Starting a decorating project with a blank canvas is brilliant, but can be a little daunting. You want to put your own stamp and personality on the room and you have numerous options, which can make it hard to visualise the finished look.
Here’s how to create a room scheme and revamp your living room to reflect your tastes…
The best way to start any project is to plan. Gather your thoughts and pull a style together by creating a Pinterest board of all the images you love, or, my favourite thing to do is cut out pictures from magazines to create a mood board. Eventually you will see a cohesive look coming through and your preference for a colour scheme and style will emerge.
This mood board uses deep indigo colours alongside more neutral putty shades and then adds depth with texture through the wicker baskets, blankets and natural materials in the accessories.
Once you have a scheme worked out, you need to think about your layout and practical aspects such as storage, lighting and where you’re going to put your cup of coffee!
TIP: Try to include three sources of lighting in the room to create atmosphere and bounce the light around the room, especially if it doesn’t get much daylight.
BEFORE: Photo from Saleboards brochure.
Paint is the easiest way to create impact and a relatively cheap way to transform a room. My first job was to get a strong inky blue/grey on the fireplace wall and because the room can be quite dark, I offset this with a paler shade of grey on the remaining walls.
To add interest and personality to the room try to mix materials together. A stone mirror, wicker toy storage and decorative heart sit nicely alongside silver and marble candlesticks.
TIP: Group together picture frames and ornaments in odd numbers, so 3 or 5, to create impact and avoid things looking twee.
Put your stamp on the room with your photos, prints, and even favourite records and create unity by framing them all in the same colour and style frames, I used RIBBA frames from Ikea.
TIP: Frame unusual and interesting wrapping paper for a cheap and quick way to create artwork. Paperchase has an excellent collection, I love this china plate design.
I added in the shades of putty in a new T.V unit and in the cushions and curtains.
TIP: Curtains to the floor can add some softness to a strong colour scheme. Make sure your curtain pole sits as close to the ceiling as possible and extends at least 15cm each side of your window frame; this allows maximum light into the room and will make your windows appear bigger.
Eventually we want to put a log burner in, but for now, seeing as I’m poor, I am putting up with with the old gas fire. I used Old English White chalk paint to lighten up the wood surround and at some point I will change the fireplace tiles to my dream Moroccan tiles that are so popular at the moment.
I will keep you posted on the log burner progress. There is still so much to do, but as a little update, it has made us feel much more like ourselves in our new home. I hope you enjoyed our little living room revamp tour and have picked up a few tricks, and now, tomorrow is my birthday so I’m off to eat cake!
SCOUT STYLING 