Simple & thrifty living room makeovers
Redecorating your living room? Think about one or two good anchor pieces, writes Colleen Hawkes.
It’s the room where we love to relax and entertain, so you would think we’d want the living room to be pretty smart. But no, it’s often the very space that gets overlooked when it comes to a refurbishment – the kitchen and bathroom are far more likely to get attention, being the most popular renovation projects.
So we continue to lounge on sofas with collapsed springs and ignore the faded cushions and curtains. Often it’s budgetary concerns that have us fixed to the spot.
However, it is worth considering a makeover, precisely because of the amount of time we spend in our living rooms. But where to spend, and where to save? We asked the experts.
Sebastian Nash, an interior designer at King Living, says a sofa is normally the most expensive item, so you want to ensure it’s going to have a long life.
‘‘A quality leather will last longer than a textile, but if you do choose a textile, look for an easy-care fabric that will be more durable,’’ he says. ‘‘I also recommend people go for a neutral colour, rather than a ‘fashion’ shade, because fashion is always expensive. Items go in and out of fashion, and while you might like it for three seasons, after that it will feel very dated.’’
Nash says it also pays to bear in mind that reupholstering is expensive – it works out to be about two-thirds the cost of a new sofa or chair. ‘‘Having said that, however, if you have a highquality piece of furniture with a good frame, reupholstering will keep it out of landfill, and you will enjoy the history of the piece. We are constantly recovering our own sofas from the 1970s – the owners bring them in and they want to keep them.’’
The designer suggests if you want to incorporate a really expensive textile or leather, then it might be best to put it on an occasional chair. ‘‘A good-sized sofa will take between 20m and 30m of fabric, while an occasional chair will use just 2.5m, so there’s a huge cost difference. You could also consider using a special fabric on an ottoman or cushions.’’
Jonathan Coote and Melanie Curragh are two Christchurch designers who have gathered furnishings over many years. The couple, who have a love of mid-century furniture, say it’s worth saving for a special piece. ‘‘You will never regret buying quality and buying it once,’’ says Curragh. ‘‘We’ve always done this within our means.
‘‘We say, ‘Follow your passion and make your home uniquely yours.’’’
The couple’s special ‘‘finds’’ include two blue Hans Wegner armchairs and a sofa from Heals in London. But they equally love their bright orange Anglepoise lamp, which they picked up from a second-hand store.
Dan and Emma Eagle, who own the Mr Bigglesworthy vintage furniture store in Auckland, say while it’s exciting to embrace the latest trends, unless you have a lot of money there is an inevitable sacrifice of quality and authenticity. ‘‘Even if furniture is expensive is doesn’t necessarily mean it will be timeless,’’ Dan Eagle says. ‘‘Buying vintage furniture is a great option if you are on a budget as the quality is generally high. With mid-century pieces, the designs remain relevant, with clean lines and simple forms.
‘‘Another option is selecting one or two key pieces that will act as an anchor to build from.
This could be a sideboard, rug, statement chair or a unique lamp.’’
The couple know all about ‘‘good finds’’. They were walking home from their shop one day and spotted a table they fancied for their own home.
‘‘We were halfway home when we saw the table – it was completely wrecked and had been thrown away on the side of the street. We didn’t have a car and we picked that table up and carried it all the way back up to our store about a kilometre up the road. It was in really bad condition, but it was solid timber and New Zealand-made, from the 50s, so we just decided to restore it.’’
And Emma Eagle says we can take a tip from two of the most influential mid-century designers – Ray and Charles Eames. Their own home, built from affordable, industrial materials, featured a mix of high-end modern furniture, sentimental folk art and cherished vintage objects.
‘‘Sixty years later it still looks contemporary and inviting. What makes it work is that the Eames were intentional about bringing pieces into their home which were not necessarily expensive, but made from quality materials designed to age nicely over time and have personal meaning.’’
‘You will never regret buying quality and buying it once,’’ says Christchurch designer Melanie Curragh.