Decorating / Design
The shelves are classic Ikea Billy bookcases, and the cabinets below are kitchen bridging units. Interior designer Malcolm Begg of DesignSixtyNine attached the cabinets to the base of the wall and laid a sheet of wood on top. He screwed the bookcases to the wall upside down, and attached a cornice to the top. The whole thing has been painted grey to give it a cohesive, bespoke look
Secret door
Framing pictures similarly but not completely the same
Run of units with worktop placed on top
Idea for file storage
Mirrored shelving
Warm wood works beautifully against a dark backdrop and its rich natural tones and soft grain help to ground a clean scheme, steering it away from feeling stark or austere. Contemporary should be clean but not necessarily minimal.
Don’t be afraid to add a pop of colour to a small wall
Walls painted in French Grey; woodwork painted in French Grey Dark, both Little Greene. Tom Dixon Melt pendant light,
Add a desk area and storage into the space next to the living room without making it appear too cluttered. By building wooden box shelves and a desk along the wall, they’ve fitted plenty of functionality into the area. The wood finish helps to zone the storage and desk area, while the grey paint and panelling gives the two spaces cohesion. It’s clearly a different area to the living space, but at the same time the two spaces work harmoniously together.
See through shelves. Convert doorway?
Pop of colour on the door
Consider wall lights above each picture. Encouraging guests to take their time as they pass through. Precision is key. Measure the wall space and select a suitable number of works, taking into account additional space for frames and mounting. Stick to similar colour palettes. Hang work at 5ft from the floor.
A neon light would work well in a room you use to socialise
Regular sofa plus statement sofa for guests
Grey herringbone tiles
You might not always call Venetian or roller blinds elegant, but Roman blinds really are. In fact, they’re surprisingly versatile. They can work in formal living rooms like this one, as well as country cottage schemes. This white Roman blind has been boxed in at the top for a more finished, clean-lined look. Romans also allow you to use the space under the windows happily – curtains in here would have butted into the sofa or just looked odd.
Panelling effect without the hassle of cleaning! Use a lookalike wallpaper. For best effect, find one with a 3D design and, to save money (because they’re not cheap), put it on one feature wall rather than all four; use a matching paint colour for the other three walls for an all-round
Use cheap Ikea storage and custom a wood top to make it look bespoke
Table over radiator and painted ceiling
Textures and limited colour palette
Wood panelling
Art
Mirror art Floor to ceiling
Curtain length with low ceilings
Patterned ceiling
Painted mouldings
Personalised wallpaper of wedding photo booth
Q