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Looking For Storage Solutions To Fit In Small Spaces? Here Are Five Ideas To Inspire Your Décor

No matter how well you plan out your smaller spaces, clutter somehow manages to creep up on you and take up that minimal space that’s there. Of course, you stack up boxes or keep stuff in plastic trays but those can be unsightly and don’t really fit with your décor scheme. So, what about some more clever storage solutions that will help you save space in even the smallest spaces. As a Pimlico interior designer, we know that often when you have smaller spaces in your home they can feel cramped and it’s easy to think that you can’t do anything in the way of storage. However, you can make every inch of your home work for you with some thought out, space-saving storage solutions. There is so much unused space in the average home and you just need to find out and use it to your advantage of it and keep it well-organised. Here are some examples of some solutions you can use to get more space out of your home. Trolleys - Mobile Storage Trolleys have a million uses in your home. They can be used in the organisation of a multitude of things, including craft suppliers, groceries, toys and cocktail paraphernalia. Additionally, as it’s on wheels, it’s easy to move out of the way no matter what size your room. Under Window Storage The space below your windows can often go unused but it is the perfect space for additional storage. Whether this is in the form of benches with hidden storage or simply a cupboard. These can be handy for storing toys, games and much more, under a window can become a very handy space for storage. Media Storage Systems Often, your TV can take up valuable space in your home, but this doesn’t always have to be the case. There is always the option to use it as a focal point that you can build up storage around. Simply wall height storage units are perfect for taking advantage of space that would otherwise go unused. These are available off-the-shelf or can be bespokely designed to suit your home’s needs. The Home Office Alcove Are you struggling to find somewhere for your home office? Maybe you don’t have enough rooms or you feel like you lack the space… Have you thought about transforming an alcove into a hidden office space. The only things you’ll need are open shelves that are perfect for storing boxes and items and a small desk/plank of wood for you to work at. Done properly, this space should be able to be hidden behind folding or sliding doors that will keep the clutter tucked away and out of sight. Divide Spaces With Storage If you have an open-plan kitchen/living room, it can often be difficult to define each space. There is, however, a solution that will both divide the spaces and provide more storage for you at the same time. One example could be a freestanding island that sits between the spaces. This creates a clean division between the two spaces, while providing another useful surface to store or display things and cupboard space/shelving underneath for things that you’d like to remain more hidden.

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Add Some Character Your Living Room With These Stylish Colour Schemes

Our perception of colour is very much influenced by the associations we make with it in the art we create, advertising we see and the objects in the world around us. For the this reason, we have colours that we associate with ourselves and they become part of our personality. This is why choosing a colour scheme that resonates with you is key to your interior design, particularly your living room where you go to relax. As an interior designer in Pimlico with many years of experience, colours have come in and out of fashion more times than one would care to remember. However, a lot has been learnt throughout the years about what colours say about the people who use them. You need to choose a colour scheme that you will love for many years, because it can be a long and expensive task to take on if you want to change it again. You may be tempted to go with a neutral colour scheme as this creates a blank canvas but introducing colour can be the wiser move. Especially if you use different shades of a colour can help you to create an uplifting or calming effect which can be achieved through your choice of wall colour and soft furnishings. The names we are using for these colours are buzzwords which will also have a marked effect on your decision for your living room’s new colour scheme. Turquoise The Turquoise hue is a vibrant mix of blue and green that has the ability to add character to a room during the day and create a warm cosiness during the night. It has an energising tone without being too brash or overwhelming. The closeness it shares with the blue colour palette means that it is easy to pair with other blue tones. To balance this colour palette out you should try to keep your flooring pale, as well other accent pieces. Hints of white in your artwork, shelving and lighting will help cool down this palette and prevent it from feeling too saturated. Match You can create a feature piece in your home by painting your walls and shelves in the same shade. This works particularly well with expansive boxed shelving that runs wall to wall and floor to ceiling. If we look at current trends, the obvious choice for this would be a mid-grey matt-finish paint that can help to mellow out white woodwork and blend effortlessly with toned flooring and furniture, as well as autumnal shades. Harmony Harmony can be achieved in the cold winter months by choosing plum tones that will warm up your living room. If you want to make your room feel even more toasty and snug, you can combine it with shades of claret and dusky rose. While painting your walls in a port-wine red can help to introduce and richness to the room. However, you don’t want to take this too far and the effect can easily be offset by mauve-greys and browns colouring the other elements of the room. Hero Shade A hero shade is one that brings out a hold-on-to-your-hats feeling within you and provides and instant transformation to your living room. Take for example a stunning emerald green as one of these shades and you can see how much of a splash it makes to a room, while also showing off the darker furnishing you can see in front of it. Sweet One last way to create an impact with colour is by using sugary shades - decorating your living room with pastel shades without them being pale. Painting an accent wall in a darker colour will help provide a anchoring point to balance the room if you have a lighter tone on an adjacent wall. Make sure you use matt emulsion to create a calm contemporary fashionable took that low-sheen - providing a velvet chalk finish to the walls.

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Interior Design Shows To Look Forward To: Spring 2019

2018 was an incredible year for interior design and there were plenty of shows where people presented innovative and fresh ideas, as well as modern takes on classics. So, as you might expect, we are very excited to see what 2019 will bring and where better to see it than the industries top shows. Michael Reeves opened his first London shop/showroom in 1994 after living and working in New York for 4 years, and made the transition from fashion designer to interior designer. Inspiration can be found in abundance at these events if you’re a professional designer or simply looking to discover new trends that you can utilise in your home. The industry’s best talent will be showcasing their ideas leaving you with a wealth of knowledge and perhaps a vision of your renovation realised. From the TV personality Kevin McCloud endorsed live event to long-standing trade shows, our three picks for this season’s events will have your brain tingling with excitement and ideas. Ideal Home Show Date: March 22 - April 7 2019 Times: Mon - Wed: 10am - 5pm, Thurs: 10am - 9pm, Fri - Sun: 10am - 6pm Location: Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX Price: Varies depending on ticket, visit the Ideal Home Show website for more details. At the Ideal Home Show, you will find all the inspiration you’ll need this Spring under one roof at one of the industry’s longest running award-winning show. Including trends and items for your living room, dining room, decorations, summery foods, home renovation, fashion, beauty and gifts. If you go to one interior design show this Spring, make sure it’s the Ideal Home Show! Grand Designs Live Date: May 4 - May 12 Times: May 4 - May 8: 10am - 6pm, May 9 - May 12: 10am - 5pm Location: London ExCeL, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London, E16 1XL Price: Varies depending on whether tickets are bought in advance or on the door, visit the Grand Designs Live website for more details. The Grand Designs live show will be returning this May to London’s ExCeL. The show is based on the Channel 4 series of the same name and presented by Kevin McCloud himself. It offers visitors everything from expert advice to new product launches and specialist exhibitors. This includes six project zones with one called Grand Interiors, which features room sets styled by up and coming interior designers and stylists. Clerkenwell Design Week Date: May 21 - May 23 Time: 10am - 9pm daily Address: Visit the Clerkenwell Design Week website for full listings Price: Free The Clerkenwell area of London is where you’ll find more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else in the world. It is one of the most important design hubs across the globe. This rich and diverse community has created Clerkenwell Design Week to showcase the leading British and international brands and companies to present in a series of showroom events, exhibitions and special installations that will be taking place across the entire Clerkenwell area. The award-winning event is celebrating its ninth year and has firmly been established as the UK’s leading independent design festival and has maintained a high annual attendance from the international design community. Over the course of three days, the event is full of exciting shows and attractions with over 300 brands exhibiting. This showcase is guaranteed to bring your head packed full of amazing ideas for your own interior design projects.

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Spring 2019 Interior Design Trends

Happy New Year! We hope you had an amazing holiday celebration with your friends and family. Now that we are a few days into 2019, and as an Interior Designer in Pimlico, we thought it was time to share with you some of the trends that will be sweeping across the industry in the first few months of the year. Today, you will learn what our top three picks are for 2019 and why we think they will become prominent during Spring and leading into Summer. Big Bold Plants – Unconventional Feature Piece At the forefront of 2019’s interior design forecast will be big bold plants as feature pieces in the country’s living rooms. We saw this trend creeping in in the latter part of last summer but it will be going full force this year. Think tree species like the dragon tree, rubber tree and palm tree, that provide a vibrant eye-catching statement in any room. They work best alongside your sofa or in any corner that is big enough to accommodate one. This is perhaps the most unique of the trends we are expecting to see, as you aren’t only relying on how it looks aesthetically. It is important to take into consideration the care and sunlight needs of the plant before deciding on the best place to put it in your room. Remember, you want to make a big statement with your plant, so it needs the space and care requirements to allow it to flourish. Painted Ceilings – The “Wow” Factor The ceilings in your home are probably rarely thought of in terms of decorating as you don’t spend vast amounts of time looking at them, however, many are now considering them to be the “fifth wall”. In 2019, we will see them add some of the much-desired “wow” factor to our homes. People will be taking chances and decorating their ceilings with moldings, wallpaper and quite daring paint colours. This look works best for spaces in your home that exude comfort and intimacy – meaning places where you spend time with your loved – like bedrooms and formal dining spaces. If you decide to take on this challenge, you’d be safest sticking to the 10-30-60 rule when it comes to your colour scheme. Your choices are to either continue with your base colour to your ceiling, covering 60% of the room, or you can be bold and use your rooms accent colour for the last 10% to add some visual interest to your chosen room. Multi-functional Spaces – Less is More Over the last few months, we have been seeing a shift in the interior design market as more and more people are creating spaces with multiple uses. As a result, the famous murphy bed will be making a comeback with interesting modern designs expected to come with it. This trend also coincides with the increasing number of people living in smaller studio spaces as demand for housing in cities increases. However, this trend is beginning to move outside of small apartments and people are beginning to create multi-use rooms in their home. Some examples include an office that acts as a guest bedroom and, on a smaller scale, adding an ottoman in unused space to add more storage to a room. To pull this off properly, you should think outside the box with functionality and create interesting spaces.

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Belgravia Interior Designer Conjures “Faded Grandeur” in Luxury Mustique BVI Home

Belgravia interior designer, Michael Reeves Design, was commissioned to design the interior of the Sunrise House, a luxury home on the island paradise of Mustique BVI. The design direction would come to be summarised as “faded grandeur”, a fitting term for the extravagant yet understated style of the home. While on a Christmas vacation on the exotic island of Mustique BVI, a couple fell in love with it and made the bold move to purchase a modern single-storey property with the plans of adding an extra storey. Unfortunately, this would not be possible as the structure couldn’t support the additional weight. The solution? Tear down the home and start again from scratch. So, construction began and Michael Reeves Design was brought in to the design its stunning interior. Once the 3-year build process for the coral stone home had been completed, work on the elegant interior began and it would become a spectacle. You enter the home through what is known as The Great Room and it is filled with luxurious material and upholstered furniture designed and built by Michael Reeves Design. Stepping out of the French doors to the rear will expose a breath-taking view of the ocean and a “floating” pool that melts into it like they were one body of water. This is starkly contrasted by the Games Room, which has a pared-down minimalist design language, featuring a predominantly white colour palette. It features contemporary linen covered seating and grey toned blond wood floors creating the perfect room to relax in. The bedrooms are again predominantly white with centred beds that allow their residents to be exposed to as much of the incredible sea views as possible. Furnishings are minimal within these rooms to create a simple, uncluttered, functional and soft space for sleeping. Finally, there is a cinema room with an electronically controlled screen that is positioned on the ceiling and dominated by colourfully striped jute linen upholstery. To ensure maximum comfort while watching movies, seating comes in form of mattresses with matching rectangular cubed ottomans and velvet scatter pillows. Michael opened his first London shop/showroom in 1994 after living and working in New York for 4 years and made the transition from fashion designer to interior designer. In 1998 he won the coveted Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award, which led to interior design commissions for projects in London, New York, Connecticut, France and Mustique BVI. Michael Reeves Design 30 Pimlico Road London SW1W 8LJ 020 7730 3009 For more information, images and quotes, email: nathan@digitaljumpsuit.com

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Green is a Classic Colour for Interiors but One That is Rarely Seen Anymore

As the title says, green is one of those classic colours that never really goes out of style. It creates a relaxing, soothing and natural feeling room, when different shades are used alongside each other perfectly. Michael Reeves Design wants to explore the different applications for this beautiful colour palette in your living room. Now, it can be seen as too dark to put on walls but it can also have a calming effect when it is used properly. It simultaneously melts into the background and creates a gentle statement in any living room. There’s also plenty of shades to choose from as green is a very vibrant and varied palette – from forest greens to limes and sages – there’s something for everyone. Make a statement with a green sofa Of course grey tones can go alongside any other colour and blush pinks are a very pretty colour choice, but they are very neutral and don’t make a statement. You could find yourself being very happy with the bold choice of a deep green sofa that begs, no, insists that you take a seat and relax in its calming embrace. Choosing a deeper green also opens you up to the option of having another dark green on your walls without causing a disruption to the feeling of your living room. Alternatively, you could for a dark inky blue and bring in metallic accents so that your room never feels gloomy with all this darkness. A pattern that never goes out of trend A room can easily appear dated when you choose of-the-moment trends and this can lead you to switch up your decoration much more regularly than you’d like. This is why in can be much wiser to keep your style classic with blurred ikat or elegant fretwork as they are a great feature for offsetting interesting furniture. They are also very easy to mix with other patterns without clashing, as long as you have a shared colour palette across all of them. Forest green for a mellow feeling If you have a very bright space, painting the walls the classic white colour may do more harm than good. However, a matt forest green can help to dial down the brightness without making the room feel gloomy. An added bonus is that it makes the room feel more mellow, exactly what you want from the room you’ll spend your evenings in. It will become like a cosy cocoon in the winter and have a cooling effect in the summer, creating the perfect balance for your living room. Create a relaxed country feel in your suburban home The country home décor style is very much always in trend; this classic styling is very desirable for a large percentage of the population. This style is perfectly created with a Chesterfield-style sofa and classic wool-upholstered armchairs, tartan and plenty of natural wood touches around the room. To top off this look you can go with masculine colours with heritage patterns that will create a timeless feeling in your living room which won’t become dated.

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Smart TV and Storage Units – How to Find the Best Style for Your Living Room

Over the past few years, we have seen an incredible rise in the number of smart TVs on the market and along with them has come more exciting and interesting storage solutions. The beautiful freestanding furniture we are seeing are stylish and help your living space remain organised and free from clutter. Michael Reeves Design would like to share with you some of our ways that you can integrate your new TV into your existing living room space. Make your storage an accent piece The first option we have is a low level cabinet but you may spot something out of the ordinary. This look is achieved by decorating each drawer individually with different patterns, knobs and handles. This helps you create a distinctive piece of furniture with a modern country scheme that will stand out among your friends and family. Of course, with the massive trend towards using streaming services to consume media means less storage for physical media is needed. This allows you to slim down your storage and make room for other things in your living room. Streamline your style even more There are several options for robust grid storage that spans an entire wall in your living room. They read like they are a part of your homes structure and can be created as a bespoke solution to your home entertainment centre. The grid system allows for plenty of control over your storage and unsightly speakers can be hidden behind acoustic cloth to create a undisrupted and stylish finish. The colours should be matched to the other pieces of furniture in your home and handle less cabinets will enhance this even more and allow you conceal your electronics. Simple Elegance You can, of course, create a much simpler design by making a bespoke cabinet to display your TV alongside other accessories to help it blend subtly into your living room. As you can see in the image above, it is easy to pair cabinets and shelving painted to match the walls of the room with oak surfaces to create the country style that is so popular at the moment. When this is coupled with the latest TVs that are getting slimmer and slimmer so you can all mount without having it take over the space. Add some extra storage capacity Creating a Scandinavian style in your living room with an all soft white paint finish can be a practical solution for those with larger families or less space to work with. This will help you to frame you TV and provide you with plenty of storage in an all-in-one solution. With glass cupboard doors, lightness is added to the room to stop it from becoming an overwhelming feature. Additionally, you can add a touch of rustic style by placing rattan baskets on the shelving inside your cupboards. Mix up your materials The days of storing your items behind closed doors may be on its way out and people are moving toward open shelving in their TV units. This had led storage units to move away from conventional straight-line styling and more towards curved forms. Combining this style with a rich walnut veneer, glass shelves and integrated spotlights will help to make the unit warm and spacious while keeping everything safe.

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The Duck EggColour Palette Could Become a Trend in 2019, Get Ahead of it

Have you always liked duck egg blue but haven’t been brave enough to use it in your home for more than a single item? Michael Reeves Design believes palette seems to be coming into trend and people are using it for everything from sofas to walls and rugs and multiple times within the same room. It’s getting close to the new year and with it Spring is just around the corner. It’s about this time of year when people start to think about redecorating at least one room in their home. Let’s take the living room for example, duck egg blue can help you create a beautiful and relaxing space for you to come home to every night. Now, you may have heard of duck egg but did you know that there is a whole spectrum of tones that fall under this title? Within it is an incredible palette of colours that range from near green all the way to the blue we most often associate with the term. Mixing matching this range of tones that fall under ‘duck egg’ can create a wide range of possibilities for your room that perfectly matches your own personal taste. As with any colour scheme, the walls don’t have to fall within the main colour palette though. You can experiment with floral and leaf patterned wallpaper designs as duck egg is a very organic colour and adding in designs inspired by nature can work surprisingly well. Something Fresh and Easy You can utilise the duck egg colour palette in many ways and adopting several tones from the spectrum can help you create a natural blend of blues and greens to create a fresh and easy look for your living room. It also creates somewhat of a calming effect which will help you to offset any busyness that you have going on in your room. Patterns Everywhere! Patterns are always great for those that don’t like block colours and it can be a lighter approach to this palette as it introduces more colour variation. The great thing about pattern is that you can introduce it absolutely anywhere in your décor – from your wallpaper to cushions and rugs and almost every minor accessory. In particular, patterns with an off-white accent can help bring various patterns together to create a oneness with items that shouldn’t work together. Simplicity Maybe you don’t want to go all in with the duck egg colour scheme and that’s okay, you can keep it simple. Sometimes all you need to freshen up a room is a lick of paint and the soothing tones of duck egg work really as a neutral colour for your living room. It looks fantastic alongside natural woods, creams, blacks, dark browns and bold blues within furniture pieces. You can also add smaller accessories to add more vibrancy to the palette and really tie your décor together. True Blue Going with the traditional, bluer side of the colour palette can also make for expressive styling. Using the colour for walls and rugs can really add a breath of fresh air to a room, especially with organic textures thrown in. To complete this look, add cushions and other pieces with duck egg blue sprinkled, which will help you balance the look. Try to keep to creams and wood finishes for the remaining furniture in the room. Pastels Combining several duck egg tones can help you create a pretty and relaxing room. Try to include hints of grey, green and blue in your paint and furniture choices, this will create a neutral pastel palette for your room. This styling can feel more modern with the introduction of white or glass furniture and a mid-tone laminate flooring design. You can even add in fabrics that feature floral prints and accent the room with pastel yellows, pinks and greys to really punctuate the colour scheme.

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Bring Some Warmth to Your Home This Winter

We all love to get cosy on a cold winters night but often fireplaces are forgotten over time and neglected as simply a relic. However, at Michael Reeves Design, we believe you can bring life to your fireplace and make it another feature of your home rather than something you’d rather not have to look at. Let’s walk through some ideas for your fireplace that will help to create a cosier space this winter. After all, what is more warm and inviting than the calling of an open fire. We can’t help but feel warmer when we see flames flickering and they create the perfect ambient glow for the atmosphere you want during winter. A Wood Burning Stove Maybe you’ve left the alcove where a fireplace once sat to cover over with dust or it has simple become just another place to store items that you don’t use often. So, what about a log burning stove? This can turn your fireplace from somewhere of distain into the centrepiece of a room. Of course, you will need a contractor who has the experience of fitting one safely for you, as there are many regulations surrounding fire safety and you don’t want to be victim to a horrible accident. A wood burning stove can help create the perfect country living room feeling and will be enjoyed by anyone who spends time in your home. Add Ornamental Pieces to Your Mantel Happy with your fireplace but not sure what to do with the mantelpiece? Well, it can be utilised as an effective display for ornaments and accessories especially in rooms without much shelving like your bedroom, where shelving isn’t necessarily considered stylish. The items that you choose to adorn your mantel should be objects that make a statement and draw the eye as soon as you enter the room. This can be anything from oversized lettering to brass instruments and other metallic pieces. Create a Display for Ornaments What if you don’t want to use your fireplace as a fireplace? This is obviously the case for some homeowners as they can be a fire risk or create unpleasant smells if open fires aren’t your cup of tea. So, how about stripping the alcove down to basics with a monochrome colour scheme and use the space to display ornamental vases. You can get creative with different sizes, colours and shapes. Dress Your Mantel with Your Favourite Objects In the days of old, the centrepiece of the living room wasn’t the television, it was the fireplace. You may find yourself yearning for these simpler times and this can be done with a few simple additions. By now, most fireplaces are neglected or have been ripped out but they are coming back into style and this means there are plenty of accessories you can add to make it something you cherish. Mantels often reflect the period of time they were built in and this is reflected throughout the decades. You can use your bare mantel to display some of your favourite objects that you have collected over the years or you could even pick up some brand new pieces. Make Use of the Unused Space As previously mentioned, many fireplaces no longer serve their intended purpose or have been repurposed. So, what can you do with a fireplace to make it useful while maintaining its rustic appeal instead of being an unwanted space or being plastered over. Many taller fireplace alcoves make the perfect space for some shelving to store books, small boxes or ornamental pieces. If you’re feeling very adventurous you could even convert it into a wine rack. 30 Pimlico Rd, Belgravia, London SW1W 8LJ Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 3009 Fax +44 (0)20 7730 2004 Email interior design: info@michaelreevesassociates.co.uk Email product design: sales@michaelreevesassociates.co.uk

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Kensington Interior Design – A Brief History

Michael Reeves would like to take you through a brief history of the Kensington area. It is well-known for being home to London’s most expensive real estate. It has gained enormous recognition for the magnificent Regency era architecture in the area and is where many of London’s most famous landmarks are. You can find the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Holland Park and the Natural History and Science Museums all within a few streets of each other. You will notice that the streets of Kensington feature beautiful Georgian and Victorian homes that have set the architectural styling of the area for many years to come. Furthermore, this sophistication has been matched by the interior design of Kensington homes and those in the surrounding areas. Kensington oozes class and sophistication as it is an affluent area. For this reason, it is challenging for someone to create interior design that not only matches this divine history of the area, but also reflects the tastes of each individual client. Interior design for homes in Kensington are inspired by one particularly famous Kensington interior that drives the landscape to this day. It is the home of world-famous interior designer Justin Van Breda and his “early Victorian workers’” cottage, which was renovated in a style that he believed would reflect both the area and his, and his partner’s, personal tastes and he christened the result as a “gradation in sophistication.” The property is adored by people in Kensington and, indeed, throughout the world and it has featured in several home and style publications internationally. As Kensington is home to some of the country’s most magnificent architecture, famous buildings and landmarks, as well as one of the most affluent communities, catering to the interior design of both residential or commercial properties in Kensington perfectly is vitally important. Michael Reeves creates contemporary designs that he calls “quite luxury” as they add even more style and class to the beautiful Kensington neighbourhoods without being too extravagant. If you live in Kensington or around the area and require the help of a local interior designer, then get in contact with Michael Reeves today and we will happily consult on your project. 30 Pimlico Rd, Belgravia, London SW1W 8LJ Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 3009 Fax +44 (0)20 7730 2004 Email interior design: info@michaelreevesassociates.co.uk Email product design: sales@michaelreevesassociates.co.uk

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How to: Make the Best of Your Open-Plan Living Space

Are you looking for inspiration for your open-plan living space? The trend for open-plan living has been building over the past decade and is practically expected of a home as 2018 comes to a close and we begin to welcome in 2019. They should be designed to serve multiple functions effortlessly and clever decorating and styling can help to keep the spaces separate but seamless at the same time. Michael Reeves Design has compiled five of our favourite ways of making the most out of an open-plan living space. 1. Allocating Zones To maximise your space and stop everything from melting into a cluttered space, you can create distinct zones for lounging, dining and working to help keep it organised. This can be done by utilising soft textures and calm colours to make your space feel calm and collected, while providing a comfortable space to relax in. To make the most of a space like this you should centre it around a large window or French doors to get as much natural light as possible. 2. Flood it with Light Speaking of natural light, you should flood your room with it to help it remain vibrant and lively, it can also help your open-plan living space feel much more spacious than it is. If your home allows for it, installing a run of sliding doors that lead directly out to your outdoor patio area can provide a seamless transition between the inside and the outside. Adding hints of vibrant pinks that will reflect the light can really liven up your room. 3. Carefully Place Furniture You can use furniture to section off your open-plan living space with careful and deliberate placement. Of course, one of the huge benefits of having a large open-plan space is that your family can enjoy spending time together without intruding on each others personal space. Carefully placed furniture will help create distinct spaces while maintaining the open-plan feeling of the room. 4. Add Some Cheer You can up the relaxation factor by adding in some casual to your open-plan living space. A simple yellow chair can add a bright splash of colour to a more minimally decorated space. You can even create an elegant infusion of older styled furniture and newer style furniture, which will give your room a timeless feeling. Add in some pale wood flooring to help reflect the natural light and highlight the brighter elements of the room. 5. Create an Infinite Space You can make your open-plan space practically infinite by seamlessly connecting it to your adjacent outdoor space. This can be achieved by using wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling patio doors which will help extend your room into a more infinite feeling space while allowing plenty of natural light into the space. You can also make the transition from inside to outside more seamless by using patio decking that matches your internal flooring.

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Brighten Up Your Bedroom This Autumn

Are you tired of your bedroom’s dull colour scheme? Maybe you’ve thought about brightening it up and bringing new life to the space. Michael Reeves would like to inspire you to add brighter colours to your bedroom with colourful designs that will brighten up your room and day. Deciding on the colour scheme for your bedroom is no easy task, it is one of the most personal rooms in the home and where you can go to escape the world for a little while. So, let’s take a look at five bedroom colour schemes to get those ideas pumping in your brain and hopefully inspire your redecoration. 1. Serene Green Green is perfect for those who are drawn to neutral colour palettes for their bedroom colour scheme. Green-grey paint on your walls will immediately add warmth to your space while providing an elegant look. Of course, you don’t want your entire room to be this rich shade of green and you can accent it with classic white accessories and other soft furnishings to break the room up a little. 2. Metallic Gold We’ve covered this before, but metallic colours are very on trend at the moment, so why not bring them into the bedroom? You can utilise gold colouring in your accessories, fabrics and wallpaper to bring some decadence to your bedroom. You can create a period feel with Art Deco-inspired dressing tables and pair it with a contemporary mirror design. To really make it sparkle, you can create a contrast with red and pinks in stools and accessories. 3. Dark Blue Dark blue and white will help you create a timeless look while remaining calm and cool. You can use bold colours in any setting, so why not try it in your bedroom? You can treat indigo and navy blue as though they were neutrals and you should be able to accent them with almost any other colour (although white looks best). Add in some bold accessories and be brave with daring palettes without a second thought. 4. Colourful Prints Over the past couple of years, we have seen colourful prints come into the spotlight. They are very effective for creating a new mood in your bedroom and easy to implement. This is especially true if you create a theme for your room. Maybe you could turn it into a tropical hideaway and have your own personal island all year round. To achieve this you can combine tropical colour tones with details like a hammock, parrot prints and ocean blue walls. 5. Contrast Pink As you will be aware, grey-on-grey is still very much on trend and shows no sign of going away. Although, there are many depths to the colour palette that you can explore by layering different tones to create a cohesive look. Exploring the tones of grey from its palest to its deepest will help you to create a rich and exciting look. If you’re feeling a little brave, you can try adding a splash of bright pink to contrast the grey and add focus to your room.

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Ideas for Your Reading Corner – The Perfect Place to Cosy Up with a Book

Reading corners are the perfect place for you to get creative with space and make use of all of the available space in your home and Michael Reeves has some great ideas for you. No matter what space you’re looking to transform – from an alcove under your stairs to an unloved corner – we have plenty of quirky and creative ideas that will get you started on planning your very own reading corner. Let’s take a look at some inspirational spaces that will help get you in the mood for creating your very own hideaway in your home to relax and unwind in. 1. Using all available space If your hideaway is big enough, you can optimise the space and create a cosy reading area you can retreat to after and long day at work. This includes a tall floor lamp or low-hanging pendant to save floor space, a compact armchair or bench for you to get comfy on and even show off your book collection with open shelving. 2. A reading nook for your child You could turn the corner of your child’s room into a cosy reading area and make the most of the vertical space you have available with wall-mounted bookshelves and throw a beanbag and reading light down to make the reading nook feel like a space that is separate from the rest of the room. 3. A window seat Maybe you have a corner in your room that is next to one or a couple of windows, this can make a great dining nook, particularly if you have a pretty view from them. You can add built-in banquettes and top them with seat pads to create a cosy and space saving nook. If this is too expensive or you don’t want to get builders in, you can create the same look with benches. 4. The ultimate cosy space Nothing conjures images of comfort and warmth than an open fireplace and a fur rug with plenty of throws. This will help you create the perfect place for you to snuggle into at the end of your day after getting wood for the woodburner. This style is designed to calm you down instantly and allow you to relax. 5. Zoned off space You can define your reading nook as a separate space from the main room by painting it with a different colour scheme. If you have an open-plan living space, there will be a number of activities that take place in the same space so it’s important for you to define each area by its use to avoid cluttering.

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Five Ideas for a Cool, Calm and Collected Colour Scheme

If you choose lighter neutral colours they will make the most of the natural light available in your room and make it feel more bright and airy, since they are more reflective of light. Neutral colour palettes can be used for a wide range of interior looks and are much easier to live with than striking colours. Neutral is essentially a lack of colour – think beige, ivory, taupe, black, grey and shades of white. These hues often have many undertones that need to take in just as much thought as when you are decorating with brighter colours. Here are some of our favourite ideas for how to create a neutral look in your home. 1. Pick Truffle to Add Warmth Warm truffle is one of our go-to shades as it has a pinkish hue and is perfect for creating warmth while maintaining a neutral colour palette. Plus, it is easy to work with when you are looking add fabrics or accessories to warm the room up of cool it down. Our pick is velvet upholstery with bronze accessories to create a warm and cosy atmosphere or create a cooler feel by throwing shades of grey in. 2. Brighten It Up with Some Colour Neutral decorating doesn’t have to be completely lacking colour. French grey window frames mixed with a soft oak coffee table and engineered floorboards creates the perfect neutral look. You can enhance it cushions, throws and other accessories like flowers. Daffodils make the perfect addition to this room with soft blue cushions to create the perfect look for spring. 3. Keep the Space Cool and Calm By decorating with a warm, mixed palette of neutral colours you have the freedom to play around with different accent colours and interesting textures that help your room evolve. For example, a modern, square sofa can be tucked into the corner of a room and even create a seating zone in a larger room. You can also add a classic oak sideboard to your room to create a cooler colour palette. 4. Pile On the Texture Often a room that lacks texture can feel dull and lifeless, so adding tactile warm surfaces can add a lot of interest to a room. You can create a linear look with narrow-gauge shirt and pyjama patterns to make the perfect casual sitting room. Or, you could layer up voiles, cotton, cord and canvas twill on your upholstery, soft furnishings and curtains to bring warmth and cosiness in spades to your room. Finally, there’s the timeless ‘chino’ tones that give the neutral look an easier style. Mixing these styles help to inject your room with some rhythm. 5. Shades of Grey Greys are warm but not oppressive and they create the ideal feeling for cosy living spaces. Many lighter grey colours have a touch of yellow, brownish tint or a touch of red in them that helps create a more pinkish tone. These tones of grey are great for east and west facing rooms that help create a diffused light from sunrise to sunset respectively, while also adding warmth to a room at other times of the day. Maybe you could try pairing ochre with yellow-tinged greys, or try a dark, earthy green. Pink tinted greys also work really well with tones like coral and peach. Chelsea Interior Design Kensington Interior Design Belgravia Interior Design

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What Happened to the Formal Dining Room?

Just as many trends go in and out of fashion, where and how we choose to dine has also been subject to change throughout periods in time. As a contemporary interior design agency, we have worked on several projects where our clients wanted us to transform their formerly closed off dining room spaces into open plan living areas, so it’s a fair question to ask “what happened to the formal dining?” Hierarchical dining was popular in Medieval times The formal dining room was established during Medieval times when slaves would serve food to the royal family and guests in the great hall. Without fail, the host family would be sat at a raised table towering above the rows of their guests below. This hierarchical was used to signify your value to the family and the further away you were, the more dispensable you were to the family. It was a very strict affair and guests had no choice but to behave and follow the family’s protocol or be removed, forever. 20th Century Dining Was More Diplomatic Our dining experience in the 20thcentury was a bit more diplomatic than Medieval times. There were no more raised head tables and the nuclear family would sit at a scaled down square, round or rectangular table. In home across the country in towns and cities alike, family and friends would eat their meals together in a coordinated dining suite. The accompanying furniture in the room would be manufactured to match, including china cabinets, buffets, sideboards, tables and chairs. These furniture items are what would make up the average formal dining room for the good past century. But, where did the formal dining room go? Shifts in society brought with them lots of distractions, from radios to TVs, commuting, busy lives and almost anything that could take our attention away from sitting down and dining together, having conversations and even making eye contact. As there were fewer people dining together at home, the good old dining table became an echoing symbol of neglect. Technology allowed for any time to be meal time As the speed of technological advancements increased, it become easier to cook almost anything whenever you wanted it and accommodate to various schedules and desires. This came in the form of fast food, microwaves and meals that were ready in minutes. Our dining room tables became desks, somewhere to sort through our laundry and do almost anything but actually dine at them. Of course, when holidays came around they would be dusted off and cleared of debris to enjoy the function they were designed for just a few times a year. The next day returning to their desolate life of disuse once they had served their purpose for a special occasion. Now, formality has been thrown out of the window While many home owners have embraced the concept of open-plan living, many home renovations still include plans for a dining room along with the open space plan. However, our furnishings and choice in décor aren’t as rigidly dictated as they once were and incorporating a suit for dining isn’t at the top of our mind as much as it once was. But something has changed and it’s the word “formal” to describe our dining room. What is also gone? Well, the furniture you will be seeing on sales sites are those once treasured dining room suites are for sale. We no longer hold onto our ancestors’ dining furniture and exchanged them for more modern pieces, while still wanting that dining experience. People still love to sit together with their families and friends, throwing dinner parties and enjoying food together but it is a much more informal affair. A lifeline for our dining room? Trends cycle in and out of our lives, mostly without us noticing, but people start feeling nostalgic and begin to miss the days of eating together as a family and catching up on the day’s events. We have a feeling that perhaps the concept of sitting down and dining together is making a comeback to our homes. We are now seeing families making the effort to take a break from the distractions of every day life and begin to embrace the family dining experience again. Leaving behind the technology that gripped us for a taste of how life you used and maybe should be. The dining table will rise above its symbolism of a breakdown in communications and be reborn as the place where families and friends share a meal and a conversation together again. Whether this takes place in a separate dedicated room in the house or as part of an open-plan space, the dining room is still very much alive.

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Indoor Water Feature Ideas to Inspire You

Usually, water features are reserved for beautiful gardens as they add a serene bubbling brook to our lush natural areas. However, have you thought about getting that relaxing feeling inside your home with an indoor water feature? Water features can be used throughout the home for various reasons, from accent pieces to room dividers. As London interior designers, we have curated a small selection of indoor water feature ideas to bring some nature into your home and create a contemporary relaxing space for you and your guests. Zen Vibes The Zen style is one of the most classic and well done indoor water feature styles. When composing a room with Zen style, it is important to remember that adding anything natural creates a soothing and relaxing feeling that defines the aesthetic of the style. Adding a water feature can be done in the form of meditative ponds or to complement a carefully cultivated Zen garden. This is especially satisfying when used to create peace in unusual spaces in the home, such as unused areas beneath stairs as pictured above. Create Wall Accents Another popular use for water features indoors comes in the form of wall fountains, as they don’t take up any of your floor space and allow you to bring the desired tranquillity into your home. This creates a relaxing bubbling sound and an attractive visual display that will shock and astound guests. Homes with natural, rich textures like deep woods and green walls are where wall fountains really shine as the elemental nature of water adds to the already natural feeling in the room. They also add a sense of high-class styling as the continually flowing water exudes the feeling of luxury that can’t usually be achieved. Fill Unused Floor Space Earlier we touched on utilising unused space with the Zen style of water fountains, but they don’t always need to be as tucked away as we suggested. The fountain pictured above showcases how water features can be custom-built to specifically fit the space they occupy. The shallow and narrow design of this water features means it fits perfectly under the stair without compromising visual interest while utilising space that would otherwise not be used. The bright river rocks create a feature that draws your eyes towards it and is noticeable from across the room. The fact that it is placed beneath the stairs doesn’t detract from its value and it works well as an accent for the dining space, creating a unique ambience for your guests and indeed yourself. Subtle Water Features Beneath Windows Water features don’t have to something that makes a big statement, as in the previous examples. The photo above showcases a water feature that is created by a small pool that surrounds a decorative jug. Note its positioning right beneath the window, allowing it to catch natural light that bursts through it. This reflective light draws your attention to the small pool, despite it being insignificant in the broader sense of the room. Small pools are particularly great for us in rooms with space limitations that wouldn’t allow for a grander feature. Placing it off to the side allows you to utilise the full amount of floor space available to you, while still allowing natural light to highlight the beauty of the water feature. Dividing Rooms We’ve the most unusual and perhaps most interesting use of indoor water features for last – as a room divider. As you can see in the photo above, it works wonderfully and creates a feature that most people would never come across in their lives. It is quite astonishing considering that it is a simple clear surface with running water that keeps tow spaces separate without closing them off entirely. In effect, the running water reflects and distorts the room beyond creating an artistic and unique aesthetic experience. As the water feature only takes up a portion of the wall, rather than valuable floor space, it fits perfectly into your home without compromises. It’s definitely a great idea for your home if you’re looking for something that’s distinctive while being natural.

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The Best Interior Design Books Arriving This Autumn

If you’re a lover of interior design and books, Autumn is heaven for you. Publishers start releasing new books in anticipation of the holiday rush in November and this means there are a lot of highly-anticipated books being published in the coming weeks. Their densely illustrated pages are screaming out to be looked through over and over again. There are several lustful books arriving this Autumn - including selections from Rizzoli, Vendome, Abrams and Flammarion – that are poised to examine lavish creations from some of the world’s most distinguished interior designers. These books are ever so interesting, even if you’re not in the market for a Bellport estate or historic château and the hot tips for the luxe decorating style are in splendidly high supply. They are perfect for the short cold winter days when you want to curl up and read a good book, getting lost in the beautiful places you discover within. If you’re up for some home envy, as a London interior designer we have put together our list of the four interior design books we are anticipating this year. Château de Villette: The Splenor of French Décor (Flammarion) September 4 A grand manor house in Burgunday, France, the Château de Villette was once home to the Marquess de Grouchy and his wife and is situated in the commune of Poil. Famed art and architecture historian Guillaume Picon guides us through the houses rich history and beautiful rooms from the late 17th-century. He notes that the home is one of the first ever to be built for pleasure and not for defence and how it features forward-thinking details that were ahead of their time. Some of these innovations include adjoining entrance and reception halls, a dedicated dining room and an octagonal salon with commanding nonpareil views of the house vast expansive gardens. Despite the home being transformed into a luxury hotel, its owners have gone to great length to preserve the original furnishings wherever possible and have carefully reconstructed them where they have not. Through Picon’s careful research and Bruni Ehrs’s photography, we are presented with a closer look at some of the very best and most decadent of French interior design. Dior and His Decorators: Victor Grandpierre, Georges Geffroy and the New Look (Vendome) September 25 Christian Dior was not only one of history’s most influential couturiers, he also was a man of impeccable taste. The same can be said of fashion photographer Victor Grandpierre and designer Georges Geffroy, who both helped him to translate the ethos of his sartorial New Look for the interior of his 30, avenue Montaigne atelier, as well as his townhouse located in the 16th arrondissement. (Dior had dreamt of studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts, however, he was shuttled off to the École Libre des Sciences Politiques by his parents.) Design historian Maureen Footer has chronicled how periods such as the Enlightenment, Belle Époque and Empire inspired both of these spaces. They incorporated these periods with much more modern elements that felt iconic and inspired rather than tired and fusty. “Dior, Grandpierre, and Geffroy . . . knew that if not set off by contrast, modernity exists in a vacuum. But inserted into a timeline, modern anything becomes instantly interesting, often head-turning,” Footer explains. “Geffroy was onto this when he designed a steel chair to mix with Directoire furniture. Today, mixing concrete floors and gilt-wood consoles, or a wedding dress with sneakers, is the new New Look.” Buckingham Palace: The Interiors (Rizzoli) September 25 Buckingham Palace: The Interiors comes from author, decorator and furniture designer Ashley Hicks. It is a truly engaging study of the ample rooms that have accommodated residents and guests of the Royal’s Palace since the early 18th-century. In this book, Hicks acts as both a narrator and a photographer as she considers the influence that aesthetic movements like the Regency, Victorian and Edwardians had on the building décor. He also takes an in-depth look at the various contributions of architects like John Nash and Sir Aston Webb. Of perhaps the most interest is the Palace’s incredible Chinese Drawing Room, which has remained practically unchanged since it was created for Queen Victoria as her Pavillion Breakfast Room in 1849 – its centrepiece is “a colossal confection” or a gilded fireplace, topped with a giant marble dragon. Thomas O-Brien: Library House (Abrams) October 9 Designer Thomas O’Brien opens his book about how his “Library House” came to be with, “In so much of what I do, I’m inspired to make old things new again. Or, more specifically, to make new things that feel as though they come from some other, older time, things with an echoing sense of familiarity.” The Library House is surrounded by formal English gardens and combines Continental flourishes, from a Dutch door here to a set of hand-painted Italian ceramics over there. It also encompasses a decorative approach that is reminiscent of an English country pile’s, compromising of a spirited mix of colours, textures and bric-a-brac like a “bronze Grand Tour classical rabbit,” or a pair of “Victorian, very special botanical herbarium fans with ferns.”