In this article, we’re sharing our tips for sophisticated interior design for your London home.
Our homes are an extension of our personality and while London is a great place to live, property prices are at a premium. This often means that the homes that Londoners can afford tend to be smaller, so you need to make the most of what space you have.
Solicitors for conveyancing in London and online sources indicate that in 45% of London boroughs, property sizes are less than 78 square meters. This offers some significant challenges to homeowners in terms of design so, in this article, we’re sharing sophisticated interior design tips for your London home.
Hanging or Standing Lighting
We all know that clever lighting can make a real difference to a home but, with smaller rooms, standing lamps and other types of lighting can take up precious room. Hanging globe lights can also add an elegant touch to a dining room, bedroom or kitchen and these can look great as just one large signature piece or as a cluster of smaller lights.
Spotlights can also be really useful in brightening up dark corners and spaces to give a room an illusion of size while adding a sophisticated touch to your decor.
Use of Mirrors
As with lighting, a statement mirror can transform a room into something really special. At the moment, oversized gilt or gold mirrors are having a moment in London homes. As well as adding interest to a room, these can also reflect light to give the illusion of extra space.
If you prefer something less subtle for your room, a collection of smaller mirrors can be really sophisticated and create the same impression of space.
Go With Neutral Colours
Neutral walls and ceilings can look extremely sophisticated in your London home but can also feel a little sterile if the theme is carried throughout the home.
To give your home a ‘right now’ update, try a statement wall whilst keeping the rest of the room light and neutral. Some great ideas for statement walls include a funky wallpaper or a contrasting colour such as a deep teal or burgundy.
The Use of Living Walls
When buying property in London, not everybody is lucky enough to be able to afford a garden. With lots of us working from home, this can mean that people are cooped up at home for a great deal of the time.
Because of this, a lot of London homeowners are opting for living walls in their homes which are panels of either real or faux vegetation. These panels of vegetation can be attached to a wall to create the illusion of natural foliage.
These living walls can add a great deal of interest to a room as well as giving the impression of a touch of nature. If you’re not green fingered, the fake version is a good option and many of these are surprisingly realistic.
Another popular option is fake brick wallpaper, however, if choosing this style it’s important to buy a good quality paper to avoid an overly fake and cheap look to your walls.
Swap Wooden Floor for Carpets
Wooden flooring has been incredibly popular in London homes for many years but, as the cost of living and energy crisis continues to bite, many Londoners are turning back to carpets in a bid to add sophisticated style to their homes. Carpets also help keep as much heat in rooms as possible.
What’s particularly popular at the moment, are carpets in geometric patterns in on-trend shades such as teal and cobalt blue. While you may be tempted to grab a carpet in a fashionable design, do bear in mind that trends change at lightning speed – and that carpets can be expensive to buy and to fit.
Floor Length Curtains
Curtains are always big news for London homes, particularly on terraces where passersby may see your front window. Floor length curtains in luxe fabrics such as velvet make a fabulous statement. Curtain colours for 2022 range from subtle minks to rich jewel colours such as emerald and ruby.
While the general consensus is that shorter curtains will make a room seem larger, this is not true to any significant extent whereas longer styles will absolutely add elegance and sophistication to your London home.
London calling for colour and tactile style…
In a fast-paced world, our homes are our havens and while Londoners may not have the budget to buy a sprawling mansion, they can, with a bit of work and imagination, turn a smaller property into a showcase stunner.
When thinking about interior design, try looking at your home as a whole, rather than a series of separate rooms as this will help you to envisage an overall concept which will run seamlessly throughout the property for a sophisticated and timeless look.
When it comes to your decor, Londoners use colour and texture to create homes which not only reflect their own personalities but that of the vibrant city that they live in. Most of us have got at least one eye on the housing market these days and adding sophistication to your London home can help you to make sure that you get the best possible price should you decide to sell.