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My soft, minimalist living-room makeover | The reveal

July 11, 2018

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

After a delay caused by missing support beams under the floor (the joys of old houses!), the makeover of our living room is finally complete, and I’m so excited to be able to share the finished look with you!

You can see the ‘before’ photos and my inspiration for the room here, but essentially the aim was to create a minimalist yet soft scheme using grey, white and black – a clutter-free, calming space where we can unwind at the end of the day. I also wanted to introduce a few subtle blush and camel tones to add a bit of warmth, and make the most of the period features that made us fall in love with the house in the first place. Here’s what I did…

The paint

The first thing to change was the paint. The walls were already grey, but the shade we’d picked in a hurry when we first moved into the house always ended up looking blue in this north-facing room. After trying out lots of different tester pots, I finally settled on ‘Cornforth White’ by Farrow & Ball – the perfect neutral grey, with no overly warm or cool undertones. I was amazed by the way a slightly different shade totally transformed the room – it instantly felt lighter and much more inviting.

The coving, cornicing, window frame and fireplace have all stayed white, as have the built-in alcove cupboards, and I love the contrast between the soft wall colour and the crisp architectural details.

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

The flooring

The other major change was the flooring – perhaps the trickiest decision of all. This room used to sport a tatty old carpet, and I couldn’t wait to replace it with wooden flooring. Sadly the original Victorian boards had been removed before we bought the house, so we had to look for alternatives. I was keen on the idea of pale Nordic oak and ordered all sorts of samples, but none seemed quite right – until a package arrived from Swedish brand Kährs, that is. As soon as I took a peek at its ‘Oak Sky’ ultra-matte lacquered boards I know they were the right choice – light but not overly so, with a balance of ashen and warmer tones and a beautiful grain. I also love the matte finish, which is very hardwearing but has none of the shininess normally associated with lacquer.

The rest of the ground floor of the house has rather yellowy oak boards which we inherited from the previous owners, so the eventual plan is to sand them down and re-colour them to match the living room. In the short term, though, we’ll just have to live with mismatched flooring.

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

The sofa covers

Our budget didn’t stretch to new furniture, but we jazzed up our tired old sofas with new covers from Swedish company Bemz. They make made-to-measure covers for a vast array of IKEA sofas and armchairs, including discontinued models such as our ‘KARLSTAAD’ ones; they also design beautiful cushions and curtains. There are more than 150 fabrics to choose from, but they send out free swatches so you can look at them in situ and find the right one. I was very tempted with pale linen but in the end opted for understated cotton in ‘Zinc Grey’. It’s a lighter colour than the charcoal grey we had before so it makes the room look bigger, but it’s still dark enough to be fairly spill-proof (anyone who knows me will understand why that’s an important consideration!).

Many of the cushion covers also came from Bemz, and I added some velvet and linen into the mix to create a bit of texture. There are also camel-coloured covers from H&M Home, plus my favourite blush-pink ‘Flow’ cushion from By Lassen.

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

The lighting

The previous lighting had to go – it had all come from our previous apartment, which had much bigger rooms, and it had never looked right in this space. In its place we now have a ‘Miira’ table lamp from Danish brand Nuura and a ‘Lantern’ pendant from New Works. Both incorporate opal glass and rounded contours, but the slightly differing shapes and surface textures mean they don’t look matchy-matchy. We actually rarely use the central light as we prefer a more ambient glow, but it makes a great focal point dangling low over the coffee table.

The floor lamp is Habitat’s ‘Bobby’ model and was only ever intended as a cheap, temporary solution while we save up for the one we really want, but I’m actually really pleased with the way it looks.

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

The accessories

For the finishing touches, I added a gorgeous ‘Ripple’ throw from Muuto (which the cat instantly commandeered as his own!) and created two gallery walls using my favourite prints. I also treated myself to a new Moroccan-style rug from Rose & Grey, and the soft pile creates another element of texture in the room.

I already owned all the other accessories, but I had fun picking out a selection to sit in the finished space. I focused largely on black, grey and white pieces to match the overall scheme, with a few marble and silver-metal elements thrown in, too.

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

My soft, minimalist living-room makeover – the reveal | These Four Walls blog

So, there you have it: my soft, minimalist living-room makeover! Although the room will continue to evolve as we save up for new pieces, we’re already over the moon with the transformation and we’re enjoying having such a serene space to relax and entertain in. Now to move on to other long-neglected parts of the house…

Here’s a full list of all the items I used for this project (those marked * were kindly gifted by the brands concerned):

‘Cornforth White’ paint, Farrow & Ball*
‘Oak Sky’ ultra-matte lacquered oak flooring, Kährs*
Cotton sofa covers in ‘Zinc Grey’, Bemz*
‘VITTSJÖ’ coffee table, IKEA
Rattan cone chair, Cox & Cox
Cream Berber rug, Rose & Grey
Medium ‘Lantern’ pendant lamp, New Works
‘Miira’ table lamp, Nuura*
‘Bobby’ floor lamp, Habitat
‘Ripple’ throw, Muuto*
Sheepskin, Chatsworth Farm Shop (find similar at Jord Home)
Pink ‘Flow’ cushion, By Lassen
Camel velvet cushion covers, H&M Home
Nickel ‘Kubus 1’ and black ‘Kubus 2’ candleholders, By Lassen*
‘Aura’ table mirror, New Works
Grey tray, grey and glass ‘Ball’ vases and black candleholder, Cooee Design*
Black marble ‘Lens’ storage box, HAY
Running-glaze ‘Lyngby’ vase, Lyngby Porcelain
‘Siena’ marble coasters, MADE.com
‘Sea Grey’ print, Nadia Attura via Rise Art*
‘Hestar’ black and white horse print, Coco Lapine Design*
Abstract grey and white watercolour print, IyaGallery
‘Forest Mist’ print, Melissa Selmin

All photography by Abi Dare

Farrow & Ball, Bemz, Kährs, Muuto and Nuura all kindly gifted products for the makeover, but as always all words and opinions are my own. Some other items featured were also originally gifted by the brands concerned, as noted above.

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19 Comments · Interiors

Comments

  1. Sebastian says

    July 11, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    I love the make-over! Such a stylish living room!
    I liked following the process – will miss it for sure!

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 11, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      Thanks so much Sebastian! Glad you like it. There will be similar projects to follow in the future – we have other rooms that we haven’t touched since we moved in…!

      Reply
      • Sebastian says

        July 11, 2018 at 3:16 pm

        Sounds great! Looking forward to follow your next project 🙂

        Reply
  2. Steph says

    July 11, 2018 at 4:14 pm

    This looks gorgeous! What a beautiful, calming space you have created! Steph x

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 11, 2018 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks for the kind words Steph! I’m so glad you like it – calming is definitely what I was aiming for x

      Reply
  3. Helen Orrock says

    July 11, 2018 at 6:04 pm

    Abi it looks fabulous you must be so pleased with it and even your cat matches the interior. Helen xx

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 11, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Thanks so much Helen! I’m over the moon – and pleased to be finished (though our whole house will always be a work in progress I think!). The cat-decor coordination was accidental, but it’s worked out well 😉 xx

      Reply
  4. Emma- Nordic Mood Interiors says

    July 12, 2018 at 9:01 am

    A truly perfected room Abi – it’s fabulous!

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 13, 2018 at 9:02 am

      Thanks so much Emma! Really glad you like it.

      Reply
  5. Juan Sandiego says

    July 15, 2018 at 10:23 am

    It was worth the wait! The new flooring reminds me of those European apartments, subtle yet a little bit warm. And I like the fact you mix new and old. Sorry about the “stolen” blanket, maybe you need to get a second one so you can actually use it:)

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 15, 2018 at 2:00 pm

      Thanks Juan! I think I have to accept that the whole house is the cat’s now… he just lets me live here 😉

      Reply
  6. Tracey Willows says

    July 18, 2018 at 11:01 am

    Hi Abi. I really love the aesthetic of your living room, especially the fireplace. I’m really digging your use of space. Great job!

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 18, 2018 at 11:05 am

      Thanks so much Tracey! I’m really pleased with how it’s come together and I’m so glad you like it too.

      Reply
  7. Ahaan says

    July 18, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    Minimalist design are the best ones whether it is for living room or any room. Good content to read.

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 18, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      Thanks! Totally agree with you on minimalist design.

      Reply
  8. Audrey says

    July 30, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    Wow! What an absolutely beautiful space. I came across your blog when I move house last year and I must admit I did really like the living room before. However I love the transformation. May I ask if your sofas are 2 or 3 seaters? I’d love to arrange to sofas like this but have been worried they’d take over the room. Yours look perfect ?.

    Reply
    • Abi says

      July 31, 2018 at 10:51 am

      Thanks for the kind words – glad you like it! We have two sofas – one a three-seater and one a two-seater. The room isn’t very big, but they just about fit!

      Reply
  9. Judith Anderson says

    October 6, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    I love your blog!

    Reply
    • Abi says

      October 7, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply

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HELLO

Abi Dare | These Four Walls blog

I’m Abi Dare – a stylist, photographer and writer based in Bristol (UK). I set up this blog to share interior design, travel and lifestyle inspiration for simple, relaxed living at home and beyond. You’ll find home tours, advice and tips, interviews, reviews, postcards from places I love and more – always with a focus on soft minimalism, muted colours and timeless, considered design.

‘Top 10 UK interior design blogs’ 2025, 2024, 2023 & 2022, Vuelio

‘Best Interior Design Blog’, uFurnish Home Awards 2024

Winner of the ‘Blogger’ category in the Sweetpea & Willow Home Influencer Awards 2023

‘Best Design & Architecture Blog’, UK Blog Awards 2019

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Back on the grid after more than two weeks. Thanks Back on the grid after more than two weeks. Thanks to everyone who sent messages checking I was OK - I just lost my Instagram mojo and needed a bit of a break. Anyway, here are some phone-camera snippets of life lately...

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[AD - PR product] I've always loved marble as a ma [AD - PR product] I've always loved marble as a material, and the beige Kunis Breccia version of the @newworksdk 'Kizu' table lamp caught my eye immediately. I now have this design in three different colourways around the house, and this is definitely my favourite to date! 

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A few weeks ago I travelled to Drammen in Norway f A few weeks ago I travelled to Drammen in Norway for the big project I'm working on (more on that soon), and while I was there I had a look around @askogeng's workshop. I've been a fan of their sustainable bamboo kitchens and furniture for a long time, so this was a real treat. And the space itself is full of the time-worn textures and beautiful details that always catch my eye.

#texturesandtones #warehousestyle #kitchendesign #scandinavianinteriors #scandinaviandesign #bitsofbuildings #ihavethisthingwithwindows #perfectlyimperfect
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