Our living spaces have become more than simply a room to put up our feet and watch television in. The barriers between living, eating and relaxing are blurred to the extent that we want to be able to entertain friends, cook a meal and oversee the kids’ homework in a multi-functional space. Within the confines of modern homes, formal sitting rooms seem like a waste of space.
Even the style of furnishings we are choosing crosses the divide between formal and casual, traditional and modern. Whereas once we could readily identify the modernist loft dweller, with sleek, minimalist lines delivered in white and stainless steel, nowadays there is likely to be a heavily patterned rug, an ornate chandelier or gilded console table thrown into the equation. The traditionalist is now just as likely to have a mid-century modern chair sat next to his inherited leather Chesterfield. (It’s called the “new eclecticism”, but could just as easily be labelled “confusion”.) Where to start looking for furniture, and how to develop a sense of your own style, remains elusive. Buying a “total look” from a one-stop furniture emporium is likely to result in a living room similar to a developer’s show flat.
Start off with the bare bones of the room — the main piece of furniture for most people in a living space will be the sofa, and this should be followed by storage, then occasional tables. Lighting needs to be considered carefully alongside these. Floor or table lamps, set on a table immediately behind or either side of a sofa, can work well to create a more intimate mood. If the placement of electrics gets complicated, use rugs to hide trailing wires.
Use scale to elevate your scheme from the ordinary. A small sofa may be right for the proportions of the room, but this doesn’t mean you can’t add a wall-size mirror on the opposite wall, or hang a large chandelier in the middle of the room. Large, oversized artworks also provide immediate impact, and a sense of individual character. Balance can be provided by pairs of lamps, chairs or vases.
Colour should always be the frisson of excitement that comes right at the end of the process. If in doubt, a neutral base (choose between beige and fawn-toned whites, bluish-grey toned whites, or eau-de-nil with a hint of green) is the best starting point for colour. Interchangeable curtains, cushions and throws can then be used to inject colour and pattern into a room, either to suit your mood or the changing seasons.
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You don’t even have to leave your sofa to shop now, either: some big retailers, notably John Lewis, Oka, Marks & Spencer, The Cotswold Company and Dwell, sell furniture through their websites.
SOFAS
Sofas are the biggest furniture investment you are likely to make. The good news: three-piece suites are not necessary any more. Pick a sofa that’s the right size for your room — remember prices are often quoted excluding fabric. An average two-seater will use about 14m of upholstery fabric. If it is L-shaped and modular it is likely to be a contemporary design, which suits neutral, hard-wearing fabrics and looks fabulous in leather — any colour except black — or even a decadent acid velvet.
For a more traditional feel, go for a sofa based on a 19th-century design (such as George Sherlock’s, priced from £1,727) or a leather button-back Chesterfield (try M. Pauw, from £1,695 to £2,395, or Marks & Spencer’s version from £1,599). For classic country casual, mix suede and leather upholstery with tweeds and herringbones; Wesley-Barrell is an expert in this field.
Although it is more time-consuming, traditional upholsterers can make sofas to order, allowing you to specify dimensions and fabric for a similar cost to one from a shop. Contact the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (01633 215 454, www.upholsterers.co.uk).
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CLASSIC - Top of the range: more than £2,000 Beaumont & Fletcher, 020 7352 5594, www.beaumontandfletcher.com; Howe, 020 7730 7987, www.howelondon.com; M. Pauw, 020 7731 4022, www.mpauw.com; Wesley-Barrell, 01993 893 100, www.wesley-barrell.co.uk
Middle market: £1,000-£2,000 George Sherlock, 01843 864 190, www.georgesherlock.com; Marks & Spencer, 0845 302 1234, www.marksandspencer.com; Recline, 020 7371 8982, www.recline.uk.com
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Budget: below £1,000 Laura Ashley, 0871 230 2301, www.lauraashley.com; Multiyork, 08705 273 747, www.multiyork.co.uk; Sofa Workshop, 01443 238 699, www.sofaworkshop.com
CONTEMPORARY - Top of the range: more than £2,000 B&B Italia, 020 7591 8111, www.bebitalia.it; Chaplins, 020 8421 1779, www.chaplins.co.uk; Succession, 020 7259 9888, www.succession.uk.com
Middle market: £1,000-£2,000 Bo Concept, 020 7388 2447, www.boconcept.co.uk; Designers Guild, 020 7893 7400, www.designersguild.com; Espacio, 020 7376 5088, www.espacio.co.uk; Graham & Green, 0870 044 5656, www.grahamandgreen.co.uk
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Budget: under £1,000 Cargo, 01844 261 800, www.cargohomeshop.com; Debenhams, 020 7408 4444, www.debenhams.com; DFS, www.dfsonline.co.uk; Ikea, 0845 355 1141, www.ikea.co.uk
SIDE TABLES
A coffee table is seemingly an essential, although footstools and large ottomans can function equally well. Tall, narrow console tables situated directly behind a sofa are smart solutions (Oka has one of the best selections, from £185). In a traditional room, you generally have a choice between painted French or Swedish-style, and dark wood finishes.
Be wary of anything too shiny or highly polished: although you may find an antique replica mahogany “coffee table”, coffee tables didn’t exist until the advent of television in sitting rooms.
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Look for versatile side tables that take up the minimum amount of space. For a smart, classic look, they should be roughly the same height as the arm of your sofa. Chic Shack sells traditional round pedestal occasional tables from £199. Habitat has a contemporary nest of three tables in moulded plywood veneered in oak or walnut (both £199), as well as a version in clear or coloured acrylic (£135).
CLASSIC
Andrew Martin, 020 7225 5100, www.andrewmartin.co.uk; Chic Shack, 020 8785 7777, www.chicshack.net; The Cotswold Company, 0870 241 3663, www.cotswoldco.com; Grange, 020 7935 7000, www.grangelondon.co.uk; Oka, 0870 160 6002, www.okadirect.com
CONTEMPORARY
Content by Conran, 01352 719 183, www.contentbyconran.com; Dwell, 0870 241 8653, www.dwell.co.uk; Habitat, 0845 601 0740, www.habitat.net; Interni, 020 7624 4040, www.interni.co.uk; SCP, 020 7739 1869, www.scp.co.uk
LIGHTING
After a rash of twinkling downlighters and halogen bulbs, modern lighting has returned to pieces that are both sculptural and illuminating. There’s a taste for lighting icons, such as Castiglioni’s curved steel Arco lamp with marble base (the original costs £850 from London Lighting; Dwell’s giant curved floor lamp, with pressed marble base and adjustable chromed metal support, is £169).
Decorative, even traditional lamp bases are paired with oversized contemporary shades, some patterned, others with unusual finishes such as faux suede. For a good range of contemporary lampshades, try Heathfield & Company, where prices range from £11 to more than £100.
CLASSIC
Besselink & Jones, 020 7584 0343, www.besselink.com; Best & Lloyd, 0121 455 6400, www.bestandlloyd.co.uk; Laura Ashley, 0871 230 2301, www.lauraashley.com; McCloud Lighting, 01373 813 600, www.canepalighting.co.uk
CONTEMPORARY
CTO Lighting, 020 7686 8700, www.cto-lighting.co.uk; Dwell, 0870 241 8653, www.dwell.co.uk; Heathfield & Company, 01732 350 450, www.heathfield.co.uk; London Lighting, 020 7589 3612, www.londonlighting.co.uk; Roche-Bobois, 020 7431 1411, www.roche-bobois.com
STORAGE
Storage in living spaces is usually minimised to somewhere to line up CDs and video cassettes. Open shelving can work in a space where entertainment is key, and there’s truth in the saying that books furnish a room.
In a traditional setting, the niches on either side of a fireplace are usually where shelving for books and objects works best, often with cupboard doors below. Televisions, videos, DVDs and hi-fi can look fine on display in a modern setting, but are less aesthetic in a traditional environment. Solid, architectural, block-like shelves, which appear to float as part of the wall, are a neat solution in contemporary homes.
For less hard-edged interiors, try stand-alone cabinets (expect to pay £1,360 for Gustavian’s glass-fronted Swedish-style armoires or try Mark Maynard’s selection of decorative antique armoires, from £550), or bookcases — Oka sells classic free-standing library shelves, in dove grey, from £295 for a 2m high, six-shelf corner unit.
Contemporary modular shelving can be used to build up entire walls of storage, which can then be used as room dividers. Dwell’s wood veneer mobile shelving units on wheels start at £225.
Built-in storage solutions may appear to cost more than flat-pack shelving, but the amount of space gained, and the look achieved, is almost always superior. For traditional built-in storage, including break-front bookcases and alcove units, try a bespoke cabinet-maker from the Guild of Master Craftsmen (01273 478 449, www.guildmc.com). Jali sells classic architectural bookcases, in DIY kit form, priced from £56 for a section 60cm wide by 50cm high.
CLASSIC
Grand Illusions, 020 8607 9446, www.grandillusions.co.uk; Gustavian, 020 7724 6444, www.gustavian.com; Jali, 01227 833 333, www.jali.co.uk; Mark Maynard, 020 7731 3533, www.markmaynard.co.uk; Nordic Style, 020 7351 1755, www.nordicstyle.com; Oka, 0870 160 6002, www.okadirect.com; The Pier, 0845 609 1234, www.pier.co.uk; Sasha Waddell, 020 7736 0766, www.sashawaddell.com; Scumble Goosie, 01453 731 305, www.scumblegoosie.com
CONTEMPORARY
Cargo, 01844 261 800, www.cargohomeshop.com; Dwell, 0870 241 8653, www.dwell.co.uk; Geoffrey Drayton, 020 7387 5840, www.geoffrey-drayton.co.uk; The Holding Company, 020 8445 2888, www.theholdingcompany.co.uk; Ikea, 0845 355 1141, www.ikea.co.uk; Ligne Roset, 0870 777 7202, www.ligne-roset.co.uk; Modus, 020 7631 4886, www.modusfurniture.co.uk; Muji, 020 7323 2208, www.muji.co.uk; Next, 08702 435 435, www.next.co.uk; Ocean, 0870 242 6283, www.oceanuk.com
FINISHING TOUCHES
With even supermarket chains moving into homewares (Sainsbury’s has one of the best selections, with faux suede cushions and throws from £15 to £60), there’s no excuse for not adding the finishing touches to your living space.
TK Maxx has a great range of brightly coloured floral cushions, from £7.99, plus coloured glass vases from £3.99. Matalan sells a nest of three see-through Perspex tables (£40), a clear-glass base table lamp (£30) and a white leatherette cube stool (£20). Kevin McCloud’s highly affordable home products at Debenhams include orange suede cushions, £25, metal-base table lamps from £30, a suede magazine rack, £30, and a Zebrano wood veneer clock, £15.
French fashion house La Redoute has launched its comprehensive homeware AM.PM. mail-order catalogue in the UK, offering affordable classic French style with everything from linen lampshades, £11, to leather-covered side tables, £145.
STOCKISTS
AM.PM. La Redoute, 0870 0500 455, www.redoute.co.uk; Debenhams, 020 7408 4444, www.debenhams.com; Ikea, 0845 355 1141, www.ikea.co.uk; Matalan, 01695 552 793, www.matalan.co.uk; Sainsbury’s, 0800 636 262, www.sainsburys.co.uk; TK Maxx, 08700 856 299, www.tkmaxx.com