Living Room Make Over

In Spain you usually buy a house or apartment with furniture. The previous owner takes the most personal items, but often leaves the whole set of furniture and plenty of decor items such as lamps, rugs, curtains, paintings etc. This was also the case with the apartment my clients bought in Benalmadena.

The 3 bedroom apartment was basically move-in ready, but the style was not exactly what the new owner couple wanted. It’s always quite a job to get rid of the old furniture. You don’t want to throw them away, especially when everything is in good condition and made of quality materials as it was in this case. We put an ad on Facebook and immediately received plenty of responses. The whole sets were sold and picked up in no time.

Here’s a sneak peek how it looked

1. at the time of purchase

2. after getting rid of the old furniture

3. when furnished according to the taste of new owners

In the living room the first step was to choose a sofa, and then build up a modern, light & cosy atmosphere to the space. White painted walls suit perfectly to the beige marble floor and together they create a fresh, clean and cosy look.

Couch in cognac was the winner. Below you can see the moodboard I made with the chosen couch. White, cognac, beige and black with some shades of blue create a relaxed yet stylish combo, doesn’t it?

Here’s the result. The floor lamp in the corner was kept from the previous design, but all the other furniture is brand new. The colourful rug is a real statement piece and that’s why we decided to leave the walls without art. Time will show if some art work is needed.

Pale Blue Sofa Part II

Sometime ago I described about the pale blue sofa project. Now it’s starting to be ready. The aim was to make a cosy & harmonious room with lot of storage space - and I mean a lot of!

There was not really a clearly separated entrance hall. It and living area were sort of adjoining rooms. To separate these two functions and adding more storage place - as it was on the top of the list - we decided to add a corner cupboard between these two places.

The back of the cupboard was covered by mdf wall, which makes it easier to place a wallpaper on it. I wanted the wallpaper to be bold & patterned yet matching the soothing colour theme. There was not yet enough storage so one more cupboard was bought and placed in the front of the wallpapered wall.

How do you like the pink armchair? It’s definitely the jewel of the room. The electric fireplace changed the atmosphere and is so practical in winter time - even here in the southern Spain.

Here are some before & after pics!

ps. the owner’s red slippers look so cute in the pic, don’t they?

Pastels

in the living room

Tips For Choosing A Rug

Tips For Choosing The Right Rug

First of all you should consider the colour, texture and size. It is not the easiest task to choose the right rug. Even though it is ‘only’ a thin layer on the floor it can totally change the whole atmosphere of a space. Rugs can also be pretty expensive so take your time and check these tips.

Colour Of A Rug

It is good to start with colour. Should the rug be bright red or neutral grey depends on the other colours of your space. If there’s a lot of going on already and many different colours around, a single-colour in a neutral shade would be better as it would complete your existing furnishing.

If you prefer a pattern rug with many different colours, it is often better to choose it first and after that add in furniture and accessories. Playing safe is not always the right answer when selecting a rug. Sometimes a neutral rug can make a space looking dull and - well, very neutral. while a bright coloured or boldly patterned one can really cheer up a room and make it unique.

To be honest it is not always so that a designer or decorator can automatically pick up the right rug. Often it needs to be seen on the floor in that specific place in that light to make the right decision. A good idea is to ask the store deliver two or three pieces and try them at your home, especially when the rugs has a bit bigger price tag.

Texture Of A Rug

It makes a difference what your rug is made of. The texture of a rug should give a bit of contrast to the overall atmosphere. It is always good to have different textures and layers in a space as that makes it warmer, more relaxed and cosier.

If you have a very sleek furniture, choose a rug with longer, fluffier pile. With seating in a soft fabric, a sisal rug might be the answer.

It is important to consider also the function of your room when selecting a rug. If you have pets, maybe you need to clean it more often, so the texture should be easy to clean. For elderly people or those with limited mobility, a raised pile or shag rug can be a tripping hazard.

Size Of A Rug

Quite often I have seen too small rugs placed in an area. There’re standard rug sizes and some how people are a bit of afraid choosing a larger rug and they easily go with the smaller one. Small rugs look a little bit lost and unfinished. Well, a too large rug won’t look good either.

In the living room your seating area should fit on the rug. A good and common compromise is to have the front legs of seatings on the rug, not to have a cap between them. Under a dining table, you want to be able to pull the chairs back and still have them on the rug.

Square rooms look great with square or round rugs, and rectangular rooms with rectangular rugs oriented in the same direction.

I made some mood boards for a living room with 2 existing black leather sofas and a Noguchi coffee table. That space has large windows and lots of light, so I had courage to choose a bit bolder rug options for the room. I also wanted to give the owners an option to see how the atmosphere would change with a different sofa - they promised to think about replacing the old one.

Light, airy & cheerful.

Black with colours.

Black with colourful stripes.

Black with geometric patterns.