However, thank the Lord, colour - and beautiful, rich colour at that - is now completely back on the menu. Gorgeous hues of bluey greens, greeny blues and even dark navys really give a room the Wow factor. Check out the Little Greene Paint Company’s Tea with Florence, Ambleside, Royal Navy or Sage Green to get a flavour of what I mean. And if you’re a brave soul, colour drenching is very much in vogue. By that I mean painting everything (the walls, the ceiling, the woodwork – and even the cat if it stays still long enough) in the same rich colour.
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When it comes to good quality paints, I believe the Little Greene Paint Company have got it pretty much sewn up. The paint itself is of vastly superior quality to other designer paints available (perhaps beginning with an F and a B), and a great favourite with the decorators, as it goes on really well and covers superbly. It’s a bit more expensive than your Dulux type brands, but the colours are more subtle, the chalky finish vastly superior, and as it contains up to 40% more pigment, it can actually end up saving you money by needing less coats.
But it needn’t be paint. Wallpaper has catapulted back into fashion – if indeed it was ever out of it. A simple textured paper gives depth to a plain wall, while a patterned paper makes an amazing statement. Bear in mind though, that the feature wall is no longer as prevalent as it was. If you’re thinking of wallpaper, it’s probably better all round.
As for window dressings, while Roman blinds look smart and chic, for me curtains are still king (or queen – no sexism here). A pair of elegant curtains, beautifully made, lined and interlined add a touch of opulence and style that blinds alone cannot equal. Whether finished with a deep hand pinch pleated heading and hung from a substantial pole, or a wave heading with or without a crisp modern pelmet, they really do complete the look and add a touch of softness. And don’t be afraid to use pattern. There are myriads of wonderful, opulent fabrics available, ranging from florals, through ikats to stunning pictorial scenes. One more word about curtains: please, please, pretty please wherever you can (and I firmly believe you can in around ninety percent of cases) opt for full length curtains. They will add style, balance and substance to the room, as opposed to just looking like something that’s there to merely cover the window.
If you already have a neutral room but fancy cranking it up a little, think about adding a one-off quirky chair, covered in something show-stopping. When planning the seating
requirements for your living room by all means take into account the number of bums on seats needed, but only those bums that are regularly seated. I have sometimes been into houses and thought I had mistakenly walked into a doctor’s waiting room, as there were so many and varied chairs and sofas crammed into one room. Keep it simple and not overcrowded, then have several occasional chairs that can be brought in for large family gatherings. These can be upholstered in relatively neutral fabrics so that they will happily sit in a bedroom or on a landing until needed.
Finally, and while we’re on the subject of size, let’s talk about the biggest bone of contention in any living room – the TV. Now I know that you gents are going to tell me that it’s absolutely essential to view everything from the Cup Final to CBeebies on a screen that wouldn’t look out of place in Trafalgar Square, but come on guys let’s be reasonable. Any TV is a designer’s nightmare, as it usually throws out the focal point of a room – traditionally the fireplace - and more often than not dictates the way the furniture is to be laid out, so let’s at least keep it in proportion to the size of your room.
As with all aspects of interior design, the key to a successful living room, or indeed any other room, is balance. Keep that in mind, use the right people for the right jobs, and you won’t go far wrong.
JOHN BIDDELL - JOHN CHARLES INTERIORS 349 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 8DL T. 0121 420 3977
www.johncharlesinteriors.co.uk
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
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John Biddell - John Charles Interiors
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