All posts filed under: Living Room

‘Painted’ Wallpaper from Black Parrots Studio

Published by Karen Knox

About 2.5 years ago I wrote a post about how I was looking for just the right wallpaper to hang in our living room. It’s not a big space, so didn’t want a pattern on all four walls, but something to sit behind the sofa. The gallery was ok for a bit, but I knew deep down that there was way too much art in this room. It was time to downsize. Our house is late mid-century, built in the late 60’s so the proportions reflect that. We don’t have high ceilings, or period features, our rooms are pretty average, size wise. This meant finding a wallpaper was actually really difficult as it couldn’t take anything too busy, but it also needed to do “something” design wise in order to live up to the other walls in the room that are covered in some of my favourite pieces of art. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) What i’ve been looking for: A black wallpaper – almost …

The Red Room – Pre-reveal – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

Because sometimes things take a little longer than planned… here’s Pt 2 of the pre-reveal. I wasn’t planning a Pt 2, but I also wasn’t planning for one of the light fittings to be broken, for the curtains to be such a pain (why are curtains always such a pain?) or for the electrician to be quite as elusive (why are electricians always elusive?) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) But we’re about a week away from being done. After a four hour picture framing, gallery wall hanging, plant moving, nik nak fiddling session yesterday, I couldn’t possibly wait to share some pics I snapped before I left. Mantel piece styling with pieces from Ikea, Wayfair, H&M Home and….. … this super cool, not freaky at all black and gold hand from the very talented Muck N Brass. The cinema style wall light from Rockett St George looking tip top above the home bar (still to be stocked). Still a bit more work to do here (small shelf… vinyl… more …

The Red Room – The Pre-Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just got back from a visit to The Red Room project. Big smiles here 😀 I dreamt about it last night as i’ve been itching to get there all week. I spoke to the homeowner after all the major work had been completed last week; new stove, mantel piece, door blocked up and plastered, walls wallpapered and then painted. So we’re onto the final straight peeps. The fun stuff! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) This is what it looked like on my last visit, which you can read all about here. So many of you loved that distressed plastered wall, but alas there was a door to board up and skim over, so it wasn’t meant to be. This time. (Let me quickly add that 3 minutes into taking photos, my camera died so most of these have been taken on my rubbish camera phone which goes little way towards doing this room justice. But! I will be back v soon for the final reveal …

The Red Room – During

Published by Karen Knox

I went to visit the Red Room project today. You know, the living room that was red and staying red, but then it wasn’t staying red and going black instead. Remember that one? If not, you can catch up here. Well we’ve been making progress, stripping all of the walls, painting the ceiling and woodwork in preparation for the new wallpaper. All of the furniture has now arrived too, including the gorgeous Ox Blood Chesterfield from Chesterfields at the Boathouse. And this solid oak wiring bureau in near perfect condition picked up from a local vintage dealer. How pretty is that? Remember the Welsh Dresser? Yes, the one here in the left hand alcove. Well that’s now been given the Annie Sloan treatment and repurposed as a fancy home bar. The power of black. It never fails to amaze me. I picked up these cute drawer pulls from Homesense last month to add a little touch of brass Only £6 for a set of 4. Love it. The doorway behind the sofa is getting boarded up …

The Red Room – Take 2

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve always talked about interior design being a process. So when people ask me how long a project takes, or how much it might cost… it depends on so many factors, it’s literally impossible to say. On initial consultation for The Red Room, the one thing that was staying was the red wallpaper. My job was to solve the layout issues and pull the room together. After lots of fiddling this was the overall vibe and plan for this room: BUT. As the homeowners began to remove more and more from the room, they quickly realised, the one thing we’d planned the room around, the red wallpaper, was now on top of the list of things they wanted to change. And do you know what? That’s fine. It’s completely normal. The number of times people have asked me to work around something, either to make the job simpler, quicker or more affordable, 9 times out of 10, they finally decide to bite the bullet and dismiss said item and finally go for what they wanted all …

New Project – The Red Room

Published by Karen Knox

New project time everyone! Yeah yeah!! This time it’s a 1930’s house that’s recently had a lovely extension across the back. This has given them a light and airy, family friendly, open-plan kitchen-diner. And two sitting rooms. None of which they really like anymore. Including this one, which they admit they never actually use. It’s accumulated bits of furniture over the years, but now it just doesn’t work as a dining room, a living room, a study…. Let’s just say it’s lost its way. Time for a re-design, a new layout and a new purpose. Oh goodie. This room is to become the new family TV room, but in its current set up, it’s really tricky to configure the space so the seating can all get a view of a TV in one of the alcoves. After spending a good few hours playing around with potential layouts, here’s what I came up with. It’s going to be fun. The biggest change we’ve made which completely free-d up the room was to block the original entrance …

A living room update – Pt 1 #styleitdark

Published by Karen Knox

Ok. First off. Massive thanks for the ace feedback from my last post. It seems like I have unleashed some design demons, which makes me smile very much indeed. So pleased to hear some of you guys have been trying out my online tutorial on how to create your own mood boards, had a few PM’s and DM’s since last week letting me know how helpful it’s been, including this message: “Just thought i’d let you know, i spent the afternoon at work doing your step by step mood board! For work purposes obvs, but found it really useful!! Im defo guna become a bit addicted. Just need to get myself a Mac book for home now. Cheers!! X” And that’s what I like to hear. People sacking off work to design room sets on a work computer. My work here is done ladies and gentlemen. (**disclaimer – Making Spaces does not condone idle mood board-ery at a place of work or during work hours. Proceed with caution**) Ok, onto today’s topic. Our living room. I’m not going …

The Mood Board. One Room, Two Ways

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve been working remotely with a client for a while now. She’s completely overhauling several rooms of her home but needed to sort some pretty boring stuff first, like running a new damp proof course and plasterwork. Which is now all done. Phew! Back room now damp proofed and re-plastered The front room, which is the secondary living space in this 1930’s three bed semi has finally been stripped of its years of textured wallpaper. The unwanted pieces of furniture have been eBayed and the room is sitting empty, barring the white painted floorboards, a 1950’s school desk and a black upright piano (which may or may not stay.) It’s literally a blank canvas waiting for its new look. Here’s what the room needs in terms of function: Open and closed storage A focal point. The room has a chimney breast but no fire or fireplace Two seater sofa and an armchair Room for the desk Possibly a space for the piano Room for record player and perhaps TV But how the room looks has been a real …

The Drawing Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Am so excited to share the final reveal of this project with you. I’ve been working closely with the homeowners for the last five months and i’m kind of wow-ed with the final design. If you’d like to read all about the beginnings then, jump over here for a catch up. Today’s post is all about the final photos and a shopping list for any of you out there that fancy any of these pieces for yourself. Let’s go. Before Here is their large Edwardian front room at the beginning of July this year. These guys had just moved in and were wanting a formal, but statement front room fit for drinks, music and entertaining. After And here it is now. It’s just so cosy isn’t it? In fact, after doing my final hour of faffing and half way through me taking photos, I was desperate for a quick cat nap on the sofa in front of that roaring fire. So nice. Before Everything in the room was going. Apart from the two made.com Ritchie sofas and …

Making Spaces in Print – Pt 4

Published by Karen Knox

This time last year, I was ripping out this fireplace. Very cathartic indeed. And one year later i’m sharing the latest magazine feature for Making Spaces. Come and see the very same fireplace and the room it’s sat in, in this month’s edition of HomeStyle Magazine. The Sherwood Forest Project in print Doesn’t it look great? My very wonderful client agreed to be in the pictures, sit still and even wear shoes. She is not a fan of shoes at all. The room may look a little different in the feature as things were moved around for the shoot. The left hand alcove was fiddled with a fair bit. Magazines don’t like to include TV’s in shots as they’re so f’ugly and a complete arse to make look good in photos. Annoying if you’re looking for cool ideas of how to incorporate them into your home though. Kind of does my head in that they insist on taking them out, I mean, we (nearly) all have one. So here’s a shot of where it actually …