Interior designer Katie Malik on drastically changing living space in Cambridge home
It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of our home – but is it always? Some of us spend a lot more time in our living rooms, chatting to our family members, watching TV, doing homework, knitting, reading etc – the list is endless.
Therefore, getting the living space ‘right’ is, for some of us, a priority.
Very often, when we buy a new property, we don’t always jump into a big project of changing everything; sometimes, the space kind of works for us.
Having said that, often, after a few years, we feel the need to change something, either because we don’t like the space anymore or we simply want to update it to make it more contemporary, in line with current ‘trends’.
A family from Cambridge were in need of refreshing their living room to suit their growing needs. They wanted a living space which was comfortable, uncluttered and homely, as well as being functional and all fitting together in a single design.
We decided to build a colour scheme around softer colours: pale greys, pale blues, some muted browns and sage greens that would go with the existing rug. Very important was to propose new, built-in joinery to make better use of the space in the alcoves.
The family needed space for toys, games, books, DVDs, objects, family photos and crafts. Also, it was important that the living room had some space for doing homework.
What Katie Malik Interiors proposed for the joinery was to have a pull-out desk drawer and a drawer for CDs, plenty of shelving for books and objects, but also for important audio equipment.
The proposal was to place the TV above the fireplace alcove, which would be completely tiled and used for decorative purposes.
The joinery enabled us to fit everything in one space and helped avoid the clutter and the spreading of items across the room.
We decided to reupholster the existing sofas, as they matched the space very well. Instead of one centrally located light, we decided floor lamps (task lighting) would be more appropriate.
The living space transformation was dramatic. Now the family can enjoy their comfortable, uncluttered space.
katiemalik.co.uk
