Turn your large living room into a cosy haven

Having a large or open plan living room is great but it can be tricky to make it seem warm and cosy.

But don’t worry, there are plenty of things you can do to avoid your living space seeming empty and impersonal.

Pick an L-shaped sofa

Corner sofas are a fantastic addition to large living rooms. You can use them to break up open plan spaces and create different zones within the overall area. For example you could use an L-shaped sofa to divide the room into two separate spaces – one for dining and one for relaxing. Large sofas like La-Z-Boy’s Augustine corner unit can help anchor a spacious living room, creating an attractive focal point.

Create different zones

One advantage of having a large living room is that you can use it for lots of different things. Instead of having just one sitting area with sofas and armchairs, you could have several zones with their own seating options. For example, you could create a cosy nook for curling up with a good book, a gaming zone complete with consoles and a comfortable La-Z-Boy recliner chair or a home office. Divide the space up visually if you can with screens, curtains, plants or different groupings of furniture.

Tackle high ceilings with tall furniture

If you’re lucky enough to live in an apartment or period property with high ceilings, low furniture can get a little bit lost. Take advantage of the height of your living room by investing in some tall pieces which will help the space seem more balanced. Tall houseplants, bookcases, full-length mirrors, large pieces of art and high back chairs all work well in rooms with high ceilings.

Add more lighting

If you just have one central ceiling light, it probably won’t be enough for a large living room once the sun has gone down. Add some lamps with co-ordinating shades to avoid dark corners and shadowy areas. If you add more than three lamps, go for slimmer styles or clear designs to avoid the room looking awkward and cluttered.

Embrace two tone walls

One simple way to break up large expanses of wall is to paint them in two different colours. You could add a dado rail to neatly divide the wall into two sections or add panelling to the bottom half. Alternatively, use masking tape to divide the areas you are painting but be careful and make sure you end up with a clean, straight dividing line between shades. Choose colours which complement each other. If you’re not a fan of two tone walls, paint your ceiling several shades darker than your walls. This will make large rooms seem warmer and cosier.

Double up on furniture

If you have a large living room, it can be hard to find pieces of furniture large enough to anchor the space. If you are struggling to find a coffee table which doesn’t end up looking lost, put two of the same table together to create a larger feature. This doubling up trick also works with rugs and matching ottomans or footstools.

Bring things away from your walls

In small living rooms there is a temptation to push everything up against the walls to create some floor space. If you have a larger living room, you don’t have to do this and it can actually lead to you having too much open space. Avoid wall hugging by keeping your furniture clear of your walls and bring sofas and armchairs closer together and arrange them around a focal point like a fireplace so you can have proper conversations without having to shout across to each other. Invest in artwork and mirrors to fill your empty wall spaces instead of relying on furniture.