Cost-effective colour ideas for lovely family living rooms

“We don’t have much money left after our move but we really want a laid-back living space where the family can spend time together. What can we do?”

Moving house can be expensive, leaving you with little money to do up your new pad. But most new movers are itching to get decorating straight away, especially if they have a family to settle into their new space.

According to our global survey, 60% of people say that their living room is right at the top of their to-do list when they move home, so we’ve come up with six ways to help you create a family room you’ll love – all using easy and affordable paint ideas.

1) Embrace colour blocking

Can’t afford to paint the whole room? Try a bit of carefully-planned colour blocking instead. You could, for example, paint one colour on the wall behind your sofa, then pick a tonal colour for the walls around your windows and another for any alcoves in the room. Varying shades of teal work really well for this.

Which paints? Try 10BG 22/248, 10BG 54/199 and 55BG 74/117.

2) Paint doors in contrasting colours

This is a fun way to inject a bit of vibrancy into a plain white room. Go for bold colours on your doorframes then paint the door in a complementary colour – for example, a blue frame with an orange door, or an indigo frame with a yellow door. Kids will love the bright colours and costs are kept low because you don’t have much surface area to cover.

Which paints? 33BB 32/308 with 50YR 25/556 or 30RB 15/086 with 20YY 35/456

3) Focus on your frames

If you have your heart set on a particular colour but can’t stretch to using it on your walls, you can create an equally striking effect by painting your window and doorframes instead. Go for a darker shade on your frames than on your walls and you’ll have the added bonus of making your room feel larger.

Which paints? Try 10GY 14/135, 30RB 15/086 or 30BB 08/263

4) Brighten up your bookshelves

If you have built-in bookcases or floating shelves, try painting these in a bright shade to bring your living room scheme to life. You could even paint each shelf in a different colour for a playful, rainbow effect, or choose subtly different shades for a harmonious look. Complete the look by colour coding your books.

Which paints? Try 98RR 12/480, 60YY 62/755, 90GY 21/472 and 10BB 13/362

5) Go for happy hues

Colour can really lift your mood. Bright hues have the most energising effect, especially if you go for warm tones like yellows and oranges. If you’re in need of a bit of calm after a stressful move, pale greens and violets will create a soothing scheme.

Which paints? For invigorating tones try 41YY 83/214 or 86YR 49/493, for soothing shades try 30BB 63/124 or 50RR 39/154

Top tip

For a designer-style finishing touch, use a few inexpensive accessories, such as scatter cushions, colourful pottery or painted picture frames, to pick out the colour of your paint and draw the scheme together.