living rm up
. Built-in furniture Window seats and built-in furniture allow the functional purpose of a room to be pushed to the edges of the space, so you’re able to utilise the full extent of the floor area. In our house, rather than a couch taking up space, the deep window seat provides cosy seating while leaving a wide expanse of floor for other uses.
Could look great with the ceiling above removed.
Sides of shelves painted gives definition
Call in the professionals This beautiful floating cabinet looks like a completely bespoke piece, but it’s actually an Ikea cupboard that’s been professionally revamped. The cabinet is from the Besta range of storage furniture, and has been resized by the designer’s cabinet-maker and fitted with new, bespoke handles.
Work a designer look You can upgrade your kitchen by making some bold design choices. This stunning space looks chic and high end, but the units are in fact affordable Ikea models. The designer chose matching cabinets in white and dark finishes to create a striking contrast.
Another form of composite material is solid surface, which uses a mix of mineral dust and acrylic to create a smooth and flowing work surface. Most solid surface designs will not try to replicate stone as they have a greater proportion of plastic in them. However they are incredibly flexible, impervious to water and joins can be glued and sanded so that the finish is seamless. The first company to develop this product was DuPont with its brand Corian. Now it shares the market with a few other brands, including Hi-Macs, Staron and Apollo Slab Tech.
Bookcase in window seat Try a book nook Some window seats look as if you’d stop there for a few moments, while others beckon you to spend a longer time. This one’s definitely at the stay-a-while end of the scale, with a comfortably deep seat pad and a smart and supportive buttoned back cushion. With books ready to grab from a wall nook and abundant natural light for reading, it’s a tempting picture.
Window seat in bedroom? Allows cupboards to be fitted around it. And possible book case location for the kitchen.
Ensure the foam you have cut for your seat pad is dense yet soft enough to be comfortable (it’s worth getting some samples) and that when you make the cover, the opening is on a long edge, making it easier to remove for washing.
A window seat is an explicit invitation to pause and take in the view, introducing a more relaxing element to a hard-working space such as a kitchen. Add an upholstered seat pad and cushions and it’ll soften the room texturally as well. Note how this seat’s upholstery and cushions link with both the bottle green of the metro-tiled splashback and the foliage of the garden for a space-stretching blurring of inside and out.
the window seat adds a whole lot of extra places to take a pew without intruding too much into the room’s circulation space, as it doesn’t require the depth an additional sofa or armchair would occupy. Depending on the design of your room, building-in like this might also give you the chance to ensure seating is below window height, so no daylight is blocked. It also allows you to pack in a generous amount of storage. Upholstered in blue, the seat and back cushions add a burst of colour to the white scheme. They also harmonise with the green of the rug and the table lamp, making for a visually rich but restful combination.
Go all round The home office area of this contemporary extension has a built-in seat that overlooks the garden. The designer hasn’t just taken the traditional storage-below route, but surrounded the window with cupboards to keep the work area clutter-free. Repeat the look with push-to-open cupboard doors and spotlights above that highlight the feature
Steps contain storage
Mezzanine created by lowering floor below
Tiles and wood floor
ceiling trusses
bench seat, sliding picture over tv, wall boxes fronts same material as background.
Putting up wall panels in a hall is another way to help keep it in top condition. Panels can be up to dado height like these, or full height. It’s easy to find panelling online in designs to complement the age of a period home, or to bring character to something newer.
bed platform?
sofa
sofa
Painted sideboard
Room divider
lot in discreet storage A living space needs to feel uncluttered and calm, so unobtrusive storage is key. The owners of this living room have tucked some nifty shelves around the doorway and made use of vertical space. To help shelves blend in and not impinge on the rest of the room, paint them the same colour as the walls.
Embrace a moody look If you’re in the market for a green velvet sofa, check out this stunning living space. The combination of charcoal walls and soft green upholstery gives this room a snug, intimate feel. To warm it up even more, the designers have added gold and orange tones in the floor lamp and painting.
Make your sofa fit the space Got a tiny living room? Avoid the challenge of hunting for a sofa and make your own instead (or at least get a carpenter to do it for you). The owner of this cosy space has had bench seating built around the perimeter of the room, with the added bonus of extra storage beneath the cushions. Don’t forget your living room seating needs to be slouchy enough for relaxed TV watching, so make sure the benches are deep and you’ve invested in good-quality foam cushions.
Built in seat
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