CHARLES ROAD

Brief: The clients bought their 1 bedroom flat as their first home to renovate, pre-lockdown and due to the changing Covid-19 circumstances since completion, they now have a restricted budget for furnishings and the living room also needs to act as a home office.  They requested a simple, yet stylish make-over on a tight budget and hope to make more improvements at a later date when finances become more certain.  For now they required ‘stylish and chic comfort on a budget’.  They were keen to include sustainable, vintage and eco-material products where possible, so long as it kept within the budget.

Conclusion: As the clients already owned a navy velvet sofa and mid-century coffee table and were keen to incorporate more recycled/vintage pieces into their style – I used this as the initial starting point for the design concept.  The high ceilings and beautiful cornicing was also a central focus, so I proposed a deep navy blue ceiling in Bauwerk ‘ink squid’ (non-VOC) paint, that would not only bring a dramatic, yet cosy impact to the room – but also draw the eye to the original plasterwork features.

For the home office area in the corner of the living room, I sourced a sustainable and Fair Trade mid-century style wall desk with plenty of storage options, desk light and vintage office chair.  More attention was added to the high ceilings with a very affordable ‘sputnik’ light with white bulbs that would contrast beautifully against the dark blue ceiling.   Three vintage rug options across various budgets were offered, including a traditional handwoven pink rug, featuring various bold berber motifs – allowing the floor covering to pack as much punch as the statement ceiling!

Finally, I proposed the creation of a window seat for extra storage and comfort, to be built into the large bay window and selected cushions to compliment the scheme.  A variety of artwork and various plants for styling and air purification were also included.