RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT - LIVING ROOM & KITCHEN MAKE-OVER - KNUTSFORD, CHESHIRE
Cosy and comfortable for family nights in, as well as chic and cool for entertaining and cocktail making - this was the living room brief for the charming cottage in Knutsford, Cheshire, oh and a very glam kitchen!
The stylish family needed some assistance with the backdrop for their well proportioned, and at the time of purchasing the house, county rustic living room and compact kitchen, to compliment their taste and some of their existing pieces.
In the living room, the only element remaining in situ was the oak flooring, meaning the window treatment, sofa, armchair, TV cabinet, rug, drinks cabinet and wall colour were up for discussion. The owners asked for my expertise on the colour palette and furniture choices, to add equal amounts of love and personality to the room and really make it their own.
Their penchant for dark hues, luxurious fabrics and interesting textures had to be included in the design, as well as needing a contemporary storage area to house a large record collection. Middle Eastern pieces were to be included in the scheme and in my mind, this would all work together in perfect harmony by selecting the right colours and fabrics.
Dark, inky interiors with Middle Eastern influences. Something special is coming soon to the ceiling!
On my first visit to the home, some of the key observations made were the large exposed brick chimney breast, log burner, dual aspect windows and large floor space. I knew that the home owners’ fondness for dark, inky walls would work. Even though the room has a modest ceiling height, it also has three good sized windows, so the amount of light yielded by them would warrant the dark walls and this was the starting point for the design.
I wanted the furniture, colours and textures to pop against the moody backdrop and emulate richness and warmth to enhance the cosy surroundings. The scheme needed to work alongside the traditional fireplace and cottage feel of the room, but also include some current elements and pops of colour to bring it up to date and work for this modern family.
The traditional log burner is nicely juxtaposed against the contemporary brass nesting tables.
I’m an advocate for buying the largest rug that you can afford. In my opinion, the more furniture that can sit on the rug the better, but at a minimum, the two front feet of the sofa and potentially an armchair should sit on it comfortably. A beautiful rug anchors a room, particularly with a wooden floor. It immediately adds drama, warmth and texture.
The key items of furniture including the sofa, armchair, TV unit and cocktail cabinet were purchased from Swoon (links to items below), and the luxurious velvet curtains are from the Julius range at Made.
The moodboard & planning stages
The homeowners already had an attractive selection of cushions and throws, which I kept in mind when selecting the honey yellow velvet armchair and these teal curtains in a rich, saturated hue, creating a jewel like feel. Metallic accents within the cocktail cabinet, wall lights and Moroccan floor sculpture (image coming soon) elevated the feeling of luxury and sophistication in the room.
The metallic gold cupboards of the Ziggy cocktail cabinet pops in front of the inky blue wall.
The result is a rich and vibrant space, fit for the perfect quiet night in after a busy day at work, with space to play for their three year old. The reading nook by the window offers an area for quiet contemplation (and conveniently next to the drinks cabinet!) and their record collection is stored and displayed functionally and beautifully, allowing plenty of space for entertaining.
Interesting vinyl storage, the window sill acting as additional surface for styling
Cosy corners for lounging and entertaining (before this wall was painted with Farrow & Ball, Rangwali)
For the kitchen, the owners had a clear idea that they wanted black cupboards with a geometric tiled floor and metallic wall tiles. This is the Lerhyttan black stained Ikea kitchen cupboards with Nyvattnet polished brass tap and solid oak worktops and they needed my assistance with selecting the tiles.
Lerhyttan black stained Ikea kitchen cupboards
The wall tiles are ‘Shimmer Gold’ by porcelainsuperstore.co.uk and although they are classed as ‘gold’ they are more dark bronze and reflect the light really beautifully due to their uneven surface. Teamed with the ‘Heritage Star’ floor tiles, from the same retailer, the tones and textures add depth and light to what is actually quite a small kitchen.
The real oak worktop is natural and warm, allowing the black cupboard doors to stand out, but not overpower. Metallic taps, door handles and shelves with modern and vintage accessories complete the bijou space and the kitchen has an overall feel of Glam Rustic.
Walls are painted in Dulux Spiced Honey which is really in keeping with the country cottage, and beams in Farrow & Ball Railings.
Dulux Spiced Honey working perfectly with the architecture of the country cottage and a lovely warm contrast to the black cupboard doors.
To enquire about a full room design for your home, please drop me an email via the contact form here, I’d love to help you achieve the space that you deserve.
In the meantime, I’ve included direct links to the key pieces used in this scheme:
Shopping List
Sofa - Sutton at Swoon in Midnight
TV cabinet - Hugo at Swoon in mango wood & black
Armchair - Pritchard at Swoon in Honey
Cocktail cabinet - Ziggy at Swoon in brass
Rug - Havana at irugs
Curtains - Julius at Made in Teal Blue
Floorlamp - Talisman - Iconic Lights
Star shade on floorlamp - Sadira - Iconic Lights
Pink wall paint - Rangwali - Farrow & Ball
Dark blue wall paint - Hague Blue - Farrow & Ball
