Brief
To transform the living room by incorporating existing features and furnishings such as the L-shaped sofa, round chair, lighting, wall-mounted TV, audio unit and surround sound speakers. The existing curtain poles and blinds in the bay window could also be kept. The living room is mainly used for watching TV and movies during all times of the day by adults and as a family but should also accommodate a reading/ snug area.
New flooring, wallpaper and paint selections are all required and a feature wall should be created on the TV wall. The overall look should be contemporary and modern to suit this new build (2015) home. The preferred colour scheme would be grey and royal blue and there could also be a plant incorporated into the scheme. Purple, rose gold, brass, copper and geometric patterns should not be used in this design. The overall atmosphere created for this living room should be relaxing and luxury.
Concept
The concept of this design incorporates the preferred colour scheme of grey and navy with hints of teal and ochre/gold. Although using teal and navy together isn’t a widely chosen colour scheme- utilizing different tones of the same colour can create such a luxurious style interior. The concept incorporates existing furnishings with new contemporary pieces. Contemporary black accents blend the rooms audio system/ surround-sound speakers into the design rather than the speakers taking over the room (standing out too much), and gold highlights add a sophisticated and luxury finish. The overall atmosphere should be relaxing and tranquil with pops of colour adding vibrance and an element of fun.
This design began through spatially planning the room to explore it’s arrangement and how it could use it’s full potential. This is such a great, large space but long and narrow which can sometimes make a room appear too open and un-cosy. It was suggested that the existing chair could be used to create a reading corner/area near the bay window and this is a great place for this chair however for this design I’ve explored creating a separate zone/ cosy reading corner with an additional chair and footstool near the patio doors to really utilise the space to it’s best potential. In the current living room layout the existing chair is here but nothing else, however by adding in a floor lamp, plant, stylish mirror, small tray table and book shelf to this end of the room it will create a really inviting and cosy area to spend time reading and relaxing with a view of the garden.
In terms of décor, the design has been based on the preferred royal blue and grey colours and a gorgeous, patterned wallpaper has been selected for the TV wall which will certainly make a statement to anyone entering the room. The wallpaper pattern is slightly textured so has that really expensive and luxury look. Tying in with this, Dulux ‘Goose Down’ which is a pale grey with a blue tint could be used on the opposite wall. I’ve also used Dulux’s ‘Midnight Navy’ in this design but would suggest only using it on the two end walls rather than all three. If it was to be used on the long wall it would create an illusion that the room was longer- using it in this way brings the room together better creating a really cosy, sophisticated vibe.
Something considered carefully throughout creating the design is the clients speakers, TV etc. Although very practical for movie nights, wall speakers in particular can sometimes stand out too much (especially on a bare wall). An idea for this is to disguise these slightly/ blend them in with other interior features by creating a floating shelf area to stand the speakers and artwork/ prints. By having a black shelf and black picture frames these will almost appear as if they are part of the shelf and be barely noticeable.
Continuing the idea of blending in the speakers with accents of black, additional contemporary black furnishings and accessories have been chosen for this design. For the reading corner, a ladder-effect black shelving unit has been selected, this can be used as both a bookshelf and to display existing family photos and accessories. Subtle gold hints add warmth to an otherwise just blue and grey interior (tying in with the ochre cushions) and add an element of sophistication. A small tray table in the reading corner, chair legs and set of two coffee tables all incorporate the black and gold throughout the room.
Testimonial
“We contacted Katie for a virtual interior design service (due to the current situation) for our living room. We sent photos, measurements, and a budget to work with and to be honest — you wouldn’t know she hasn’t set foot in the room or met us in person! Her design was something we hadn’t considered but fell in love with straight away! We can’t wait to transform our living room. We highly recommend Katie to anyone looking for an interior designer that’s professional, easy to get on with, and can deliver the wow factor to any room!” (14/01/20)