I’ve been working with one of the loveliest families in Kent, on a design plan for their cottage living room. They’ve got two gorgeous kids, aged 4 and 2, and they wanted to carve out an adult space free from all the plastic paraphernalia that comes with living with small people.
Inspiration
The brief was a calm, clean, clutter-free area space with a traditional vibe, “typical of a Country Living feature.” I pulled together a few photos that, I thought, summarised the look we were going for and sent this over:
They liked it – particularly the natural elements and the vintage pieces – but wanted a more kid and dog friendly sofa in a dark colour.
Cottage Living Room Mood Board: Option One
I put together a few room schemes with different options, starting with this one:
Sources
1. Dusty Porcelain Wall Paint – B&Q*
2. Pendant – £18
3. Wall Sconces – £125 each
4. Lamp:* Similar Base – £150
Shade – £30
5. Chesterfield Sofa – £1708 / Pom-Pom Cushion – £30 / Lattice Cushion – £45
6. Similar Mirror – £65
7. Hanging Frames – £20 each (others are vintage)
8. Extra Large Jute Rug – £199 / Similar Blue Rug* – £154
9. Coffee Table – £330 (sold out)
10. Curtains*
11. Chairs – £579 each / Ikat Cushions – £18 each
12. Chest*- vintage
13. Mantle – DIY
14. Log Basket
TOTAL BUDGET: £3600
*Asterisk denotes existing pieces.
They already had the curtains, table lamp, and blue rug, so I pulled the colour palette from those. They’d also already painted the walls in a warm off-white and installed high-end laminate flooring and a cute little wood-burning stove.
They largely liked this first mood board, but it was over-budget. The total, minus what they already owned and any discounts we could get, came to just over £3600. Their budget was £2000-£2500. So I reworked it and came up with a look-for-less version, using more of what they already owned, but keeping that splurge sofa, which they loved.
Cottage Living Room Mood Board: Option Two
Sources
1. Dusty Porcelain Wall Paint – B&Q*
2. Pendant – £30
3. Wall Sconces – £45 each
4. Lamp:* Similar Base – £150 / Shade – £30
5. Chesterfield Sofa – £1708 / Pom-Pom Cushion – £30 / Lattice Cushion – £45
6. Similar Mirror – £65
7. Hanging Frames – £20 each (others are vintage)
8. Extra Large Jute Rug – £199 / Similar Blue Rug* – £154
9. Coffee Table – DIY inspiration
10. Curtains*
11. Slipper Chair* – $739 / Arm Chair* – £160 / Indigo Cushion – £8
12. Chest*- vintage
TOTAL BUDGET: £2000
*Asterisk denotes existing pieces.
By reusing their exisiting chairs (budgeting for one to be reupholstered) and swapping the coffee table for a DIY version, we got the look easily within their budget, again accounting for any potential discounts. We lost the mantle, because they weren’t sure their brick wall was strong enough to support it and they already had a lovely arched fireplace which was pretty enough to stand alone.
Cottage Living Room Mood Board: Option Three
While I was working on the design, they spotted some leather chairs that they liked, which were on major sale. Just to see, I mocked up one last mood board including those chairs and using a more neutral palette overall. The sofa is lighter, to balance out the chairs, but because it’s done in stain-resistant velvet, it’s still kid and dog friendly.
Sources
1. Dusty Porcelain Wall Paint – B&Q*
2. Pendant – £30
3. Wall Sconces – £45 each
4. Lamp:* Similar Base – £150 / Shade – £30
5. Sofa – £1795 / Ikat Cushion – £18 / Pom-Pom Cushion – £30 / Lattice Cushion – £45
6. Similar Mirror – £65
7. Hanging Frames – £20 each (others are vintage)
8. Extra Large Jute Rug – £199 / Similar Blue Rug* – £154
9. Coffee Table – DIY inspiration
10. Curtains – £45
11. Leather Chairs – £1000 each, on sale for £500 each
12. Chest*- vintage
TOTAL BUDGET: £3240
*Asterisk denotes existing pieces.
This one was over budget again, although not by as much. It gave them food for thought.
Floor Plan Options
I drew up a couple of few floor plans to show how the furniture might be laid out, depending on which options they went for.
I’ve handed the design over to them to execute. The space has a lot of potential and I’m excited to see it come together.
Interior Design Services
I work with clients across Southwest London and throughout the UK. If you’d like to learn how Emmerson & Fifteenth can help you transform your home, read more here.
