HOUSE BEAUTIFUL SAYS...
‘White walls balance the dark ceiling and are perfect for displaying artwork while large sofas, antique pieces and golden colours give the room warmth and individuality.’
What attracted you to this house?
We’d been living in a lovely Edwardian garden flat in nearby Leigh-on-Sea but it was too small and we were desperate for more space. We spotted this house for sale and loved the living area, which previous owners had knocked through to make one large space from two smaller rooms. The house had lots of original features, such as the cornicing, as well as high ceilings and a fabulous bay window, and I could see how great it could be.
Why did you redecorate the living room first?
It’s where we wanted to spend most of our time as a family and where we entertain. One of the most important things for us is to have a space where we can relax and de-stress. For many people it’s the kitchen, but as we have four dogs our kitchen can be a bit manic at times! Another reason we started in the living room is because it only needed a cosmetic makeover and we didn’t want to tackle any major work so soon after the upheaval of moving.
It was a daring idea to choose such a dark colour for the ceiling…
The mood and depth that comes with dark colours is something I love, but I did wonder if it would work for a family space. I was afraid that having dark walls might be a bit gloomy for everyday living – even if I included pops of bright colour in artworks and quirky lighting – so for balance, I opted for straightforward pure
white painted walls. That way, the room has the best of both worlds, and there’s a wonderful sense of drama when you look upwards.
Describe the challenges of this approach
Lighting was crucial. The ceiling tends to soak up the light so we had to ensure we had task lighting where we needed it – with table lamps and floor lamps – and ambient lighting from copper ceiling pendants, which are highly reflective in themselves. We also chose to sand the original floorboards and paint them white – again to maximise the light that floods through the huge bay window, which we dressed with plain white blinds, so as not to interrupt the sunshine. We’re fortunate in having the high ceiling – this mightn’t have worked otherwise.
Did everything go to plan?
I managed the project, but the decorator, who was recommended, took longer to finish the job than anticipated – four weeks – as he didn’t always turn up when he was supposed to. However, he does the best ‘cutting in’ in Essex!
Was it necessary to buy new furniture?
Luckily most of our existing furniture fitted into the scheme, though we did have one sofa re-covered in gold velvet.
What’s your favourite element of the room?
That would be my Nan’s sideboard – it brings back so many happy childhood memories. We often say to each other: ‘Put it in the sideboard and Nanny Nell will look after it!’