An award-winner’s advice for creating opulent living rooms
Gemma Hill, Interior Designer, Bayswater Interiors
“In this period home much of the furniture was custom including the sofas and chairs, which meant we could choose the appropriate size and specify fillings as well as the fabrics.
“An important aspect of any room is ensuring that the layout is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, and in this project we needed to create a sociable space for entertaining, so we grouped the seating for conversation.
“This room was also to be used for watching television on occasion, but we did not want the TV to dominate the space and change the elegant feel of the room. Often we design custom joinery which can conceal the television but in this space we chose to use a mirror TV hung over the fireplace.
“There is a balance to be found between choosing the right size pieces for a project and not overfilling a space. The luxury of some negative space should be embraced so avoid the temptation to fill every single area, but do ensure that pieces are the right size and do not look ‘lost’. We knew we needed to go for a large coffee table to bring the seating area together so we commissioned one in the perfect size from Tom Faulkner which also gave us the opportunity to specify the finish, too.
“Layers of texture were added with fabric choices for the upholstery and cushions, a soft area rug under the seating area and with window treatments – this helps to create a luxurious feel.
“The final layer includes art and styling pieces such as books, floral arrangements, vases and sculptural pieces. Never underestimate the importance of this stage as it truly brings a room to life. In this project we sourced a limited edition from Jeremy Houghton with an equine theme to reflect the client’s love of horses and repurposed existing artwork from other areas of the client’s home depicting favourite cities.”
Bayswater Interiors
t: +44 1905 953 333
e: sales@bayswaterinteriors.co.uk
www.bayswaterinteriors.co.uk
