Living spaces

The move towards building smaller homes is having a knock-on effect on furnishing trends in living rooms and kitchens. Modern properties have a propensity to include more open plan living areas, thus blurring the distinction between kitchen, dining and living room, requiring a fresh approach to home furnishings.

Doors do not necessarily open outwards anymore- Sandy Calleja Portelli

Planning your kitchen and living room should ideally start before the electricity and plumbing are set in place, big home furnishing companies advise.

It can be quite frustrating to have all the electrical outlets installed in a living room, only to realise that the sockets do not fit in with the wall unit of your choice. The best advice for those looking to furnish a living room is to start shopping around before the electricity is laid.

If rewiring an existing property is not an option, it is advisable to shop armed with a room plan detailing the position of electical outlets – there is nothing worse than having your new furniture installed only to end up with sockets running across the floor.

Take the time to shop around until you find the right furniture to meet the demands of your lifestyle, room dimensions and style. There is plenty of choice on the market, with designs ranging from the traditional to the ultra-modern. A note of caution, ‘ultra-modern’ may transform to ‘dated’ within a few years.

Whereas wood and wooden finishes remain classically popular, lacquer and coloured finishes are also very much in. With clean lines veering more to the minimalist look, focal interest is introduced through the co-ordinated use of soft furnishings and accessories. Focus walls are also making a comeback, this time by means of wallpaper which can add texture to the room.

In an open plan layout, the kitchen is an integral part of the living area and current designs are testament to this; as kithen units are designed to blend smoothly with the living room. Today’s kitchen has a greater social dimension than ever before with islands that bring the work spaces out of the shadows and into the limelight.

An importer of modern kitchens says the latter tend to incorporate seating right at the work space – an informal dining space or an added socialising space as guests mingle with the host or hostess preparing the food.

The introduction of counter tops designed to flow into the living room with the counters almost tapering off lead the eye seamlessly on to the wall unit in the living space.

A design consultant describes the modern kitchen as ‘almost handleless’, with cupboard handles blending discreeetly into the furniture creating a continuous line across all kitchen cupboards. The colour of the moment is glossy white, although black and wood finishes are also popular.

Two-tone kitchens are also highly popular; as design veers towards straight lines and smooth surfaces, focal interest is introduced by means of varying colour or texture. Thus a predominantly black kitchen might have a white centre island.

Those of a more daring disposition might also plump for a splash of bold colour. Similar contrast can be achieved by using different surfaces for counters and worktops. Marble worktops are also making a comeback.

With floor space becoming limited, space-saving designs are widely used in today’s kitchen. Doors do not necessarily open outwards anymore; one is more likely to find overhead cupboard doors that fold upwards or sliding doors fitted onto lower cabinets.

Cupboard interiors can be tailored to fit the cook’s needs with compartments available for just about any kitchen gadget or gizmo you can imagine. Spices, plates, beverages and cutlery can all have their dedicated storage space which can be conveniently pulled out and brought to hand.

In truth, it is not only the appliances that can be organised away from view. The kitchenette tucked away behind sliding doors incorporated in a wall unit, would be a godsend to anyone looking to furnish a studio flat or office kitchen. Having walked right past one, I was surprised to realise that there, behind glossy doors, lay a fully equipped kitchen which probably takes up less space than some larger wardrobes.

Living spaces evolve with fashion and building trends and anyone looking to furnish either living room or kitchen is spoilt for choice. All you need to make the perfect choice is a clear understanding of your needs, style preference and dimensions of the room you are furnishing.

Armed with this, the sky really is the limit.