Do you prefer a dark and atmospheric living room style or do you find yourself coveting a more light and white look? Both styles have their merits and can be difficult to pull-off successfully. Dark and cosy colours are very on-trend especially if you are creating an atmospheric living room, while a white and bright makes a room airy and accessible. In this blog we take two interior designers who have nailed each style and made it their trademark to find out how they do it.
Are you more of an Abigail Ahern or a Chrissy Rucker?
Abigail Ahern – the mistress of darkness
Abigail Ahern is well known for working with darker colours in rooms, which she mixes with glamorous finishing touches to style a room and bring it to life. Abigail creates rooms that are luxurious and glamorous but the rooms have to have a laid back feel to them….you definitely don’t want to feel uptight in your own family living room. Let’s have a look at some ideas inspired by her world-renowned style.
To get her look you need to start with dark painted walls and even ceilings. She recommends painting skirting boards and coving in the same colour as your walls for a statement look. To bring in the luxury and glamour you need to add lots of texture, house plants and dried flowers. Abigail sometimes uses floor rugs with a striking print to break up the dark and draw the eye.
To bring in the glamour opt for oversized gold-framed mirrors or striking wall art – we are looking for luxury so lighting could be in the form of an eye-catching chandelier as well as mood lighting provided by a table lamp stood on an industrial side table. An industrial sideboard like the Knightsbridge is just perfect for this look – the shiny industrial legs bring an element of glamour to the reclaimed body of the unit, a perfect surface to stand that piece of modern art right next to your favourite antique display pieces.
Chrissy Rucker – brighter than white
The White Company is famous for its luxury all-white interiors and accessories. White has been a go-to colour for years in room decor whether in a grand glamourous room or a trendy minimalist space. Here we look at how Chrissy uses a neutral scheme in the living room to perfection.
First of all, it does not have to be all pure white – you can use whites with the slightest hints of beige or grey to add interest and depth to the room – there are so many off-white paints and accessories it would be easy to settle on an overall hue.
You can also combine white with statement pieces of furniture – bring in a modern Chesterfield sofa for some contrast. The trick is to mix different whites and neutrals to give depth and interest – if you want to use reclaimed wood furniture then opt for paler reclaimed wood item, such as a rustic sideboard to keep the look soft, simple and uncluttered. Pieces from the Worcester Range, especially a white painted sideboard is the perfect piece of reclaimed wood furniture for your white, minimalist living room.
