Books feed our imaginations, creating magical worlds in our minds. Within seconds, we can be sitting in the character’s wingback chair next to the open fire, or living the high-life in a lake-side mansion.
Like some kind of literary mood board, you can take design inspiration from your favourite novels. It could be as simple as a framed quote or as grand as an entire room. Here are some of the most popular novels and living rooms of all time.
Cosy red and gold:
Gryffindor tower, Harry Potter
Every child wishes they could go to Hogwarts – the school of magic in JK Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter series. And many would likely want to spend at least one evening inside Gryffindor tower. Rowling’s perfect description of the common room is so wonderfully bright and cosy.
Take some inspiration and adorn your own living room with bold scarlet cushions and blankets, scattered on a luxurious, traditional-style sofa like the Belgrade, and some atmospheric gold lighting.
Nothing but comfort:
Bilbo’s house, The Hobbit
It was hard work for Gandalf to drag fantasy’s favourite hobbit out of his home, and for good reason. As Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien said: “it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” Tucked into the hills of idyllic Hobbiton, the house is surrounded by bright, spring-greens and filled with plush furniture.
To make your living room more like Bilbo’s, we suggest you pick out the comfiest of blankets to drape on every piece of furniture, making sure everyone can get snuggly on a sofa like the cushion-laden Pemberton. Don’t forget to set up the perfect place to rest your hot drink!
Opulent indulgence:
The Bennets’ sitting room, Pride and Prejudice
As in most of Jane Austen’s novels, many of Pride and Prejudice’s most poignant moments take place in big, classic living rooms.
Avid Austen readers should have an elegant living a sofa to match – something comfortable yet striking, like the Liberte.
This sofa is one we can imagine Elizabeth Bennet delicately perching on to spend an afternoon reading. Set up your own minimalistic bookshelves, opt for ornate golden frames for your pictures, and maybe even bring in a piano if you have space. Your living room will be good enough for Austen herself.
Honey hues:
Pooh Bear’s house, Winnie the Pooh
An all-time favourite, the story of Winnie the Pooh and his friends is one that gives us a warm, sentimental rush of emotion. It’s a children’s classic, and while we don’t know exactly what Pooh Bear’s house within the Hundred Acre Wood looks like, we imagine it to be rustic, inviting and, of course, filled with honey pots.
The beautiful golden hues of the Perle sofa match nicely with Pooh’s favourite snack, and it’s the perfect sofa to lay back on while enjoying a little smackerel – a paw’s worth of honey. Furnish your living room with warm yellows and rustic wooden tables and coasters to give it the comforting feel of Pooh Bear’s home.
Light and airy:
The Cullens’ house, Twilight
Even vampires sit down from time to time. In Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, the Cullens live in a large house in a forest, with the southern side made almost completely of glass, giving a spectacular view of the river. With few internal walls on the ground floor, the house is light and airy.
Try to keep your own living room minimalist with cool hues to achieve the same pure, open space of the Cullens’ home. A big, grey sofa like the Anastasia would fit in perfectly.
Looking for more interior ideas?
Take more inspiration from elsewhere on Sofological:
Switching off – Focal points that aren’t a TV 5 easy costume ideas for World Book Day Britain’s Favourite Home Comforts
