HOUSE BEAUTIFUL SAYS...
‘Simplicity is the key to this restful room, decorated in palest grey and crisp white with
natural wood flooring. Not having a coffee table has kept the room feeling spacious.’
You’ve been in the house for 18 months…
Yes, when we moved in everything needed updating. The living room was our starting point but it took much longer than expected. This was mainly due to ordering and re-ordering furniture, so in the meantime we cracked on with Jaylen’s bedroom and the hall.
Describe your plans for the scheme
Top of our wish list was new flooring and useful storage, in a style that would fit in with my vision of a chic Parisian-style room. I was set on a dark, smoky oak floor – the sort you might find in an old wine bar. Once we had that we started searching for something that would fit in the alcoves on either side of the brick fireplace.
Was that an easy task?
It proved to be quite tricky as we couldn’t find anything ready-made that we liked. In the end we asked a carpenter friend to build the cupboards and shelving. He did a great job and we benefitted from a reduced fee. We chose a pale grey paint for the walls and a wood-effect wallpaper in the same colour for the chimney breast.
And the windows?
Privacy was an important consideration as although the house is set back, it’s on a fairly busy road. I’m not keen on curtains or nets and didn’t want blinds down during the day so we chose café-style shutters, which cover the lower half of the window. They can be closed at night and fit in with the French look I was aiming for.
What about the furniture?
We had bought a few pieces with us from our rented flat but they didn’t go with the new scheme so we started from scratch. We’d fallen for a grey sofa from the House Beautiful range at DFS and knew it would work well in the room. It came with free coordinating cushions that introduce hints of green, which we’ve echoed with
throws and accessories. I felt another sofa would overwhelm the space so we opted for two armchairs with little side tables.
It sounds as if everything went smoothly…
Not entirely! I changed my mind about the flooring and the armchairs I’d ordered. I wanted a dark floor but then decided against the finish I’d chosen, feeling it might have been too dark. Eventually I opted for the paler Caramel shade. Then, once the walls were painted and I’d decided on the sofa, I felt the armchair fabric was also going to be too dark and swapped it for a paler grey. It meant the deliveries took longer but I knew I’d sit staring at my first choices thinking they were wrong, so I’ve no regrets.
You didn’t want a coffee table?
I thought about it but preferred not to have anything bulky in front of the fire, blocking the view and its warmth. Instead, there are small side tables to put cups on and a big rug to break up the oak floor.
Where did you find your accessories?
All sorts of places, and a lot of them online. I always keep an eye open when I’m out or on holiday, and eBay’s a good starting point. The two side tables are actually from different sellers.
Any discoveries along the way?
I found a great range of hammam towels that I use as throws. The thicker ones are brilliant for draping over sofas and they’re not too bulky. They’re also cheaper than some throws and if I get fed up with the colours I can always use them as towels!
What about displaying artwork?
My husband John is a graphic artist and we run a company selling limited edition graphic art prints. One of his latest works is a picture created from one of our wedding photographs, and that now takes pride of place above the sofa.