4 min read
If 2025 was the year of the British kitchen, then 2026 is officially the year of the British living room. Cozy, layered, and the pinnacle of lived-in, long-loved style, British living rooms are unique for their laissez-faire approach to decorating, which results in a seemingly effortless jumble of perfect pattern, color, and comfort. To get to the bottom of the look—and determine how designers actually perfect the living room formula—we tapped four born-and-bred Britons to spill their decorating secrets.
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Start with a Slouchy Sofa
WILL SLATERA classic roll arm sofa brings comfort to this living room designed by designer Kate Cox’s brother and fellow co-founder of HÁM Interiors, Tom Cox.
A good sofa can make all the difference, say British designer Rita Konig and Kate Cox, creative director of HÁM Interiors. “I am obsessed with comfortable upholstery, and that’s one thing that I think we English do very well,” says Rita. “Why would you have a sofa or a chair that you don’t actually want to sit in?” Kate is inclined to agree—her living room must-have is “a really comfortable sofa, preferably one that lets you sink in rather than perch on.”
Seek out silhouettes that fit with that sense of relaxation. An English roll arm sofa is always a classic, and a slipcovered sofa works especially well in hardworking living rooms that may need to handle shedding pets or muddy wellies. Reserve leather upholstery for occasional chairs, and ensure that whatever upholstery fabric you do choose is performance grade.
RELATED: Our Definitive Guide to the Most Popular Sofa Types
Focus on One Good “Estate” Antique
Alexander James
A secretary desk anchors this HÁM Interiors-designed living room.
Okay, so you may not have inherited a grand estate from some far-off relative, but you can certainly decorate like you did. When in doubt, anchor a living room with an antique—“something that feels like it had life before this room,” says Kate. This could be an old grandfather clock (it doesn’t have to work!), a beautiful mahogany secretary, or even a grand painting. Whatever you choose, be sure to place it with pride. Bonus points if you make up a story about a mysterious relative who bequeathed it to you.
RELATED: The Best Places to Buy Antiques Online, According to Our Editors
Layer Worn Rugs Over Sisal Carpeting
If you’ve ever stayed at a cozy British inn or drooled over a book with dreamy British cottages, then you might’ve noticed that a lot of these older homes don’t have standard wood flooring. In fact, many of them don’t have wood flooring in most areas of the house. Instead, they have tightly woven—often natural, but sometimes manufactured for added durability—sisal carpeting. This type of flooring creates a soft, natural feel underfoot and allows for lovingly worn rugs to be layered on top with ease. If you love the look, sisal carpeting is not too hard to find in the United States, but woven rush rugs from companies such as Rush House may be more wallet-friendly.
Go for a Nearly Neutral Wall
Stacy Zarin GoldbergDesigner Cameron Ruppert chose a soft, pink-tinged neutral for this rural Virginia home’s living room. A plaid sofa adds distinguished charm.
Skip the white paint if you want to channel the cozy ease of a British living room. Instead, go for a neutral that blends but still provides some personality. Keep your choices soft—think fleshy pinks, warm creams, soft blues—and, if you’re able, shop directly from British paint brands like Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, or Graham & Brown. Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball is Kate’s favorite, while Mary and Nicole prefer Jonquil by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Looking for something a little less pink? Try Cord by Farrow & Ball for a warm neutral or the viral Celestial Blue by Little Greene for that perfect green-tinged blue.
RELATED: 10 No-Regret Living Room Paint Colors Designers Swear By
Add Personality with Heritage Patterns
Jonathan Bond Photography
Classic chintz mixed with fun stripes add layers of interest to this living room designed by Salvesen Graham.
The Brits are not—and have never been—pattern agnostic, and layers of pattern are essential to both the look and feel of a quintessential British living room. “Surrounding yourself in pattern can be very comforting,” says Mary Graham, one-half of the design duo behind the London-based Salvesen Graham. “It can add layers of interest and depth to a room but can also be surprisingly calming and restful,” adds Nicole Salvesen.
EMMA LEWISIn artist Molly Mahon’s living room, layers of pattern—including a Vanessa Bell-inspired paint treatment on the nearby fireplace—add cozy charm.
If you don’t know where to start with pattern, look to the British masters like William Morris and Vanessa Bell. Between the Arts and Crafts movement and the work of the Bloomsbury Group, there are tons of patterns that are just as popular today as they were 100 years ago. When in doubt, a classic chintz will always do.
Embrace Quirk
Francesca Gentilli
Uneven walls? No problem, if you ask the Brits. Welcome imperfection as the fun jolt of personality it is.
“Don’t try to make everything look new,” says Kate. “The best rooms gain their personality over time—filled with pieces you love, whether that’s something you’ve inherited, found at auction, or had so long you’ve forgotten where it came from.” It’s this gathered-over-time look that makes British living rooms so inviting.
While it may be hard to replicate the sheer centuries of stuff available at English fingertips, there are certainly easy ways to bring that same sense of age to your own space. First, mix eras—don’t rely on a single style to bring your space together. Think “old with new, grand with humble, formal with completely relaxed,” says Kate.
Second, know that imperfection is the key to a lived-in look. Proportions should be slightly off—the walls in older British homes are hardly ever straight, so embrace imperfection. The more paintings that are hung slightly askew, the better.
And Don’t Forget the Dog
Claire Richardson
Who needs a whole sofa to themselves, anyway?
When asked what no British living room could be complete without, both Rita and Kate answered emphatically: a dog. Living with pets contributes to the layered look of the most-loved living rooms. A quilt or throw over the cushions of a sofa is not only practical; it’s charming. But a sleepy corgi lounging by the fire is the only accessory a room truly needs.
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Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.