COSY CHIC STYLE
Opt for neutrals
Add in accents of warm colours – such as mustard yellows, mossy greens and deep reds – to your neutrals as they work particularly well against dark shades. Warm woods such as walnut also help to create a snug effect. Abigail loves to go dark to create a soothing, moody feel, painting not just the walls and ceiling but also the skirting, radiators and floorboards. She balances this with plenty of natural light, pops of rich colour and metallic touches to add sparkle and shine, especially juxtaposed against a dark wall.
Go big on texture
It not only makes a room more interesting visually, it also creates ambience and soothing tactility. ‘The trick is to cause friction and put as many different materials in a room as possible,’ says Abigail. ‘I’m talking hand-tufted rugs, oodles of sofa cushions, gilded frames, wooden tables, hand-thrown vases, wicker... Texture doesn’t have the pulling power of pattern or colour. Your eye will not automatically dart to it, so you really need to pile on those contrasts. It’s the “opposites attract” approach: pit rough against smooth, super-glossy against nubby, coarse against fine, modern against trad. Mix up your accessories to avoid everything being super-glam or rustic – it can feel a little one-dimensional.’
Get the lighting right
Abigail recommends at least eight light sources in any room and her living room is certainly filled with table lamps in different shapes and sizes. ‘It’s all about creating that magical atmosphere of little glowing pools of light dotted around the room,’ she says. ‘If you’ve used darker colours on your walls and within your furnishings, lots of lighting is essential to ensure your space still breathes.’