WHETHER YOU’RE HOSTING a movie night or curling up with a cup of tea to watch a new show at the end of a long day, a comfortable living space plays a big part in our everyday lives.
However, when you’re renting, it can take a bit more thought and effort to make your TV area somewhere that’s cosy and personal to you. An easy way to have at least one thing sorted when you move in is to get your TV and broadband setup in advance, which is a service offered by providers like Sky.
To find out how to create a cosy space for your new TV set up, we spoke to three readers about the things that have made all the difference to the living spaces in their rentals. From a comfy couch to a table that can fit a takeaway for two, read on to see what they had to say…
Cliona lives in Dublin 13 with her boyfriend Sam. They created their set up with a cosy atmosphere in mind – whether that’s for watching a new series or live sport.
Most evenings end in front of the TV. My boyfriend and I usually get home from work at around 7pm, so after we have dinner we usually have time to sit down for an episode or two of whatever series we’re watching before heading to bed. On the weekends we definitely pick staying in with a takeaway in front of the TV rather than going out.
I really wanted to create a cosy atmosphere in here for unwinding in the evenings. I love binge-watching a series with a cup of tea and some biscuits. However, the most important thing for my boyfriend was to have a big TV with all the HD sports channels.
Making my rental space feel like home was really important to me, which can be difficult when you can’t make too many changes. I stick to the three main renter-friendly additions: candles, plants and rugs. The exposed red brick is my favourite feature of the whole room, though.
Sasha lives in Dublin 7 with her boyfriend Ros and their dog Kenny. They’ve created a comfortable corner of their living room where they can relax, unwind – and catch up on TV shows.
Most evenings we’ll be here watching TV, playing video games or reading. The dog always joins us and can usually be found curled up on the couch or hiding underneath. For me, the couch was the most important element when creating our living space. Everything depends on the comfiness of the couch.
Our living room also has a large dining table that we can entertain friends and family at. We eat and drink there when people come over for dinner and then move to the TV area to listen to music on the TV or record player, unwind and chat.
Although you often don’t have control over the floors when renting, adding rugs and extra layers like blankets and throws can make the living space feel super personal and cosy. Things like warm lighting and scented candles also play a big part in creating a cosy atmosphere. If you can’t hang pictures or prints on the walls, you can add some colour through your book collection, whether that’s by displaying them on shelves or if you don’t have the space for that, stacking them against bare walls.
Patrick lives in Dublin 8 with his friend Ellen. Their living area is the heart of their home, and is the space they unwind and entertain in – with plenty of snacks, of course.
We spend quite a lot of time in our living space. We have a combined kitchen and living room, so it’s always a hive of activity and somewhere where we congregate and catch up at the end of the day. Whether it’s a cup of tea midweek or a few glasses of wine at the weekend, it’s a lovely space to share for a chat or to binge a new series.
We have two big couches, which means there’s plenty of room to spread out if it’s just the two of us. And while they’ve served a few years here, we’ve found that changing up the cushions, buying throws and adding colourful prints definitely helps give the room a lift.
We’ve also got a couple of nice lamps in the space, and have recently bought dimmable bulbs which help to set the scene. We’ve a big coffee table which is perfect for movie night snacks, and big enough to fit a takeaway on if the mood strikes.
Tick one big thing off your list before you move in with Sky’s exclusive new home offers and get your Sky TV and Ultrafast Broadband setup for your move in day. Find out more here. Terms and conditions apply.
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