INTERIOR DESIGN COMPETITION WINNER

Our first interior design competition winner is Abi Sutherland of Marchmont.

A desperate Abi wrote to us:

“I’ve just bought a one-bedroom ground floor flat in Marchmont and though the bedroom’s quite bright, the sitting room’s dark, depressing and dingy.  My mum and dad have given me £2500 to basically blitz it and start again but I haven’t got a clue where to start.  I’d love to make it look bigger, brighter and contemporary – but not cold and clinical.  I love that duck-egg blue colour you see everywhere but I’m worried it would look a bit chintzy?”

The Newly Designed Room

Our interior designer's recommendations:
 

Abi’s sitting room definitely is dark and depressing!  I recommended the following:

To lighten the room:

Take the curtain rail right back to the edge of the wall to allow as much light in as possible.
Use pale colours on walls.
Use a large mirror to reflect as much light as possible back into the room and reflective wallpaper/fabrics where possible .
Remove dingy net curtains and use blinds for night-time privacy.
Replace dark, dingy carpet with pale wood or laminate floor or strip and bleach floorboards.

To make the room seem bigger:

Use pale colours on walls and paint skirting boards and radiators the same colour as walls (avoids ‘chopping’ the room up).
Use a large mirror to give the illusion of additional space.
Buy a corner sofa to make the most of the space.
Buy a flat screen TV and mount it on the wall.
Use lots of tones of the same colour – this creates a feeling of continuity and airiness.
Use patterned fabrics sparingly.

For a soft, contemporary feel:

Choose pale, natural colours like stone, putty, soft grey etc.
Limit the use of strong patterns to cushions, one feature wall etc.
Keep the look restrained and uncluttered. 
Use ‘flat’ (matt) paints for both walls and woodwork.
Start with smooth walls.  If you can’t afford replastering, strip away any textured wallcoverings and replace with very heavy lining paper, then paint over. 

Abi’s verdict?  ‘I can’t believe it’s the same room.  It’s so grown up and tranquil and I can’t imagine tiring of it.  I’m amazed it’s well within budget too!’
 
Abi's Shopping List