You might feel your space needs a bit of a redesign, or have plans to invest in new furniture or storage. Or maybe you’re just looking to rejig what you have to give it a style boost. Either way, there are plenty of designer tricks that can help you make the most of your living room’s potential.

We ask our favourite experts from the world of interiors to share their top living room ideas when it comes to arranging furniture and fixtures. From TV’s loveable Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen to sofa connisseur Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf, they’ve come up with some real winners…

How to arrange living room furniture

1. Begin by thinking about how you use the room

‘I’d always start with what the actual lines of sight are when using the room and how you use the room,’ says TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf, agrees. ‘It’s all about understanding how you’re going to use the room’ says Charlie.

‘You may use yours for watching telly, the kids doing homework, reading a book as well as entertaining friends. This will help you understand what living room lighting, seating and storage you need’

Buy now: Unwind corner sofa in Linen and Pebble combination, £2,899, DFS

People are loving The Range’s brand new Halloween-themed gonks, including Stacey Solomon. The Loose Women star, who is expecting her fourth child, caused sales of gonks to surge after sharing her delight at the launch of The Range’s Halloween collection.

It’s good news for gonk-lovers decorating on a budget this autumn because they’re just £7.99.

The Range recently shared an image of the new Halloween gonks on Instagram captioned ‘Ok, the secrets out… Yes, we have NEW Halloween Gonks, and yes they are now in store.’

Stacey Solomon was quick to comment: ‘OMG I can’t cope, bring on autumn!’ And she isn’t alone in her love for Halloween decor and gonks, given that the post has received thousands of likes and comments.

‘OMG NEED IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!’ one exclaimed. ‘Gonk lovers unite,’ wrote a second, while others tagged their fellow gonk fans to alert them of this development.

Whether you go for a highly saturated Fuschia or a barely-there blush, pink room ideas will make you – and your guests – look better.

Why we should be painting our dining room ceilings pink

Speaking on a panel to celebrate the launch of Lick’s new paint palette, Maximalist Brights with Yinka Illori, Natasha Bradley said that pink is the number one most flattering colour. Plus, pink’s ability to make us look more beautiful is even greater under candlelight.

For that reason, Natasha said it’s the ideal hue for dining rooms, illuminating guests with a warm and seductive glow. We’re imagining an intimate dining space, the table laid with our best plates and cutlery, a centrepiece made of some autumnal blooms and plenty of flickering candles.

If you find a shade of pink that you’re instantly drawn to, Natasha encourages you not to limit it to bedrooms or pink living room ideas. It can look sophisticated and stylish in the dining room, or even the kitchen.

If you’ve not already got a piece of furniture for this upcycled furniture idea, why not head to your local charity shop or look online for a preloved item looking for some TLC?

How to upcycle a chest of drawers – what you’ll need

Before you tackle the project, make sure you’ve got everything on our shopping list…

• Chalky Finish Furniture Paint
• Satin Furniture Paint
• Foam rollers
• Paint brush
• Pencil
• Paper
• Stencil sheet
• Craft knife
• Cutting matt
• Sugar soap and cloth for cleaning