I could write a whole book on this subject (don’t panic I will be brief) creating a fab living room is easy easy easy if you follow a few guide lines. So lets start with your current furniture arrangement does it work or do you feel it could do with a lift? Moving furniture around and changing its position by the way is exactly like giving a room a face lift it freshens, it enlivens and it wakes a room up. If your room is small (or large) try not to butt the furniture right up against the wall around the permimeter, you’ll need to break it up with something a super skinny shelf, a console anything that you can layer up to distract the eye from the space looking bijou or too large, plus as I say a zillion times more layers more interest.
Whether your space is dark and sludgy like mine or bright and white like … (trying to think of a nice word here) never mind, I can’t so bright and white lets just say, adding colour, small shots, large doses will take the space to another level. Colour is intoxicating particularly if you can go off radar with your selection, electric blue, saffron yellow, burnt orange anyone? In the store we have the most amazing selection of flowers in the most beautiful hot pinks, oranges and reds, plonk a few of those on a mantle piece and suddenly wham bam your space has gained a few style ratings! Lighting is key – no down lights on walls please the light is too unflattering – think table lamps, floor lamps, pendants that sort of thing oh and if possible try not to match to much. I’m talking lighting, furniture, cushions the more you mismatch the more intriguing a space becomes. Yes its harder much harder than matching but you’re interior will thank you for it. Rugs are great for adding another dimension, top tip try if possible try to go for something patterned, pattern and texture are the herbs and spices of the decorating world they add pizazz something in a solid colour can and often does look flat.
One of my favourite spaces belonging to Nikki Tibbles florist extraordinare
Think that might be it, told you I would be quick, happy Tuesday.
Hi Abigail, I have combined formal lounge and dining room. I’m happy with the living room part but I’m at a loss for what to put on the dining table. I have a large 8-10 seater solid wooden table.
I have a couple of small vases with some faux greenery in it and a couple of colored bowls but it’s not doing it for me. It’s actually really annoying me. Maybe I need a large faux flower arrangement in the centre to add some height variance. What do you think? Or something else?
Below is a link to the photos so you can see what I’m talking about. Any help would be much appreciated (when you have time).
http://www.hammerandheels.net/living-room-reveal/
Just taken a look and yes you certainly need something large I feel the small vases kind of get lost on the large table so I would do what you suggest, find some supersized urn (fibre glass) so its as light as a button to pull off and on and then some cool faux’s either a burst of colour or foliagy to soften the whole look and tie in with the table. Hope that helps x
Thanks Abigail.
I was also toying around with the idea of building a skinny shelf (like the one on the opposite side) on the blank wall and hanging the round mirror above the shelf. I’d paint the self the same colour as the wall (as you always suggest) and put candles and bits and bobs on the shelf. what do you think? Will it be too much with a supersize urn with flowers as well?
No I don’t think it will be too much, it will create another focal point and the more focal points the more tantalising
Hi Abigail
I need your advice. I’ve have completely painted the downstairs of my house in downpipe (walls, floor,ceiling,even kitchen units ) and it looks stunning, but now I’m at a lost because on the side of the kitchen is a conservatory ( which came with the house) I just do not know where to start not just with colour but with the room layout. Have you done them before and got some ideas because its annoying when everything looks so good and that’s stuck on the end.
Thanks Kelly x
If you can look at channel 4 on dmmand, Get Your House in Order, I worked on a conservatory for Ep 2. We covered over lower part under the sill with tongue in groove (very cheap from B&Q) and painted it downpipe plopped an Ikea table and chairs from John Lewis and then great big jugs containing foliage and basically softened the whole thing up, it looked fab. See if you can see the programme if not let me know but by introducing some pieces with a similar hue (so vintage tables we painted downpipe) lots of plants it changed the whole feel of the space
Watched it – loved it!
Fab hope it helped