Interior design options

ABOVE (click on gallery image to view larger picture): Merton armchair in Helix Raison fabric, £699; Screen in Revello Teal fabric, £399; Langford armchair in Revello Teal, £699; Teal Pleat lamp, £99; Shimla side table, £199; Pemberly armchair in Helix Heather fabric, £699; Buttoned cushion, £29.50; Embroidered cushions in Heather and Teal, £35 each; all Marks & Spencer.

Julia Kendell Interior Design Expert

Living rooms tend to be the part of the house people spend most of their time in, yet few homeowners think creatively about how to make the best use of that space. Whether you’re planning a contemporary open-plan or traditional living room, it’s important to consider the following carefully before you start decorating or commit to any pricey purchases.

Initial stages

What do you want from your living room?
Analyse anything that doesn’t work. It may be that the layout isn’t comfortable, there isn’t enough storage or it just feels dull. Looking at these issues will provide a starting point for a successful design.

Are you being objective?
Often, we become so used to the dynamics of our home that we can’t imagine it any other way. Look at the reception space available to you; could you extend or convert an adjacent room to provide additional space, or relocate the room? Is this your only reception room, or do you have scope to have a separate TV room or dining room?

Be realistic
If you only have one reception room, it will be difficult to achieve a formal feel as well as providing a comfortable space for all the family. Similarly, if you have fallen in love with a ‘French chateau’ scheme, but have a small room with a standard ceiling height, you will be disappointed with the end results. Be realistic when deciding how the room will be used, how it should look and your available budget.

Focal points

Every room needs a centre, a point of reference or focal point from which everything else emanates. An ideal focal point is a fireplace, a piece of art or a mirror. A TV should never be the main focal point of a room but, realistically, most of us have a television in our living rooms and, with their screens becoming increasingly bigger, they are taking over. In a contemporary room, a flat timber panel will provide an attractive frame into which a flatscreen can be fitted. In a traditional setting where the TV is harder to disguise, try to minimise its dominance by positioning it on a low-level unit with a movable screen stood in front when the set is not in use. This will provide a much more comfortable environment than a blank screen staring at you.

It is possible to create a focal point in a room without one. A chimney breast can be built, perhaps; or a wall-mounted fire or oversized mirror are two more straightforward solutions.

Lighting

Always the most important element of any design scheme, lighting can make or break a room. Consider your lighting requirements from the outset – it is too late to decide once the room has been plastered. Pendant lights are not ideal in a sitting area unless the room has high ceilings. They can, however, add a sense of drama and glamour suspended over a dining or side table. The best lighting schemes for living rooms incorporate at least a couple of circuits that can be used to alter the mood according to the activities in the room.

If you are undertaking major works in your home such as an extension, you will be required to comply with Part L of the Building Regulations, which stipulates that you must have at least 25 per cent low-energy light fittings throughout the areas you are building/refurbishing. Luckily, there are many more options now than six months ago. New-generation LED fittings are dimmable and provide a genuine alternative to low-voltage downlighters, with a choice of hues of light – so no more cold blue tones that make you look ill. Try to incorporate discreet lighting where the source isn’t evident. This can produce a stunning effect and, with clever planning, need not cost any more than using standard light fittings.

Lastly, floor lamps are a great addition to any living room scheme. Again, you should be careful to choose a fitting that is in keeping with the overall size of the room.

ABOVE: Here, a modern scheme combines a timber flatscreen panel and layered lighting techniques.

Moodboards

Once you are clear about your furniture’s position, collate a moodboard. Ensure that every colour, texture and pattern is represented in the proportion it would be in the room. This way, the room will appear balanced and provide the look you want. Place the board in the room and look at it at different times of the day and night. If the board doesn’t work, add further elements or alter proportions of colour.

WORDS JULIA KENDELL PHOTOGRAPHS JOHN CULLEN LIGHTING, COLIN POOLE, IMAGETEXT
Featured in the February 2010 issue of Real Homes