Bargain Buy.

‘We got a nest of 1960s tables on ebay and painted the legs’

from a local timber yard, and got a joiner to build cupboards in the alcoves.

as we already had a black leather sofa, i wanted to decorate the room with subtle greys and soft textures to create a calm, neutral feel. We also wanted to show off the property’s period features, and i was keen on the idea of a classic, elegant look.

it was important for the seating to be focused around talking to one another, rather than looking at the tv. so we placed the sofa along the long wall and the armchairs either side of the fireplace.

Finishing touches

after we decorated, the room felt bland and the black sofa seemed cold, so we added warm blues, teals and yellows in artwork, cushions and ornaments. recently we replaced the black sofa with a new turquoise velvet Chesterfield, which was a brave move for us! But the bold colour has enlivened the room, and we’re so happy with how the space has turned out.’ Liz SAYS ‘i love a bit of vintage, so i’d love to see a big old trunk as a coffee table in the same wood as the fireplace.’