How I added colour and character to our cold new build living room: On a budget

Confession time: I've never been a fan on our living room. It's small, awkwardly shaped and difficult to style. Not only that but there's no interesting features like fireplaces to speak of, and because a conservatory backs on it, the room struggles with natural light. 

Couple all that with no storage and two young children you've got a recipe for a cluttered box. I've not helped this really. We painted it in an off-white when we moved in years ago, and I've never been brave enough to change it. I've tested lots of darker shades over the years, and they always seem to look odd in the dim light. 

However enough is enough, and I decided this Summer should be the time I finally do something about the problematic living room. So here's my budget redecoration - no big builds or renovations over here. Just a lick of paint, some new accessories and trying to rework the space a little better. Oh and the best part: a grown-up corner. But more about that later. 

Using colour to transform a bland living room

First things first, doing something about that colour. We have this off-white shade throughout the house, and while it looks lovely in rooms like our bedroom and kitchen, the living room was definitely crying out for something new. I set my heart on a pink, so off I went to the hardware store and collected lots of shades I'd seen online. 

Some were OK, some were absolutely awful, and we won't say much about that 1980's peach. What felt like tens of testers later, we settled on 'Creamy Latte' by Valspar. To say I wasn't confident would an understatement. Even as the paint was going on I wasn't sure if I'd made the right choice. 

But with 'trusting the process' in mind, two coats later and I was proven wrong. I loved it. This shade of dusky pink is traditional enough to work with the cottage core theme I had my heart set on, but modern enough that it didn't clash with some of our existing furniture. 

Storage that doubles as decor

The awkward corner by the door has always been a headache. It's seen more changes than most spaces in our home, and none of them have fully worked. Storage is a problem throughout the house, so we needed something that would add lots of vital hidden cupboard space, but also fit into the 90cm we had spare. 

I searched for months to find something just right, before settling on a glass and metal cabinet that might sound impractical, but was just the right blend of stylish and functional. Exactly what I needed for what I had planned with this corner. Even better, this cabinet is now home to our growing record collection, and all the tableware and linens.  

Creating a grown-up space away from the toy chaos

Anyone who lives in a small home with young children will understand the battle between wanting to have some grown-up space that reflects you, while also finding homes for all the toys. 

I decided to create zones within this small room, dedicating this tiny corner by the door to our love of music. I added some mini shelves to display records - also a great way of adding some personality to a space. Our record player now lives on top of the cabinet, along with a couple of accessories and a lamp, essential for this dimly-lit room. 

I think this is now my favourite part of the room, and just goes to prove you can make an impact in any space of your home - even if you've got less than a metre to play with!

How we've added personality without major renovation

Another difficult spot was the big, ugly radiator helpfully positioned in the most central place of the room. Repositioning it would be out of our budget, and to be honest there isn't really anywhere it would work in here. So instead of covering it up, which I've done for a decade, I decided to get rid of the old, battered radiator cover and try something else. 

As I mentioned above the dream would be to have a beautiful, traditional fireplace in this room, however seeing as that's not possible I've added a rustic style mantel over the radiator. This has added some all important texture and a focal point to an otherwise boring room. 

If you want to do this too, don't forget to sit your mantle or shelf at least 5cm above your radiator to let the heat out. To finish off the look I painted the radiator to match the walls, in an attempt to hide it better.

Styling tips and finishing touches

To finish off the room, I added some vintage cottage style accessories in lots of gingham cushions and lampshade, plus some curtains and a roman blind with matching green touches. 

 

Ideally I'd love a built-in media wall filled with lots of storage for toys, but for now I'm pretty happy with how this mini-makeover has turned out on a budget.  

So what do you think? Do you have a similar small, featureless living room that you struggle to add character to? 

Thanks for reading, 

Sam Xx