OXFORDSHIRE FAMILY HOME

The brief: To transform a cold, uninviting Snug into a warm, cosy space with ‘wow factor’ for the teens of the family

As this family’s three children grew up, the use of some of the rooms of the house needed to change.

This large family house in South Oxfordshire was already well-appointed, but there was a new need for a fabulous teen space.

I worked closely with the family to understand their dreams for the aesthetics of the room and how they wanted to use it. My proposal for the concept, colour palette, materials, furniture and room layout was met with excitement and an eagerness to make it happen quickly. When I told them where I was proposing hanging the forest wallpaper, there was a look of incredulity…and then huge smiles. We’d found our ‘wow factor’!

Once the project was complete, it became clear that the space worked fabulously for the parents as well as for their teen children. It is now a favourite room used for both adult and teen relaxing and entertaining.

This project involved spatial planning, 2D and 3D digital design drawings; colour/room scheme; materials, furniture and equipment procurement and sourcing; management of tradespeople; installation and final ‘glossy magazine’ styling.

Sitting room/ TV room/ snug corner with sofa, swivel armchair, antique side table. The room's colour palette was inspired by the artwork hanging on the wall here.
Sitting room/ TV room/ snug shot showing the painting that inspired the colour palette for the room, the fabulous forest wallpaper hung on the ceiling to create a feeling of cosiness and a touch of 'wow'. The large corner sofa offers plentiful seati
A close-up of the artwork that inspired the colour scheme - and its comfortable corner of cushion-piled sofa and swivel armchair.
This image shows the layering of colour, materials and texture with a backdrop of a carefully-considered lighting scheme on 3 circuits. The swivel armchair in the foreground has been a huge hit with the family!
A window seat that swivels so that you can chat to your friends, watch TV or gaze out of the window. The brass lamp has a gathered linen lampshade to soften the look, complemented by the round side table made of raw wood.
The sitting room/ TV room/ snug in this Oxfordshire family home is now well-used by the 3 teenagers as well as their parents. It is cosy, warm and comfortable and is practical - offering a space to relax, to socialise and to watch TV and play games.
The joinery in this TV room was critical to making the space work well. One whole wall was taken over for display shelves, a 70" TV screen and low cupboards. Textured wallpaper was hung behind the shelves to add a layer of interest.
The joinery in this TV room offers a fabulous place to display treasured personal items and to add character and texture to the space. Photo credit: Jason Wood
The mix of antique furniture with new creates a depth of personality and interest to the room.
The bespoke shelving is backed with textured wallpaper that subtly catches the light, creating a cosy glow.
Styling the shelves in a space like this is critical to pulling the look and feel together. Grouped and displayed as single items, all of these carefully chosen objects tell the story of this family.
The bespoke shelves and cupboards house the 70" TV as well as beautiful personal objects, inherited books - and a lot of audio-visual 'stuff' that now lives behind these sleek dark blue cupboard doors.
All shelving needs lighting and this is a separate dimmable circuit that is hidden behind bespoke beading, downlighting the objects displayed beneath. It creates a cosy atmosphere and a feeling of depth and interest to the room.
Here the dimmable downlit shelves come into their own as the TV is turned on, the family is comfortably sitting on their new corner sofa and swivel armchair and the film begins... Photo credit: Jason Wood
This deep blue velvet corner sofa is large enough to seat 6 comfortably and 8 squished! Placing the wall lights in a symmetrical position either side of the round mirror which reflects the wallpapered ceiling, creates a peaceful vista and adds inter
With the ceiling wallpapered in trees and the TV wall space maximised by the bespoke joinery, the walls are painted in a warm yellowy-cream and the woodwork in a darker shade of the same hue.
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My House: Georgian Restoration