The house in question was a large family home in the countryside. The existing look in each room was overly white and lacking in identity. The owners were keen to put their own stamp on their home so that it said more about them and each room felt cosy and homely.
Living Room
My clients wanted to reinvent this main family room, which is openly connected to their kitchen. They wanted to draw attention away from the fact that the fireplace was off-centre along the main wall. By simply moving the TV into the right-hand corner the balance was automatically re-aligned. In addition I selected a rich warm cream paint colour for this room, in particular to replace the white and tangerine tones surrounding the fireplace. This resulted in the eye merely being drawn to the fireplace in terms of its design and finish.
The existing oversized suite, consisting of a 3-seater, 2-seater and 2 large armchairs, was replaced by a made-to-measure L-shaped leather corner sofa, so as to best use the space available. The back of the long sofa now acts as a nice divider from the adjoining open-plan kitchen, without completely sealing off either room. The existing white plastic ceiling spotlights were replaced with a stylish chrome set, in keeping with those in the kitchen. This perfectly highlights the continuity between both areas.
Kitchen
My client was of the opinion that there was “something missing” in this room and I felt that it was merely down to the colour scheme. All floor and wall tiles were originally chosen to blend in with the wooden kitchen units, so I was keen to apply the same thought to the wall colours. I chose a warm duck-egg blue, which is vaguely apparent in the tiles and compliments the tones of the wood perfectly. This simple technique has brought the entire look of the room together perfectly and the shade of blue I recommended blends in perfectly with the warm cream tones of the adjoining living room walls.
Dining Room
I saw so much potential in this room. The only existing piece of furniture was a very ornate classical dining room table and chairs, yet the family rarely ever ate or entertained in here. As the table was to remain the predominant feature, I had to choose furniture, lighting and window dressing to compliment this, rather than conflict with it. A carefully chosen shade of dark green was applied below the dado rail, while a warmer buttery gold shade was introduced above it. This immediately gave the room depth and character and became immensely more welcoming as a place to entertain.
My clients sourced a dresser with a more modern feel to pick up the rich tone of the table and chairs. Little other furniture was required in here but my clients’ own occasional table was moved into a bare corner to accommodate a cream and green table lamp with buttery gold veins, which I had sourced. In keeping with the style of the table, I chose a matching art-deco style pendant light to hang above the table. A flush design was favoured so as not to shine down directly on the diners but rather to diffuse the light around the room.
To complete the look and feel of the room I selected a very delicate but opulent ivory and gold silk-organza fabric for the patio door curtains. As the room is not over-looked, these were chosen more for aesthetic rather than functional reasons and are not conflicting with the wall colours. A wrought iron curtain pole was recommended so as to blend in with the wrought iron door handles and dark piping in the stained glass design of the 2 internal doors. The introduction of the new colour scheme perfectly compliments the shades of green & amber in this particular feature without trying to match the colours of the glass precisely.
Sitting Room
As another blank canvass, I saw so much potential in here also. This room was hardly ever used and the owners hadn’t yet decided on a function for it. The 2 main features that stood out were the beautiful contemporary limestone fireplace and the stunning countryside view from the huge window. I recommended using this as a reading room or somewhere to bring friends for a chat, away from the noise of the TV and kitchen. I moved in the old suite from the TV room, as the more classic mahogany frame would perfectly compliment my clients’ impressive mahogany display cabinet.
Having agreed with my fabric recommendation I put my clients in touch with a reputable upholsterer who totally changed the look of the suite. I chose a rich aubergine fabric with a subtle watermark, in keeping with the mahogany frame along with the more classic feel of this room. A paler shade of purple was favoured for the walls to create a space where my clients could relax, and to give a cosier feel to this north-facing room on a dull day. This perfectly compliments the warm subtle tones of the limestone fireplace.
Finally, I chose a fabric that would blend all these elements together baring in mind there would be a lot of darker wooden furniture present now. A magnificent rich silk fabric with a luxurious print was sourced, the colours blending beautifully with those of the wood as well as the newly introduced palette of purples. Mahogany poles were recommended and the curtains were lined with French pleat headings for a more formal look.
The result is an inviting room where adults can sit and read or chat over coffee whilst admiring the tranquil view. It offers a nice contrast from the more contemporary look of the living room as well as adding once again to the varied colour scheme throughout my clients’ home.
