Walkthrough - the study part 1

Walkthrough: The Study – Part 1

The Layers of the Room

I had the room already painted then dealt with the furniture and fabric. After that it was the cushions and throws to pull the room together. Finally it was the objects.

Mystery

I personally love rooms that are slightly dark and mysterious. If you are lucky enough to have a spare room in your home that you can turn into a warm dark room you should.

Design Notes - The Library

• There is a plaster bust of Laocoön on display.
• A William IV rosewood bergère armchair upholstered in 'Memlinc Chenille' damask by Watts of Westminster.
• The coffee table is a 1970s brass table. It rests on an antique rug by Ziegler & Co.
• Alex Davidson stenciled and hand-painted an Islamic pattern.
• Above the chimneypiece is a painting by Victor Edelstein.
• A copy of an eighteenth-century watercolour portraying Istanbul's Topkapi Palace hangs above the velvet-covered sofa.

Walkthrough: The Study

The Lighting

The lighting highlights the architectural features rather than just being lighting for the sake of it. I want my rooms to look as if they are lit by lamp light. Placing your lights on a dimmer is great as it allows you to control the mood.

When you have textured upholstery and other textures, a lamp next to it brings out the texture and makes it a lot more inviting.

Books

Books help a great deal in transforming an interior. They help in making a space comfortable looking and make it feel as if they have been there for a long time. A bookcase automatically makes a room cosy and gives it a sense of history. The books don't have to be great books, they can be any book.

Fireplace

Wherever you can have a fireplace do so. If you can afford it, put a fireplace that is the right sort of scale in a room. It helps give a room a focal point.

Club Fenders

Club fenders around a fireplace allow for seating in a home and are lovely to sit on when it's cold outside and the fire is on.

Create a Cosy Room

With a bookcase going up to the ceiling, don't go only up halfway up. A higher bookcase is a better scale for the room and will make it look better proportioned.