 | | | | 1 | | Pool your treasures
Most of us own only a handful of really special things – paintings, sentimental items of furniture or ornaments from travels. Instead of spreading them thinly around the house, put them all in your sitting room, says Zara Cowen, interior designer and founder of Huxley Home. "Other rooms might feel bare for a bit, but this is where you pause and relax at the end of a working day, so it's a great place to combine your favourite things – and at least one room will feel finished."
"The living room is about the stuff you have in it," agrees Aaron Markwell, colour lead at eco-friendly paint brand Coat, "so choose a wall colour which lets those pieces take centre stage. Midtone or stone colours are great for living rooms – they have more personality than an off-white or light neutral but are still restful. Paint the skirting, architraves and the back of the door the same colour as the wall so artworks and objects pop against it." | | | 2 | | Don't fall into a feature wall trap
Whatever you do, says Markwell, don't let the tail wag the dog by painting one wall in your living room a bold colour like dark blue. "This binds you into a colour palette, so you end up buying furnishings which coordinate with it," he says. "It's also trickier to find a neutral which will tone with the dark blue – a beige can look too yellow, and a grey too flat." | | | 3 | | Save on window dressing – and add storage
"Slatted shutters have been in fashion for a while but there is an awful lot of wood in them and they can cut out too much light, especially if you're in a terrace house," says Cowen. A cheaper alternative is a simple sheer cafe curtain. "You can get a brass curtain rod online for not much money and hang it with a relatively small offcut of light fabric", Cowen adds.
If you have a bay window, interior designer Sophie Pringle of Pringle & Pringle suggests installing a window seat – a great use of space as it can double as storage. If that's not possible, "try a storage ottoman dressed with a tray." | | | | | 4 | | Keep your hanging classic
"I think a salon wall [lots of pictures hung at random heights] can be a mistake, particularly in a living room," says Lizzie Dixey of art sourcing service The Art Register. "People often do it above a sofa because it's an awkward oblong shape too big for one piece of art. But it's become a bit hackneyed and can leave you with a load of holes to fill. Hanging two or three prints or works by the same artist will look much more elegant."
Buying original art can be expensive, but lower priced pieces can be found if you know where to look. Dixey recommends Oliver Projects or Open Doors Gallery for contemporary photography. "You could also try graduate shows where you can pick up work by artists at the beginning of their career – the RCA and The Slade are free to attend." | | | 5 | | No rug is better than a too-small rug
"Furniture should always sit on the rug, or the 'island' effect of it placed apart from seating will make the room feel smaller", says Abi Hugo, founder of The White Thistle. "You can find some great, affordable 2x3m secondhand rugs online if you shop around, or try layering two complementary rugs if you can't find anything big enough – this can also add depth and texture to the space." Another common mistake is to push all your furniture back against the walls, says Hugo, but "even leaving a small gap behind your sofa will give the illusion that the room is bigger." | | | 6 | | Add detail with inexpensive wall treatments
Sticking up a simple MDF picture rail can give the room a feeling of cosiness by pulling the ceiling height down, says Cowen. "A ceiling rose can also be bought for about £50 and stuck to the ceiling, it's a beautiful feature even if you don't have a pendant." | | | 7 | | Let there be light (and a table for your drink)
A sitting room isn't truly comfortable if there isn't good light and somewhere to put your drink, says Pringle. Add side tables where you can and dress them with lamps so you don't have to use down lights. "Just changing a lampshade can make a huge difference to a room," she says. "Papyrus and off-white linen shades provide a lovely soft light. Buy the base secondhand, and a new shade will give it a fresh lease of life."
A separate five-amp circuit – allowing you to switch on lamps from the wall – is a gamechanger, says Cowen, but if that's not an option "you can buy inexpensive uplighters for around £20. Placed behind furniture in a living room, they can give atmosphere for very little money – they're particularly effective placed behind plants. Just make sure the lamps are LED so they're not a fire risk." | | | | | | | | | | | Meet the Maker: Paboy Bojang |  | | Originally from the Gambia, Paboy Bojang is currently seeking asylum in Naples, after a two-year journey to safety which led him across Senegal, Mali, Libya, and the Mediterranean. Bojang started sewing cushions during the 2020 lockdown, and his bold "sweet wrapper" designs quickly caught the eye of the interiors industry, leading to collaborations with Paul Smith, The Conran Shop and Choose Love. His brand In Casa By Paboy is stocked at Selfridges and Browns. | | My work is inspired by … Naples and the Gambia. I have vivid memories of being surrounded by colourful waramba and haftans [traditional Gambian garments] as a child. I remember the clothes my granny wore and it brings me joy. | | The colours I love using at the moment are … Roses, pinks and reds, and the blue of the ocean. I miss the winters in the Gambia when everything turned green, so that colour will always be my favourite. | | Growing up I wanted to be … a footballer for Real Madrid! I never would have believed I would be a designer. | | I learned to sew when … my uncle gave me an assignment to make some patchwork. I really enjoyed it and started helping in his clothing workshop when I was 13. That's where I started to love sewing. I think working with your hands is incredible – it's soothing to concentrate on one thing for hours. |  | | The most precious things in my own home … are photos of my family. By my bed I have a picture of my granny, which is so special to me. | | Great design should always … spark an emotion. | | My latest collection has a lot of … stripes, piping, ruffles and my signature red zip. It's my first collection of bolster cushions and I love how they've turned out. | | The thing that gets me out of bed every day is … my goal of growing In Casa By Paboy into a social enterprise which can offer more jobs to the migrant community in Naples. I want to make sure there is safe and fairly paid employment so that no one falls into exploitative situations. Ultimately I would also love to set up a branch in the Gambia and make sure that no one has to make the same journey I did. | | My design motto … live a colourful life! | | For more information on Paboy or In Casa By Paboy, visit his website here. | | | | | | | | Home Planet | | Design that doesn't cost the earth |  | | Zan + Me is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo Mecki and Zanna Allen, who create nature-inspired ceramics in side-by-side sheds in Mecki's garden by the sea in Kent. With a zero waste policy, all the clay and glazes are recycled and the kiln is powered by solar energy.
Above: Harlequin tumbler, £19, by Zan + Me | | | | | | | | Dream Pad: A Parisian family house in an old mirror factory |  | | From the Guardian archive, interior designer Dorothée Delaye took on the challenge of turning an industrial space into a home using mid-century furniture and reclaimed materials – and won. | | | | | | | | This Old Thing: The chest of drawers |  | | Isobel Gordon, founder of furniture-sourcing business Origo House, on the smart way to hunt for a preloved piece
"There's every reason to buy antique or vintage chests of drawers; they are available in their droves, they add huge character to a room – especially when pitted against the modern alternatives – and they need not be expensive.
"But narrowing down your options can be hard. As with all antique-hunting, have your measurements with you at all times so you can snap up the right thing when you see it, safe in the knowledge it'll fit. Before you buy, look for (or ask about) any signs of active woodworm like a fine sawdust around small holes in the wood. Next, check for any serious wobbles or major cracks, and – finally – make sure that the joints are sound. If it's at auction and you can't view it yourself, ask for a condition report.
"Many antiques are best left as they are, but if your piece does need a spruce then a new coat of paint, a change of handles, or some decorative moulding can be transformative. If you're lucky enough to get an original key, attach a colourful tassel and line the drawers with leftover wallpaper." | | | | | | | | Inside issue two |  | | Next week: from feng shui basics to eclectic furniture, get the bedroom of your dreams. Plus: meet the renters putting their stamp on their space. | | | | | | Photo credits:
Room Service: courtesy of Pringle & Pringle; Meet the Maker: Giulio Piscitelli for The Guardian; Home Planet: courtesy of Zan + Me; Dream Pad: Bénédicte Drummond for The Guardian; This Old Thing: courtesy of Origo House; Inside issue two: Coat paints | | | | For more information on content funding click here. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive messages from Guardian News & Media Limited - a member of Guardian Media Group PLC.
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