Walls: Light Blue No.22 | Woodwork: Oval Room Blue No.85 | Ceiling: All White No.2005 | All photography by Jonathan Bond
A place to play, gather and rest. Is there a more important space in your home than the living room? While you could make a case for the kitchen or bedroom, your living room should never be underestimated. And the experts at Otta Design agree. We sat down with them to hear all about three of their recent transformations.
A Bloomsbury-Inspired Victorian Home
Walls: India Yellow No.66 | Woodwork: Oval Room Blue No.85 | Ceiling: All White No.2005
These clients tasked us with reflecting their love of the Bloomsbury style, using rich colour and championing British design. We also reconfigured the room, moving the television into the darker rear room, so they could enjoy the lighter, front room when reading and listening to music.
A Cosy Hideaway
Walls: Light Blue No.22 | Woodwork: Oval Room Blue No.85 | Ceiling: All White No.2005
In this sitting room, we embraced colour, pattern and texture to create a welcoming space full of personality and charm. The room previously felt long and narrow, so we added a chimney breast and limestone fireplace to create a focal point and to square off the room. Then we built bespoke joinery either side painted in the deeper Oval Room Blue .
A Sunny, Striped Sitting Room
Walls: Closet Stripe 356 | Woodwork: Ciara Yellow No.73 | Ceiling: Wimborne White No.239
This apartment had been owned by our clients for many years and was in need of major renovation, but we were careful stay sympathetic to its Victorian bones. Our clients wanted the garden room, also the main TV watching space, to fill the senses with sunniness and cheer. We used a lightly striped wallpaper and mirrored the lines in the reeded joinery, painted in the definition of warmth: Ciara Yellow .
Walls: India Yellow No.66 | Woodwork: Oval Room Blue No.85 | Ceiling: All White No.2005
Walls: India Yellow No.66
We asked the creative minds at Otta Design a few questions to delve into the thought-process behind these hard-working, inspiring spaces:
How did Otta Design come to be?
Otta Design was born in 2014. From modest beginnings, our growth has led us to work on a multitude of house refurbishments across London and beyond. We relish being a small, dynamic studio, and a team of three women. Our strength lies in mixing colour, pattern and texture to create interiors that are inherently beautiful and flawlessly practical.
What three words would you use to describe your approach to design?
Creative, enduring and functional.
Could you talk us through your considerations when designing a living room?
The first thing to consider when designing a living room is how you want to use the space, and who is using it. Is it for watching television? For entertaining? Are there any additional living spaces such as a snug or playroom? Or does this space do it all?
If there are pets or young children, finish choice is critical. We would always specify Modern Emulsion or Dead Flat , as they are durable, washable and wipeable.
What element do you start with when designing such an important space?
Most room designs start with a standout element, whether this be a rug, a favourite fabric or a paint colour. A favourite piece of art often determines the palette. Having this starting element creates a foundation to develop the scheme from and introduce layers of colour, pattern and texture.
How have you decorated your own living rooms?
Alex’s sitting room is northeast facing. She’s embraced the lack of light by colour drenching the walls and joinery in
Stiffkey Blue
, creating a warm and cosy sanctuary.
Inspired by mid-century colours, Ali created a palette for her open plan ground floor of moody
Pigeon
,
Inchyra Blue
and
Brinjal
balanced with the warm undertones of
Cornforth White
.
Do you have any tips on being brave and bold with colour?
In our experience, clients are much more likely to regret playing things safe than using bold colours. For colour shy clients, we usually suggest bringing in bolder shades through lamps or cushions. That way it doesn’t overwhelm and can always be changed at a later stage.