Tag: Interior ideas

How to Design a Small Room

When it comes to designing any room there are always challenges, but with smaller rooms the design difficulties are even more apparent. However, if you follow some simple guidelines you can maximise the space you have and make even the smallest room feel airy and spacious!

Décor

When maximising space you need lightness and brightness. The use of too much of a dark colour can shrink any room. Pale, neutral colours are perfect for an airy feel in a room. Brilliant white on walls can be a little stark, but with a wide variety of white, there is something for everyone. Farrow and Ball have a range of white paints to create a stylish look; click here to see their colour range.

Horizontal lines on wallpaper create a simple optical illusion, making a room seem larger by drawing the eyes across the room. You could also install a long horizontal shelf on a wall to give a similar effect and at the same time introduce some additional functional space.

Furniture

A lack of space doesn’t need to restrict your living, but you need to make considered choices. A dining table that folds away can be a great choice and dining chairs with a rounded back mean they are easier to walk around in a snug kitchen. Sofas and armchairs with legs give a sense of space on the floor and you should avoid pushing them right up to walls to give them a ‘floating’ feel within the room.

Here’s some inspiration for your home:

Living

Often a living room is the hub of the home so it needs to be comfortable and suitable for your lifestyle. With sofas being one of the larger pieces of furniture in your home it needs to work for you. There are so many options, but careful choices will give you the perfect sofa for any room. Choose a sofa with high legs and that isn’t too deep; we love this sofa from Swoon and it’s just 80cm deep!

The addition of a footstool will give you added comfort and can double up as a coffee table when necessary; small rooms love multi-purpose furniture. If you are opting for a separate coffee table, choose something narrow. This glass coffee table from Wayfair would look great piled on the bottom with beautiful books and candles.

Dining

When you have your dining area in either a kitchen or living room you often need to consider a more creative design to fit everything in seamlessly. For a table, glass and slim framed pieces work well for a tighter space. This contemporary table from Oak Furniture Superstore would look great in a modern home – the glass will make the room feel spacious and the position of the legs in the middle ensure you can seat the maximum number of people.

Transparent furniture, in general, is perfect for any small room; embrace these acrylic Ghost chairs from Amara to use with your dining table.

Sleeping

Every bedroom needs a bed, but an undersized room might leave you sleepless thinking about how to fit in everything you need. When choosing a bed for a smaller bedroom keep the frames fine rather than chunky and choose styles with high legs such as this stunning copper bed frame from Dunelm. Positioning the bed by a window ensures that you’re not wasting any of the precious wall space.

General Rules

  • Reflect light where you can to create a feeling of space. Mirrors and lighting can be used to accomplish this
  • Keep clutter to a minimum in rooms; a plethora of ornaments and accessories will make a room feel crowded and closed in
  • If you are pushed for space in a small bedroom wall or ceiling mounted bedside lights will save valuable bedside table space
  • Don’t let a lack of space restrict your storage. There creative solutions and furniture that has craftily concealed storage aplenty.

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March 2019

Should you use bold colours in your home?

Interior design is not all about muted colours and minimalist rooms. As a designer, we talk to our clients to understand their preferences, and design a room to perfectly suit their tastes.

When you want to include a bold or bright colour or design into a room, it is important that you don’t overpower the room by using too much. To help you avoid making a mistake we’re bringing you some ideas of how to introduce statement colours effectively.

Feature Walls

A feature wall, or accent wall, is one that is different to the other walls in the room. It can be a subtle difference, however we are talking about making a bigger difference and creating a dramatic effect.

We love striped wallpapers and Sallie herself has a bold French blue stripe wallpaper in her kitchen which has been featured previously. We love these designs by Sandberg, which can be used to great effect to bring a strong colour into a design. With a range of colours, there’s something for everyone.

Farrow and Ball have a great range of colours and have released their new colours for 2018. With such a variety there are plenty of options for a standout feature wall and complementing colour scheme.

Key Pieces

Every home, every room needs certain key pieces of furniture, whether that’s a sofa in a living room or a table and chairs in a dining room. These pivotal pieces do not need to blend into the background and can be a feature in any room.

We love these chairs with their strong blue colour and fantastic floral backs from Turnball and Thomas. A striking, luxury addition to any meal time.

And this statement green velvet sofa from Swoon is another key piece that we love, and it looks far more expensive than its price tag

Artwork

Hanging a piece of art on your wall allows you to bring in a bold splash into a room; abstract art can often be the perfect option. There is plenty of choice from Kari Taylor and Nancy Ortenstone at www.art.co.uk. The work of these two abstract artists can enliven and add interest to the barest, bleakest of walls.

Rugs

Remember, the floor is also a part of a room’s design, and the installation of a striking rug can transform your home. We have recently installed a Paul Smith bold striped runner in a client’s home to give a contemporary hallway the wow factor, we balanced the other side of the room with strong artwork and kept the rest beautifully simple.

We also love this abstract rug by Bluebell Gray; splashes of colour bring a room together and make a bold statement.

It is important to note that, in order for bold statements to work, it is all about balance. When you have chosen your bold colours and pieces, ensure that they are not all placed in one area of the room.

 

If you need help deciding your colour schemes, and want ideas for brightening your rooms, contact us now. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for more interior design ideas!

 

 

Interior Design Inspiration

A question that often comes up is “where does the design inspiration come from?”. A good interior designer will get to know their clients and truly understand their styles and tastes. Then they can begin to put together a room or a home that reflects the client’s personality and interests. If a client is unsure about what direction to take their project we often start with images from magazines and Pinterest that the client likes and piece together their desired look. Then once the project is underway the client can see it all come together on a bespoke mood board which really brings the inspiration to life!

Travel can be a great place to look for ideas; think of countries you have been to and what you love about the typical look of that region.  Throughout the world, different cultures have iconic styles that you may wish to replicate in your own home, office or working environment.

Scandinavian and French styles are extremely popular for interior design and have quite a timeless feel, they can be used on their own or mixed successfully with other looks such as vintage or modern.

If you fancy a minimalistic look with clear lines, then a Scandinavian look could be for you. You’ll see wood, often reclaimed timber, playing a big part in a Scandinavian styled room, with wooden floors and wooden furniture. Tapered and angled legs on furniture are a signature look of this style. Neutral, light colours create an airy light room with accessories and furnishings used to add colour and texture to the room.

We recently used this elegant coffee table from Coachhouse that had a bleached out Scandinavian wood top but is paired with contemporary chrome legs for an updated take on the look.

If you prefer a refined, elegant look then a French style is for you. You generally won’t see bold colours on the wall of a French style room. The décor is characterised by white walls; not a blue based cold white, you will see a warm white. Black furnishings are popular in French homes and upholstery will add some indulgent luxury into the room. Gold, gilded or metallic accessories make a statement in the room and reflect light creating a spacious feel. This cute mini French side table from Melody Maison was one we used recently.

A room doesn’t need to rigidly stick to style guidelines; it is your room and should be designed to your tastes. You can take a handful of elements initially and build on that. You can use items with personal meaning to accessorise your rooms whatever style they are, just try and group them together to create a feature or frame photos in such a way as to complement the scheme.

If you don’t know where to start on your interiors, contact Interiors at 58 for help and advice.

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