8 Ramillies Avenue

Louise thank you for letting me look around your new home and listen to your ideas.

It’s a beautiful house and as we said it just needs to start to feel like home and have some of your personality stamped onto it!

It’s quite a blank canvas so you have lots of options, these ideas are a starting point to add some warmth and character.

Open Plan Living Area

Strengths

• Feature fireplace

• Bright, airy and spacious

• Clearly defined areas

The issues are

• Lack of storage

• How to make best use of the alcoves

• Lack of personality

Lack of storage & how to make use of the alcoves - To address this I would suggest two shelves either side of the chimney for books, decor etc. As these are out of reach for Alex it enables you to keep a grown-up feel to the decor here which is something you mentioned you would like.

I then think it could be effective to have two lower shelves giving an attractive space for Alex’s fish tank at a level he can enjoy it but without it dominating your space. Underneath this I propose you use pull out storage for toys.

On the left of the chimney the lower shelf creates a space for a lamp, plant and decor with your fire wood stacked underneath. Having a shelf at this height even gives the potential for this to be a seat, a reading nook for Alex perhaps.

Since this is 6 shelves, and no cupboards, it should be a lot more cost effective to have installed than the carpentry work you had a quote for. It’s also in keeping with the modern style of the extension and kitchen.

Lack of personality - A blank canvas can be daunting, especially as you don’t love the contemporary kitchen. It does make sense to use it as a starting point however so that we can achieve a cohesive look.

To inject some personality into the area my suggestion is to use the fireplace wall, and the continuing wall in the dining area, as a feature wall.

I have a few ideas about what you could do.

I’m suggesting you look into using deep plum/aubergine colours as we want it to complement the grey kitchen. I feel that if you used a green, which would be the other natural choice based on it being a favourite of yours, this may be too traditional looking for the high gloss style. To work with the contemporary look of the grey gloss kitchen a strong colour such as Brinjal by Farrow & Ball would work better than a more country style colour eg, sage green.

If you preferred, using a dark grey would tie in with your kitchen and be a good neutral colour to use as a base for adding other colours into the room, darker grey will make other colours pop out.

• Texture

Brick slips are very popular at the moment and are a very effective way to add texture and interest to a newly built space. The visual below gives an idea of how this could look. It keeps the two areas defined but adds a certain amount of warmth to the look.

• Pattern

Choosing a patterned wallpaper will instantly add charater and personailty. I’d steer you away from the more traditional patterns and suggest you look at simple Mid-Century style designs.

I don’t think this will give as good an effect as the other options, but wanted to show you a visual so that you can start to see the difference in ‘feeling’ that can be created.

• Panel detail

A simple way to add unfussy detail is to use panelling, it’s very popular at the moment and in my opinion an attractive trend that will be around for a long while. This would be applied to the wall in the dining area.

I’d suggest a style similar to the long panels shown here instead of the square design that is also popular.

Height-wise - I’d take it level with the opened-up portion of wall but then paint the same colour up to the ceiling to emphasis the interesting angle and height. You could have a ledge included on the top either to stand prints or to hang art from. You’ll see that the skirting boards are all in the same colour, this is a matter of personal taste but it would make sense to have these in the same colour as the panelling.

Have you considered built in seating around you dining table? An upholstered L shaped bench would look really stunning in this space.

You mentioned you might have new flooring fitted, if you are doing so it would be an ideal time to have underfloor heating to remove the need for radiators.

It would also be lovely to have a high shelf above the oven wall to make use of this decorative space.

Below is a moodboard bringing together some of the elements that you have with the suggestions above so that you can see how the colours can work together.

FRONT SITTING ROOM

For your front room I want to suggest creating a very relaxing, cocooning space with a luxurious feel. This space needs to feel calm and comfortable.

Taking the colours used in the open plan space - aubergine, green, mustard and mixing the proportions in a different combination creates a subtle sense of cohesion through the house.

Shelving on one side of the fireplace gives you the opportunity to display photographs and momentoes in a curated way. On the other side space for a reading chair and high shelves create a cosy nook.

I suggest painting all the walls in a deep colour - Brinjal again would be extremely cocooning in this room or Green Smoke, both Farrow & Ball. If you are feeling even braver I’d love to see this room in olive colours. Have a look at Bancha by Farrow & Ball.

I don’t know if painting the ceiling the same colour is a step too far out of your comfort zone but the effect is truly transformative!

At the very least please do consider painting the woodwork and radiator cabinet in the same colour as the walls. This will give a beautifully finished look.

Lighting will be an important element in this room as you have explained it needs to be a room for unwinding in the evening. The currently empty fireplace is a lovely place to add a feature, you could paint the inside in a warm gold, and place lanterns or specialist lighting inside. I feel something with a natural element would be a lovely addition, have a look at the indoor lighting from Sarah Raven. They do some really pretty lighting based on their love of nature. Their ‘Giant Hogweed’ lights have a really magical feeling to them, they’d create a warm glow in the room in the evening, similar to the effect of candlelight. For table lamps choose styles that cast shadows on the walls and create a soft, warm glow Avoid anything with harsh or cold light.

When accessorising the room I’d suggest you make it quite luxurious, a thick pile rug in a deep colour, throws on the footstool, baskets and lanterns will all add to the ultra-comfortable feeling.

Placing your mirror opposite the window will work well. I suggest a simple oak picture ledge behind the sofa so you can create a layered effect that is easy to change and refresh.

Consider a floor standing reading light as this room would lend itself to a quiet area to curl up with a book if the opportunity presented itself!

Louise I think the colour suggestions will feel quite bold. Please remember you have a light and airy space in the back so using a strong colour won’t feel over powering. Conversely in your more snug front living room, the effect will be to create a cocooning environment. The overall feedback I hear from people who have gone with deep, bold, darker colours is that it’s a bit scary at first but they love it once it’s done! This is why I’ve based the colour palette on colours I know you already have in your decor, so there’s a sense of familiarity with them, it’s just about using them in a more dramatic way to create a special feeling in the home.

Please let me know your thoughts and feedback, I truly hope you like the ideas as a starting point for making the house feel like home.

Kind regards

Ella