When you've mapped your key bits of furniture and chosen the paint colours, that's when you can add in the flourishes to make it cosy and choose cushions, a rug, storage and so on to fill the space out.

For how that might influence your decision, you can read Joa Studholme's guide in our gallery of Farrow & Ball paint colours in real homes. Once you have that in your mind, consider the light the living room receives and that will help you choose the paint colours. Certain things are easy, such as an ottoman or coffee table will go in front of a sofa or in between two facing each other, but others depend entirely on the space you have. You should start with the space itself and map out where all your big furniture could go – so your sofa, any armchairs and freestanding bookshelves for example. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, make it a focal point, arranging your sofas and chairs to face it, and decorating the mantelpiece with pictures and ornaments. Consider putting in some joinery and bookcases that can help you make the most of the room's height and provide valuable storage. We love the distinguished feel of wooden flooring, preferably with some rugs layered on top for softness. Starting with the bones of the room, there are paint colours and flooring to decide on, which will set the tone of the space. To make it more complicated, you need to consider the fact that you'll spend time in a living room at various points of the day, so it needs to work as well at midday as it will with the curtains drawn and candles lit. There are so many elements involved in decorating a living room and it's a room that we spend a lot of our time in so you want to get it right.

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