Whether you’re an avid entertainer or an occasional host, there are bound to be times your living room is used for socialising. It could be anything from movie nights or parties to catch ups over coffee.
A truly sociable living room will help your guests feel relaxed, welcome and comfortable. By following our carefully compiled tips, all the social gatherings in the heart of your home will be even more enjoyable.
Create Intimate Seating
A brilliant way to make your living room feel more sociable is to create an intimate seating arrangement. After all, it doesn’t make for good conversation when there are wide spaces between your armchairs and the seating is all spread out. Talking across the room isn’t the way most people like to open up to their friends, get to know new people or tell a joke.
Antisocial seating arrangements often come into play when the television is the focus of the room. That’s because your sofas and armchairs are all positioned for the best view, instead of facing each other.
Bring your seating closer together so your guests can enjoy conversation without straining their neck or vocal cords. If you mainly use your living room to watch tv, you could consider rejigging it whenever you have guests.
Relaxed Warm Lighting
Warm lighting is one of the best ways to help guests feel calm, relaxed and sociable in your living room. You can completely overhaul your living room by simply switching off ceiling lights and using candles, wall lights and table lamps to illuminate it. Instead of the harsh, unflattering glow overhead lighting can create, you’ll be left with an atmospheric, intimate ambience.
If you’re investing in new living room lighting, then there are some key styles to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for table lamps with opal shades, these help to diffuse the light and give it a soft glow. Shades made using natural linen, ceramic or marble will also help achieve the same look. For a low-cost transformation, replace any bright white bulbs with warmer options.
Use Rugs to Create Zones
If your living room is part of a large, open plan space, it can be hard to make it feel like a separate area. Luckily, one of the benefits of open-plan living is that it’s particularly sociable. You could be enjoying a catch up in the living area whilst others are playing games at the table and still feel completely involved. However, if you’d like to create some clearer zones in the room, then that can be done by simply using rugs.
From your living space to your dining table and office nook, use rugs to mark out each zone. This will help make your living room feel cosier and more defined. Adding rugs to your space will also help inject a little more personality, perfect for sociable living rooms.
Comfort Is Key
You and your guests will feel more at ease if you’re comfortable, so make that a priority. A snuggly sofa will make all the difference, encouraging your guests to feel more relaxed and sociable. If you’re hosting a larger group, then use bean bags and large cushions to create extra seating on the floor.
If you’re lumped with an uncomfy sofa and now isn’t the right time to buy a new one, accessories will help. Filling your living room with plenty of cushions, throws and blankets will help to create a more cosy, sociable space.
Drape a throw over the side of the sofa so your guests know they’re welcome to use them. Or you could stash some spare blankets in a storage basket for them to pick from.
Add a Bit of Personality
A pristine lounge that doesn’t have a hair out of place can leave your guests nervous to accidentally make a mess. Inject a touch of your personality into your living room to make them feel more relaxed and at home. This could be anything from your favourite design classic to your old guitar or holiday pictures.
Even if your style is more minimalist, you can still use ornaments and wall art to show your personality. This is also a great way to break the ice when you’re meeting new people.
Want to create a more sociable home? Discover our living room furniture collection.
[ INSPIRATION ]
Trends & Lifestyle
Warm and lustrous, coppery tones are the perfect accent to minimal spaces or an opulent addition to classically styled rooms. Providing a modern alternative to traditional chandeliers, groups of copper pendants continue to prove popular as lighting centrepieces.
Plus, copper’s metallic finish also lends a fresh perspective to home accessories like mirrors, clocks and lamps. Read on and let our shiny new copper inspiration bring some interior inspiration to your home.
Copper accessories
If you don’t want to make any major design changes to your home, copper accessories are a great way to get on board with the trend. Not only are accessories made from copper more cost-effective than wallpapering or retiling, but they’re also incredibly versatile.
The versatility of copper accessories means you can move them around the room or into different parts of the house to update your space. Some of the best ways to introduces copper to your home is through accessories like mirrors, lamps and vases. You could also consider copper cutlery, handles or sofa feet for small flourishes.
Statement-making lighting
If you want to make a statement in your room, then copper lighting can be a great way to do it. Beautifully reflective and elegant, copper ceiling lights or lamps are a timeless addition to your space. You can find copper lighting in plenty of styles, so there’s definitely something to suit your tastes.
If you’re a mid-century enthusiast, then there are loads of classic copper lights designed by celebrated masters. If you prefer something more modern, then we have plenty to choose from by contemporary designers.
We love how the bold copper pendant lights in this dining space stay true to the room’s minimalist aesthetic. Their organic shapes and brushed copper finish mean they enhance the room’s décor, without stealing the show. Plus, they’re perfect for casting a cosy glow and creating a warm ambience.
Small accents of copper
If you want to lend a touch of copper into your home without going overboard, some small flourishes could be the way to go. There are plenty of reasons why you may just want a small touch of copper in your home. Perhaps you want to match your drawer handles in with the rest of your room, or maybe you’d like to tie your exposed piping in further. For just small copper home accessories, we suggest planters, lamp stems and table legs made using the metal.
Copper’s eco friendly
Did you know that copper is one of the best materials you can use for architecture projects and interiors? That’s because it’s endlessly recyclable and incredibly durable, making it a clever choice for sustainable building. That’s why you see copper cladding more and more modern buildings.
Copper in the kitchen
Copper saucepans are a timeless addition to your kitchen. They are a classic design that’s equally at home in modern kitchens. Saucepans made using copper are often serious investments thanks to their unrivalled quality. There’s a reason our ancestors have cooked using copper for the last 11,000 years. Copper heats up quickly and evenly, then slows down fast when removed from the heat. That makes it perfect for cooking fish, sauces and desserts.
To really make your copper accessories stand out, we suggest keeping your kitchen’s design neutral. With minimalist surfaces and cabinets, your copper saucepans will be the star of the show. Plus, they’re stylish enough to display on open shelves or hooks, rather than hiding away in a cupboard.
Copper on the walls
If you like to make a statement with bold interior design, copper is a great choice when it comes to walls. It reflects light beautifully, adding a luxurious and versatile flourish to your space. You could go all out, painting your entire room in a light copper hue. Or you could choose a wallpaper with hints of copper running throughout. Whatever you decide, adding copper to your walls will lend a touch more glamour to your home.
We love this example because it’s perfect for building out a complete design scheme. With plenty of different tones running throughout it, you could easily accessorise with shades of blue and copper. If your design scheme is a little brighter, opt for copper wallpaper with lighter shades of cream, white and grey in it. Want to create your own copper statement?
Check out our collection of copper lighting.
The Christmas tree sits at the heart of every home’s festive celebrations, so making the right choice when it comes to a festive fir is key in creating a cohesive, stylish and balanced scene. Follow these three simple steps from Anna Sheridan, Interior Stylist at Heal’s to maximise your Christmas décor:
To choose the right size: think big, then go bigger
“A tree that’s too small will feel out of place, while one that’s too big will overwhelm the space. For the perfect balance, opt for a tree that is six inches shorter than the ceiling height. This leaves plenty of room for show-stopping accessories, so there’s no need to hold back on the tree topper! “Tall ceilings are perfect for making a room feel more spacious, but if the floor is short on square footage, it’s best to opt for a slimmer style of tree. This means you can still go higher, without having to sacrifice any of the space within your room.”
To position in the right location: take a look around
“Whilst placing your tree in front of the window may seem like the best way to show off your decorations, you risk losing a lot of natural light, leaving the room feeling dark and uninviting. Remember to keep the tree clear of doors, to avoid knocking off fir needles or breaking any expensive ornaments. “It's also important to consider the current layout of your room, and where your furniture currently sits. The optimum viewing distance from a TV is 2m, so leave at least this much distance between the screen and the tree to keep branches out of the way of your favourite Christmas films, and be mindful that the twinkle of fairy lights may be reflected round the room if placed in front of any mirrors.”
To hang your baubles perfectly: pick a method and stick to it
“The perfect number of ornaments to use on your tree will vary depending on your individual style, but as a general rule, use six baubles to every foot (30.4cm) of the tree. “To avoid clustering the same type of bauble too closely together, first group them together in different themes, such as colour, texture and shape. Hang each type in a zig-zag pattern and gradually work through the themes to achieve a balanced and considered look.”
Christmas Styling For Every Home
Whether you’ve got an eye for anything that sparkles, like to go big and bold at Christmas, or prefer to keep things calm and cosy, Heal’s has a selection of decorations to suit every type of home.
Bold and Bright
“To create a maximalist look, choose no more than three bold colours as your palette, and balance the ratio of each shade equally throughout the décor. For traditional Christmas styling, opt for red, green and gold, or for a more contemporary feel, choose a combination such as pink, blue and green.
“To avoid overwhelming the scene, offset bright colours with accessories in a neutral palette to make the bolder decorations pop. Introduce depth by mixing both matt and metallic finishes throughout the scheme.”
Festive Glamour
“To make the most impact, stick to a single colour scheme with a focus on metallic finishes, to make your decorations pop in the festive light. A gold, bronze and neutral palette will offer a luxurious warmth. “While sticking to a minimal colour palette, consider adding texture with feathers, star-shaped ornaments and beaded baubles. Complete the look with warm yellow lighting in the way of fairy lights or candles, to allow the metallic finishes to twinkle.”
Credit: French for Pineapple
Scandi-Chic
“Use a soft palette of warm neutrals as a canvas to build an inviting minimalist look. Add touches of personality with handcrafted ornaments to bring life to the tree.” “Focus on building texture – mix matt finishes with natural, raw materials from the garden such as pinecones, berries and fresh fir branches, which will add a festive scent to the room whilst creating interest for the eye.” “Connect with nature and use responsibly-sourced materials, such as FSC-certified paper origami decorations.”
Which is your favourite style? Did you discover any new tips?
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Hosting Christmas dinner has earned a bad reputation for being stressful, but it needn’t be. There are plenty of ways to make hosting Christmas dinner so enjoyable, you’ll want to host next year too.
To help, we’ve compiled some of our tips. Read on to discover how to make this year’s Christmas dinner extra special.
Set the scene
Design your Christmas table scheme and compile all the napkins, decorations and crackers ahead of the big day. That way, come Christmas, you’ll know exactly what you’d like the table to look like and you’ll have everything you need.
Feeling extra organised? Then you could even lay the table the night before Christmas so it’s ready for the next day. That way you can make sure the table looks just right, rather than rushing to do it ten minutes before serving food. Check out our blog for some inspiration on decorating your Christmas dining table.
Be prepared
Prepping food ahead of Christmas Day is one of the best things you can do to make the day run a little smoother. You can prep your carrots, parsnips and potatoes the night before. To keep them fresh simply submerge them in cold water and cover with cling film or eco-friendly wrap. Chopping up all the onions the night before and storing them in an airtight container will also save time the next day. As will making your stuffing a few weeks earlier and freezing it. You can also make any dressings or sauces up to two days before Christmas.
We also suggest planning out how everything will fit in the oven. It might sound like overkill but knowing how to fit all the veg and meats into the oven in advance will help massively. This should also help you figure out timings and the order everything needs to enter the oven. Trust us, planning ahead will save you from a massive game of Tetris on the day.
Prepping ahead also means you won’t be busy peeling spuds whilst everyone opens their presents on Christmas Day. You’ll be able to enjoy more of the day and spend quality time with your guests, rather than being preoccupied in the kitchen.
Give your turkey a rest
We’ve consulted the chefs, our resident Christmas connoisseurs and our grandparents and the results are in… rest your roasted turkey for up to an hour before carving it. Resting your roasted turkey gives it time to reabsorb all the juices around it. That means you’ll end up with succulent slices of turkey, rather than a slab of dry meat. There’s no need to cover the turkey with foil, in fact, covering it may make the skin soggy. The turkey should retain its heat well so no need to worry about it getting cold.
This really is a Christmas miracle because it frees up oven space for the all-important vegetables. That means less humidity in the oven and more space for your roasties to crisp up.
Entertainment
Christmas is a celebration, after all, so remember to have fun. Thinking up some activities or games in advance will take the pressure off on the day. Get the board games out of storage so your guests will have plenty to entertain themselves with whilst you’re cooking. If games aren’t your style, then some Christmas music playing in the background will guarantee everyone feels festive. Plus, it will give your guests more time to catch up and talk.
Teamwork
Sharing the load is a great way to make hosting Christmas dinner easier. After all, there’s no fun in running a one man show. Encouraging children, partners and even some guests to help will make sure Christmas is fun for everyone.
One way to do this is by delegating tasks. For example, one person oversees decorating the Christmas table. Another is charged with serving drinks and topping up glasses. Someone else recycles all the wrapping paper and tidies up the living spaces. This means you can focus on the food, whilst still having time to entertain your guests.
Spoon stock take
If you’re hosting a large Christmas dinner this year, then it’s worth making sure you have enough glassware, cutlery and crockery. That’s everything down to serving spoons and side plates. Sure, it sounds like an obvious move, but after a year of covid-disrupted festivities, this may be the largest event you’ve hosted in a while. Y
ou may have cracked a few plates, smashed a couple of glasses or misplaced some cutlery since you last hosted. Check in advance and you’ll have plenty of time to source any missing cutlery or glassware.
When it comes to making a purchase, sustainability has become a key factor and is at the top of the global agenda, with many changing their consumer habits and moving away from the throwaway culture.
Our latest research has revealed that Brits are keener than ever to invest in sustainable, durable products for their home, potentially signalling the end to fast furniture.
Of those surveyed, we learned that homeowners and renters are foregoing the typical flat-pack approach, instead opting for ethically-produced, durable pieces that will stand the test of time and are willing to pay over £600 more on sustainable furniture.
With the importance of making a house feel like a home continuing to grow, we discovered that 18-25 year olds are more likely to splurge on their interiors than over 55s.
Two-thirds of Millennials (66%) felt that a company’s sustainability credentials were an important factor when making a significant purchase for their home, a third (34%) of whom would be willing to spend more than £1,000 extra on a product if it were better for the environment, compared to a quarter (24%) of Gen Xers (45 – 54 years old) and just 7% of Baby Boomers (55+).
Sabina Miller, Head Buyer at Heal’s, commented: “It’s great that retailers such as Heal’s are able to offer both the quality and the durability that consumers want for their homes while retaining that design aesthetic that is also paramount. After spending so much time within our homes over the past 18 months, we have noticed how people are much more confident when it comes to investing in their interiors, as they understand the importance of being surrounded by pieces that they truly love, are expertly crafted to stand the test of time and are sustainably made.”
Do you find that sustainability is an important factor when purchasing pieces for your home?
When you’re in the thick of the dust and destruction of a home renovation, sometimes it can be tricky to see the light at the end of the tunnel and visualise how the finished project will come together.
Interiors and Lifestyle influencer Jess Parr (@jessroseparr) set up @jessrosehome to document her renovations of her Victorian terrace that she shares with her husband Freddie and lovely pup, Winnie. Together with the help of Roger and Helen from our Interior Planning Service, they picked the perfect pieces to create the ultimate minimalist yet cosy open-living space.
We caught up with Helen and Jess to find out all about the design process, the key pieces and how to get the look of this relaxed and oh so inviting set up.
Jess, tell us about your renovation story. When did it start and how have you found the process so far?
J: After living in the house for 2 years we started our renovation early 2021. It took five months to complete the three-story job where we extended our group floor and opened up our galley kitchen, re-jigged the layout of our first floor and built a loft extension with en-suite on the top floor.
It was a learning curve taking on a project like this with minimal experience, but we learned so much. Living on site really helped communication with our builders and lots of last minute design changes and style decisions were made possible by being here every day to watch the process of the build.
How would you describe your style? Do you and your partner have the same taste? If not, how have you found the balance between your styles?
J: My style is neutral minimalist with a bit of mid-century thrown in. Layer on a few organic shapes and textures and that’s me. A bit of everything basically! I try to avoid trends too much as I don’t want to constantly update our space.
Mid-century never dates so I always like pieces in the room, and you can’t go wrong with neutral decor and styling. My partner doesn’t know what he likes and when he sees the finished result of the rooms that I create he says it’s exactly how he’d have wanted it so currently we get along great in the style department!
Helen, what are the first steps when it comes to designing a space? We’d love to get some insight into how you approach a full room design.
H: Firstly, establish what functions the space will be used for and by which members of the household. Often rooms need to perform more than one function, such as working from home during the day and family dining in the evening. Larger spaces can be ‘zoned’ with the use of rugs and lighting to further define these functions. Space planning is a critical step in designing any interior in order to create a well-balanced, easily navigable and beautiful space.
Selecting the right size sofa and table within a living-dining space is critical to the overall success of the final design, and mapping this out during the planning stages can prevent costly mistakes. Finally, define your style, design and colour preferences, which will help when shortlisting and selecting furnishings to create a unique and cohesive interior scheme.
Jess, how did you find working with our IPS team? Is there anything in particular that you found helpful when designing your space?
J: I absolutely loved working with the IPS team. Whilst I knew exactly what I liked I was having trouble working with the space. Our kitchen / living / dining area is three zones in one room so I didn't want it to feel cramped or cluttered. In terms of style, I wanted each space to flow seamlessly into the next which is where the IPS team helped me pick simple pieces and we brought the space to life with lots of plants to help bring the outdoors in.
So, Helen, what ideas and elements did you use to help to bring the outside in?
H: By selecting natural textures, materials, and fluid shapes in a muted colour palette of greens and earthy tones create flow and effortlessly connect the interior scheme with the outdoor space.
Were there any key pieces that stood out to you that you knew would be perfect for the space?
H: The graceful organic curves of the Luna sofa was a natural fit for Jess’ room, as it looks great from every angle, so it was perfect for this open-plan living space.
And how would you describe the finished space?
H: Relaxed, natural, organic.
How would you describe the finished space, Jess?
J: It feels minimalist yet cosy. It’s the back of our house and we wanted to create this feeling of indoor to outdoor living. The doors open fully on the back wall and its feels wonderful sitting on the sofa and practically being outside. We opted for an armless end of the sofa by the doors so you can feel more connected to the outdoors when the doors are open.
It’s a sociable area where we can have guests over who can relax whilst we host. It’s the perfect summer and winter space - in the evenings we can have the doors open enjoying the balmy evenings or cosy up in the winter after dinner with a glass of wine and a movie.
Now, we know no one likes playing favourites, but if you were to choose what’s your favourite piece?
J: The Luna sofa! It's the perfect balance of a comfy nappable Sunday sofa which also looks ultra-chic at the same time. The thin legs make it feel lighter all round even though it’s a big piece of furniture. I love the Tundra Texture Stone linen colour which is the perfect neutral tone for the space.
Finally, Helen, what advice would you have for someone who is looking to get the look of Jess’ inside outside living space?
H: Take inspiration from the great outdoors! Keep your design simple and stick with a muted and natural colour palette. Select furniture and furnishings with organic shapes in fabrics and textures that echo nature. The use of eco-friendly materials, such as our Romilly rug, which is made from recycled plastic bottles, creates an authentic feel while supporting the drive for sustainable living.
Need a helping hand with designing your space? Our IPS team are here to help!
Click here to follow along with Jess’ renovation journey.
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