew the final side closed. Mix different patterns and textures for an eclectic look.

Painted Feature Wall

Materials Needed: Paint, brushes or rollers, painter’s tape, drop cloth.
Instructions: Choose a bold or complementary colour for your feature wall. Use painter's tape to outline the area you want to paint, lay down a drop cloth to protect your floor, and apply the paint with brushes or rollers. This can create a striking focal point in your living room.

Repurposed Furniture

Materials Needed: Old furniture, sandpaper, paint or stain, brushes.
Instructions: Sand down an old piece of furniture to remove the old finish. Apply new paint or stain to give it a fresh look. This can be a cost-effective way to update your living room with a personalised touch.

Gallery Wall

Materials Needed: Picture frames, artwork or photos, nails, hammer, level.
Instructions: Collect a variety of frames and artwork. Lay out the arrangement on the floor before hanging. Start with the largest piece and work around it, ensuring the frames are level. This adds personality and style to your living room.

Lounge room project

The lounge room becomes a sanctuary over the cooler months. With carefully selected colours and fresh finishes, you can create an atmosphere that raises comfort levels as the temperature dips.

Your shopping list

What to consider before you start

How much paint do I need?

Use our simple, online paint calculator to determine the amount of paint you need. Head to dulux.com.au/paint-calculator

Protect surfaces and furniture

Remove all furniture from the room. Lay down a proper drop sheet to protect your floors. Try not to use old sheets as paint will often soak through. Mask skirting boards, window trim and electrical switches with painter’s tape. If painting the ceiling, tape around light fittings and any vents.

Already painted surfaces in good condition

If the surface is already painted and in good condition with no stains or mould you shouldn’t need an undercoat. Check the instructions on the product label to determine if a light sand is required. Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free from dust, oils and grease before you start.

Unpainted surfaces in good condition

If you are painting bare, unpainted walls, furniture or ceiling, apply one coat of Dulux® 1Step® Prep over the entire surface. For bare plaster ensure to use Dulux PRECISION® Sealer Binder.

Cracks or holes

Patch any cracks and holes with a suitable filler or sealant, such as Selleys® Spakfilla®® . Lightly sand down the surface to a smooth level then dust off. Apply one coat of Dulux 1 Step Primer Sealer Undercoat over the repairs.

Mould

If your walls or ceiling have mould, you will need to remove the mould with Selleys® Rapid Mould Killer™ or 1 part bleach to 3 parts water. Scrub with a scouring pad and bleach solution then leave solution on the surface for 15 minutes. Wash with clean water and wipe dry. To ensure mould does not recur, it is important to eliminate the cause of the mould growth. Several applications may be necessary to remove stubborn mould blooms. Once the mould has been removed and the surface is clean, dry and free from dust, oils and grease, you can paint without an undercoat.

Stains

Wash surfaces with Selleys Sugar Soap and if stains persist use a specialist stain blocker to prevent the stains migrating through your topcoat and appearing in your new paint job. The Dulux PRECISION range of specialty stain blockers will have a product to suit your stain problem.

Spraying

If undertaking a spray project, for ease of application use a Lazy Susan. This will help you spray the object evenly on all sides, without walking in circles or handling it. To help protect surfaces from overspray, use drop sheets, tape or newspaper. Also, ensure the surface is clean and dry, free from grease, rust and dirt. If priming bare steel and iron, or an undercoat is required, use a Dulux Duramax® Undercoat (Metal, Plastic or General Purpose Undercoat). Shake the can for at least one minute before use and regularly during use. After spraying, prevent blocking by flipping the can upside down and spraying until clear gas emerges. Also wipe the front of the nozzle clean.

Walls

1. Follow the preparation steps of this guide.

2. Start by cutting in around the edges of the wall with a brush – these are areas the roller cannot easily reach.

3. Load the roller in the tray with a reasonable amount of paint.

4. Start rolling the wall in an ‘M’ pattern. Start closest to the natural light source. Continue over the same section until the wall is evenly covered.

5. Using an unloaded roller begin in the top left corner of your wall and gently let the roller roll down to the baseboards in a straight line with no pressure. A lightness of touch will prevent new roller marks from forming. Repeat this action only this time, slightly overlap your last movement so your roller rubs away the line created by the previous stroke. Continue this across the area you have painted. This is called laying off.

6. Reload your roller and repeat until the wall is complete.

7. Allow the first coat to dry and repeat the total process again with a second coat.

Fireplace, Windows & Shutters

1. Follow the preparation steps of this guide.

2. Begin by taping around the fireplace, window or trim with painter’s masking tape.

3. For technique, start by cutting in at the top and bottom of the edges of the trim, then finish off the middle.

4. Apply paint to the trim using short, horizontal brush strokes. Repeat the motion for about a metre.

5. Smooth over the painted section with long brush strokes. Do not reload the brush when you do this. Don’t brush it too much – a few strokes should be enough to smooth the surface.

6. Repeat this process until complete. Allow to dry, then give the surface a light sand with 400 grit sandpaper and repeat for a second coat.

Note: With windows it is recommended to paint the inner window sections first then move to the outer trim. And remember, always keep windows open as they dry and ensure to move them constantly to prevent them from sticking together.

Ornaments

1. Follow the preparation instructions for spraying of this guide.

2. If using Dulux Duramax Metallic Rose Gold and Dulux Duramax Ito Gloss, apply in multiple light, mist coats.

3. For a realistic marble look use Dulux Duramax Marble Effect. First apply a coat of Dulux Duramax High Performance Enamel in your chosen colour. Then apply one coat of Dulux Duramax Marble Effect. Spray with quick hand movements from multiple directions, keeping 25cm or more distance from the surface. Every marble finish will be unique so don’t think too hard about the pattern while you are spraying.

4. Finally, once the surface has dried, spray the entire surface with Dulux Duramax Clear Coat Satin or Gloss.

5. Follow the after spraying instructions on page 2 of this guide.

6. Now, admire your transformation! Great job!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best colours for a small living room?

Light colours like white, beige, and pastels can make a small living room feel larger and more open. Adding mirrors and good lighting can also help enhance the space.

How can I make my living room look more spacious?

Use multi-functional furniture, keep the room clutter-free, and use light colours on walls and furniture. Adding vertical storage and strategically placing mirrors can also create the illusion of more space.

What type of lighting is best for a living room?

A combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting is best. Ceiling lights provide general illumination, floor and table lamps offer task lighting, and wall sconces or accent lights highlight decor elements.

How do I choose the right sofa for my living room?

Consider the size of your room, the sofa’s comfort, and its style. Measure your space to ensure the sofa fits well and think about fabric durability and colour to match your decor.

What are some budget-friendly living room decor ideas?

Updating accessories like cushions, throws, and rugs can refresh your living room on a budget. DIY projects, like painting furniture or creating artwork, can also add a personal touch without breaking the bank.

Designing a living room that is both stylish and functional can transform your home and enhance your daily life. By considering your space, choosing the right furniture, and adding thoughtful decor, you can create a living room that reflects your personality and meets your needs. Whether you're working with a small space or a large open plan, these ideas will help you create a beautiful and inviting living room. Happy decorating!

Need help?

For any further help on your project, call our friendly Help & Advice Team. Australia: 13 25 25, New Zealand: 0800 800 424. Or you can contact our live chat team online at dulux.com.au