Recreate This Design-Led Living Room For Less

The starting point for this project was ‘Parisian art gallery with a wow factor’. This vision translated into sculptural forms across the furnishings, such as curved sofas, doubled-tiered plaster chandeliers, and one-off vessels. The client’s brief was clear: an interior that felt cosy, inviting, and luxurious, while also serving as a base layer to let each individual piece shine. 

Neutral tones create a calm and inviting space, making them an ideal foundational layer for a design scheme, particularly in areas like living rooms. We love to incorporate soft colours as an added layer, often through the soft furnishings. These elements are easy to update over time if you want to refresh the look, or make the room feel slightly different. 

The challenge with neutrals is ensuring the space doesn’t appear flat, which is why texture and layering are so important. Combining different textures helps to add depth and interest to the design. Another key consideration with neutrals is their undertones. It's essential to choose fabrics and finishes with complementary undertones to maintain a cohesive look, otherwise, you risk ending up with mismatched neutrals that may appear as entirely different colours.

The colour palette for this project takes its inspiration from the natural tones of its surroundings. Set near Hampstead Heath, we aimed to create a harmonious connection between the interior and the landscape, ensuring the design resonates with its environment. We chose a warm, earthy palette and favoured textured finishes over bold patterns. 

While we typically use lighter fabrics for larger upholstered pieces, for this project, we took a slightly different direction and embraced a rich tobacco hue for the curved sofa in the main living area, which creates a striking contrast against the white plaster walls, adding depth and character.

The curved silhouettes of the sofas were a key element of the design brief and came directly from our client. They had a specific vision for the sofas in the main living room, and we developed and executed this concept. Curved sofas, however, require a spacious room with ample circulation space, so they are best suited for larger footprints. 

Curved lines have a fluidity that helps soften the look of a room, creating a sense of elegance and ease. I especially love using velvet on curved pieces, as the way light interacts with the fabric’s fibres creates beautiful, natural shading that enhances the design.

The architecture of the main living area already had a ‘wow’ factor to it, thanks to its double-height ceilings that demanded equally impressive furnishings. The chandelier, without a doubt, is one of the standout elements. We created a bespoke version of a pendant by Tatiana Tafur, adding a second tier to transform it into a double-tiered plaster chandelier. It’s a true show-stopper and one of the key talking points in the room.

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