Case Study 5; Family Living Room Design

Canva image of a family living room with children sitting on a sofa with popcorn watching a movie

Introduction

The goal of this project was to create a warm, cosy and grown-up living room that would be instantly calming but not boring or too plain. Home to a young family the living room would be used by the two young children on their return from school and, after their bedtime, by their parents for socialising, relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine.

specifics

  • The room needed to accommodate a dining table and chairs
  • A number of items would be staying in the room
  • A number of items would need to be replaced
  • The style should be ‘lived-in ‘ and comfortable but, at the same time, modern and stylish
  • Add colour and personality through the placement of artwork, ornaments, pictures and mementoes
  • Use neutral colours but include bolder colours that might give a nod to nature or add warmth
  • Consider the use of fabrics, lighting and pattern to create the desired look
  • Inject the family’s personality into the space taking on-board their favourite pastimes which include travel, walks in the country and spending their evenings playing board games and watching box sets on T.V.

Step 1; Family Living Room Concept

The concept was developed by taking into consideration the family’s lifestyle and favourite activities. It also leaned into the clients’ desire for a modern schematic whilst keeping it family friendly and functional.

Step 2; Family Living Room Colour Scheme

From the images chosen for the Concept I honed in on the charcoal, burgundy, and dark green as hero shades and on the soft sand, blush pink and gold for the backdrop to their living room.

Step 3; Family Living Room Floor Plan

The key features that needed to be considered when reviewing the floor plan were:

LIVING ROOM

  • to create a dining area that was more in-keeping with a relaxed but functional room
  • to review the existing layout and make improvements where necessary
  • to accommodate the client’s furniture where required
  • to introduce new furniture where requested

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

Below is a scale drawing of the living room with the requisite pieces of furniture added. To create a space in keeping with the client’s vision I flipped the orientation of the room so that the television and sofa swapped places. The addition of a new rug created a ‘lounging’ zone and a curtain wall further enhanced the feeling of a cosy evening retreat. I also flipped the dining area and, by doing so, created a specific area the housed the table, chairs and an adjustable ceiling pendant. Notes were added to the drawing to identify each piece of furniture and to provide a little more insight as to how each item would operate.

REVISED Floor Layout

Step 4; Family Living Room Key Purchases

To give the client a flavour of the direction in which I was moving I provided a snapshot of the key purchases that would bring the Concept to life. The stone table echoed the beautiful colours of the sand and rocks, whilst the patterned throw brought the warming vibes of the cinema room and candlelit table. The off-white cushion, with blush fringe, reflected the client’s desire for a calm yet interesting environment.

Step 5; Family Living Room Presentation

The final presentation took the form of a carefully curated selection of items that were clearly documented. Lifestyle images were included to illustrate how the final scheme would look and feel.

DESIGN FEATURES – CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

  • Tori Murphy Long Island Stripe Cotton Fabric, Blush. This fabric was chosen as it met the client’s liking of stripes and her desire to include some dark blush pinks in the scheme. The fabric would be used to make a curtain wall that would incorporate both the picture window on the south facing elevation and the glazed panel and door on the west facing elevation. This style of window dressing would allow for the curtains to be stacked to the side of the windows during the day thus allowing maximum natural light into the room and drawn of any evening to create a cocooning effect around the sofa. This would be in response to the client who said in the brief “I want the room to feel really relaxed and cosy, and I think fabrics play an important role in that” and the brief also stated that the existing curtains could be removed from the room.
  • Alzarin painted TV backdrop. The client brief stated that the client liked ‘bold block colour’ and would like to incorporate some deep reds. By creating this painted arch on the wall in response to these aspects of the brief it would frame the television and make the contrast between the black screen and the walls less obvious.
  • Abigail Ahern lifestyle image depicting wall mounted shelves and a Minden Canvas. This image addressed the clients desire to add some personality to the room “through artwork, ornaments, pictures and mementoes”. It also mimicked the wall-mounted shelves in the existing living room and, although not much storage would be required it would accommodate “DVD’s” and small potted plants.
  • Love Your Home Tilda Sofa, Sourdough. The client had expressed a wish to procure a new sofa. Homing in on the desire for a modern scheme the shape of this particular sofa works well. Love Your Home also offer a bespoke service so it could be made large or smaller than the standard dimensions if required. The choice of neutral colour would act as a backdrop to an abstract patterned throw and colourful cushions.
  • Ruggable™️ AD Brooklyn Copper Clay Tufted Rug. The client had expressed a wish to procure a new rug. By selecting this particular brand, with its earthy colours and choice of sizes, it is the ideal accessory for creating separate lounging zone. Furthermore, the Ruggable™️ brand fo rugs is washable therefore ideal for a family home.
  • Abigail Ahern Giles Gold Side Table. The client’s colour preferences included gold. This was illustrated in the original concept board with a smattering of sparkling fairy lights. To bring this metallic into the finished room the use of this small occasional table is both aesthetically pleasing and has a practical use.
  • Graham & Brown Plover, Baked Cheesecake and Alzarin paint. The brief stated “my colour preferences are from calm neutrals such as creams and off-whites mixed with darker, earthy tones to contrast the light colours”. This statement was used to create the double-drenched colour scheme which would see the Plover paint on the walls and woodwork, including doors, architraves, frames, window frames and skirting, whilst the slightly lighter, Baked Cheesecake, would be used to paint the ceiling. As previously mentioned, Alzarin, would be used to create a statement block of colour to frame the TV.
  • Sklum Noemi 120cm found table. The client had expressed a wish to procure a new dining table and asked that it be designed so’s not to “stand out in the room as much” (as the existing fold-down table). The answer to this dilemma was to create a new dining zone in the opposite corner and to procure a statement table that worked with the ‘modern’ scheme. The one chosen, made of cement with travertine, beautifully makes reference to the pinky rocks and sand on the Dubai (one of the family’s favourite travel destinations) beach image on the concept board.
  • Lindby Nadija adjustable pendant light. The client had expressed a wish to procure a replacement ceiling light having stated that the existing one “belonged to the previous owner and is not my style at all”. By installing this adjustable lamp when set low it would create an intimate dining atmosphere and when raised provide a brighter light for tasks or general ambient lighting. Its metallic frame with its reflective quality would, again, add the sparkle implied by the fairy lights.
  • Tania’s Garden Cocoa Bespoke Mural. The brief stated “my style is relaxed contemporary, with nods to nature” and this was the inspiration behind this wall mural. Not only did it include some of the client’s favourite colours but these were in the shape of seed heads and flowers thus creating a definite nod to nature. By shaping it into an arch it would echo the TV arch positioned on the opposite side of the room and create a dining zone.
  • Habitat Beni Faux Leather Chairs, Tan. These chairs were chosen for their modern lines, lovely rich colour and diminutive stature. Conscious that the dining zone was relatively compact a small chair had to be selected. They would also be wipe clean which is ideal for a young family.
  • Tori Murphy Cove Fringe Cushion, Off-White/Blush. The brief stated “I would like soft cushions and throws on the sofa”. Needless to say this gorgeous linen cushion with its blush fringe would complement the Tori Murphy curtains perfectly and provide softness and texture in a neutral colour accessory.
  • Oliver Bonas Boucle Fringed Pink Cushion. This cushion, with its an unusual mix of blush pink with a red fringe, meets the client’s request for blush pinks and dark reds all in one piece.
  • Abigail Ahern Kensa Throw. The colours and pattern in this throw pull the whole scheme together and respond to the client’s statement that “I love abstract artwork, stripe patterns and bold block colour. I love clashing prints that sit well together”. It would also act as a useful protector to the light colour sofa should it be required.
  • Graham & Brown Plover paint. As before.

I believe this scheme responded well to the client’s overriding style statement “I love a ‘lived-in look’ where elements look comfortable and homely – this is a family home and I believe that it should look like a family lives in it.”.

Summary

This exercise was set by The Interior Designers’ Hub of which I am a professional member. It was set as a 5-Day Challenge which attracted over 1500 participants. The client brief was produced by the Hub on behalf of a ‘real-life’ client who had a genuine project in mind. At the end of the challenge my design was the first of the final four designs to be announced as favourites by the client. When asked why the client had chosen my design she said:

She’s got the neutral base that I asked for, and the creams, and there’s a little splash of gold. And then I really like that pop of blush as well, and the arch that she’s got behind the television is something that I hadn’t thought of, and I think that looks really nice.

From my perspective nailing the client brief is key to creating a successful design that resonates with the end user. I was really pleased to have my efforts rewarded and would like to acknowledge the hard work of all those who took part in this particular exercise.

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