Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 18

life

PROPERTY

Cosy interior
design tricks
I

nteriors, like people,
can have vastly different
moods and feelings.
Some are cheerful and
chirpy, some are dull and
miserable, and others are
confused and cluttered.
Contemporary interior design
often is focused on opening
out spaces and creating a light
and airy feel to a room, which
is desirable for many people.
However, there is a time and a
place for a little more intimacy.
For living rooms and
bedrooms, one of the most
welcoming moods to evoke

is a cosy atmosphere. Walk
into a modern living room
and you may feel a little
unwelcome or uncomfortable,
but enter a cosy haven and
you will feel surrounded by
its warmth and comforted
by its inviting spaces.
Whatever the size of the
room you want to decorate
and style, there are many
techniques to create a cosy
feel and mood. Here are some
of the tricks of the trade.

Lighting
This is one of the least

tapped-into tricks
by the average
DIY designer. By
directing light
and shadows,
you can create
entirely different
moods. Shadows
effectively
eliminate parts
of the room from
view, which adds
to the cosiness of
areas highlighted
by table lamps
or candles.
TV interior
designer
Laurence
Llewelyn Bowen
recommends
that you layer
the lighting
throughout the
room to suit your different
needs. You can do this by
having as many ways as
possible to light your room,
including ceiling lights
with dimmer switches, table
lamps and uplighters.

Colour
Choose deep and strong
colours for your walls
and floor as they tend to
draw the walls in on one
another. To avoid closing
them in too much in a small
room, consider adding
one dark and sumptuous
feature wall in something
like rich dark chocolate.
A dark floor with walls of
brown or deep red, blue or
green tones will help create
the feeling of a smaller,
cosier space. You can then
use lighting to add extra
focal interest on rich walls.

Textures
Heavy, soft textures add
warmth to a space. Faux fur
or hand knitted throws on a
sofa, plush pile carpeting and
curtains in luscious fabrics are
the kind of textural elements

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that create a cosy atmosphere.
Use rougher textures for the
hard elements in the room;
iron instead of chrome, brick
instead of glazed tiles.

Patterns
The use of pattern in a room
can also lend a sense of
cosiness to the space. Oriental
rugs, printed wallpapers,
and patterned upholstery
fabrics can be used alone
or in combinations. The
more patterns in a room, the
smaller it will feel. Care must
be taken when combining
patterns in a room. The rule of
thumb, especially in a smaller
space, is don’t overdo it.

Furniture
Choose dark finishes and
fabrics to create a sense of the
furniture being larger than
it actually is. Heavy textured
fabrics and large patterns
will add a cosy feeling to a
sofa or chair. Place furniture
away from the wall and use
tall furniture to divide and
define smaller spaces within
a room for greater intimacy.

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