Making sure you are sitting stylishly

Yorkshire Post - 6th February 2008 - Life & Style Section: Homes

Interiors

"Be brave and pick a sofa from a specialist, or consider re-covering some older individual pieces", says interior designer Jamie Hempsall

When thinking about changing your Living Room furniture, stop before turning to a High St store for a three piece suite on interest free credit and consider buying or re-covering good quality, individual pieces that mix and match.

Whilst this may not be as simple as a “one stop shop” the end result is likely to be far more dramatic and an individual reflection of your own personality. You may end up spending some more in the short term, but think of it as an investment. Buying better quality pieces means a longer lifetime of service and year for year will cost you less in the long run. You can, of course, plan ahead and buy one or two pieces at a time, but ensure that you have an overall design in mind so that the end result is coherent, rather than just a jumble of ill matched pieces.

An eclectic collection of seating allows you to add or remove a piece as you go forward to suit your evolving needs, rather than having to start all over again. It will also allow your greater flexibility in your future design choices, be it decoration or room layout.

A useful trick is to draw up a scale size plan of your room and cut outs of the sofas and chairs you are considering. You can then “move” the furniture around to experiment with how it should best be laid out, do not forget to consider other furniture, limitations of electricity points and the dreaded television. This will also allow you to ensure that there is flexibility in your scheme to suit a variety of occasions.

When considering the pieces that you need, opt for comfort as well as style you do not just want a sofa that looks good, but one into which you can immediately relax and unwind (as well as get out of easily). Think about how each member of your family likes to use seating (bolt upright for a stiff back or maybe slouched whilst using the Playstation) and choose furniture that will meet each of their individual requirements. You do not have to stick to a standard sofa and chairs a chaise longue makes a wonderful alternative, as do one and a half seater chairs (allowing that element of individual luxury where space allows).

A practical consideration must be how easy your chosen seating will be to maintain. This will depend on your family circumstances however, even the youngest of families can be accommodated these days in a variety of fabulous looking, but virtually bomb proof fabrics (including chunky chenille velvets and suedes) that are now available. This will ensure that you end up with a practical room for all to use in comfort, rather than a museum piece to be admired and not sat upon.

There is a wealth of companies out there offering beautiful alternatives to the High St, often with pieces that are hand-crafted in this country. One of the joys of using them is often the ability to cover your seating in fabric entirely of your own choosing, rather than from a limited out necessarily costing the earth.

Jamie Hempsall is an Associate of the British Interior Design Association and one of the region’s leading Interior Designers. See more about bespoke furniture at www.jamiehempsall.com