When planning your next big interior project, there are so many places to take inspiration from, it can be a little overwhelming at times. You may be thinking of a more rustic or country-style interior or you may look to add some city or industrial style to your living space.
From Pinterest to magazines, and blogs to social media, there are lots of places to explore and gather ideas.
If you’ve been inspired by the likes of New York, Paris, Copenhagen or London and want to bring some urban chic into your living room, here’s how to add city styles to your home.
New York
The Big Apple is the destination of choice for many – with Manhattan interiors featuring in many a magazine and Pinterest boards. New York living is all about having the stripped back industrial style living room – think wooden floors, exposed brick and metal furniture.
Additional ways to add that cosmopolitan aesthetic to your space include:
- Leather sofas – think white walls and then rich hues of browns, blues and blacks – a leather sofa like the Sloane is the perfect addition to a New York-style interior.
- Metallic furniture – whether it’s a drinks cabinet or coffee table, a piece of metal furniture will help to create that minimalist style.
- Accessories – you don’t want a cluttered room but add the vintage look with a few antique frames or vases, and a faux fur rug for that added texture and warmth.
London
If you’ve been wowed by London’s architecture and its timeless elegance, you may be looking at ways of incorporating that into your own space. Here are a few things to consider:
- The sofa tends to be a focal point within your living room and creates a real design statement, from which you can build the foundations for your whole aesthetic.
- Colour palette – while London’s city colours historically have featured a lot of blue, it contrasts that with a neutral colour palette, with a grey a particular focus in recent years. Weaving a neutral colour palette into your interior, whether through fabric sofas or perhaps on your walls, is a good place to start. You could then use more vibrant colours such as blues or greens on your accent chairs like the Harrow Snuggler.
Copenhagen
The name hygge has become a familiar Scandinavian term in recent years, meaning experiencing a quality of cosiness and contentment – particularly in one’s home. If the idea of a Scandi living room and a sense of hygge appeals, there are several ways you can introduce that into your living space:
- Think minimalist style and functionality while still evoking a feeling of cosiness.
- Introduce different natural textures and hues into your interiors – wooden floors, leather sofas and a more muted colour palette. Add layers of contrasting materials to create that feeling of warmth.
- Nothing is over complicated – think about sleek, simple lines for your furniture, perhaps with a minimalist sofa like the Milano leather sofa
Paris
If the minimal look isn’t right for your space, and you’re looking to create something with timeless elegance and flair, Paris is the city to gather ideas and inspiration from. Here are a few tips on how to add the “je ne sais quoi” to your interior:
- Take your time – the French don’t make all their decisions in one go. Take time to build your furniture collection, don’t feel you need to buy your sofa and your occasional chairs in one go.
- Don’t be afraid to add your taste to your décor – whether it’s something you’ve picked up from a market or an antique shop, your living space must reflect your own sense of style.
- Experiment with contrasting materials and colours – have the confidence to mix eras and styles if you like different pieces of furniture, whether it’s a mid-century modern sofa such as the Studio, a vintage piece of art or some metallic furniture, the choice is yours!
