Boasting exposed beams and a minstrels’ gallery, this light-filled living room is a perfect blend of rustic charm and modern touches.
Originally a country cottage, the house has been revamped both inside and out for relaxed living, but without skimping on style. To achieve this interior, René and his award-winning team have used a soft palette of natural creams, punctuated with touches of cobalt blue in the accessories.
On one side of the room is a wall of glass doors leading up to the sun-filled summer room, and then onto the perfectly landscaped, tiered garden. Opposite, is a stunning focal point – the central fireplace.
With access to both this room as well its adjoining dining area, the chimney breast has been given a contemporary treatment by using slim bricks of cream, pale grey and amber stone. Warm in winter and cool in summer, this is the perfect choice, giving the space a sense of country roots, will keeping one foot firmly in the realms of contemporary design.
To complement the look, on each side of the chimney breast are gaps for neatly placed logs. This transforms a practical idea into a stylish way of visually breaking up the continuity of vertical lines with a rounder element. The wooden logs, by their very nature, also introduce another material and tone, thus softening the overall look.
Echoing the shades of cream in the stone is the impressive bespoke blonde wood shelving unit complete with a sliding ladder, which was included to allow easy access to the topmost areas. Commissioned by the owner to display items collected over the years, the recesses of this unit boast discreet lighting to accentuate their treasured occupants. These lights also create a glow and add an element of warmth to the pale wood from which it’s made.
This same colour palette has also been used in the soft furnishings, gathered around the fireplace and television, where creams and greys predominate. To add interest, the sofas and reclining chairs both boast geometric design detailing in a warmer shade. This prevents the interior scheme from looking too simplistic, and also creates a sense of unity through pattern.
In addition, the sofas and chairs have been punctuated with little touches of blue through a variety of scatter cushions. This hue has been followed through in a slighter darker tone in the footstool, the bases of the Oriental table lamps and finally used in full force in the deep shades of luxurious indigo of the rug.
In keeping with the property’s rustic origins and rural location, an antler pendant light hangs in pride of place in the centre of the room, while a wall mounted stag’s head presides over the proceedings on the entrance into the adjoining kitchen.
Feminine touches include classic country fabric with embroidered flowers, as seen in the cushions. These have been mixed with block colours and stripes to prevent the seating areas from looking too traditional.
Meanwhile glass topped cabinets behind each sofa act as console tables as well as display units – a natty way of doubling up on their function and a design trick to introduce reflective surfaces for a fresher feel.
The overall look of this rural living room is the perfect blend of practicality and rustic charm meeting beautiful design; where country classic interior sits happily next to contemporary detailing to evoke a feeling of harmony. Every detail has been considered to create a scheme with all benefits and comfort of a bucolic home, together with the all the conveniences of the modern world, united as a whole. As it was conceived by one of our top luxury interior designers, you wouldn’t expect anything less!