A tranquil colour scheme, cosy touches and clever styling details have given Yoko Edgeller’s living room a brand-new look. Here, she tells us all about her living room makeover experience...
My story...
When we moved into this house, no one could believe the state of the living room.
Despite its big bay window, the brown wallpaper and carpet were dirty and had obviously been there for years, while the curtains were hanging off the rails with holes in them!
Welcome to our home...
A bit about me I’m Yoko Edgeller, a florist. I live with my husband, Neil and our two children, Mei and Lio in a three-bedroom 1930s semi-detached house in Surrey.
My problem living room Although we’d removed the horrible brown carpet and dated wallpaper that was here when we moved in, we hadn’t done a lot else with the room. It needed to have some thought put into it as the space felt really boring.
That’s not to mention the old fire that I don’t think would even have been safe to use. As our main family room, I wanted to make it feel lighter, brighter and cosy, with plenty of sofa space for us all.
We started by building a false wall for the TV and a fire, which makes it look much neater and more modern and is great for when we’re all watching a film.
We painted the walls and added shutters at the window so we can filter how much light we get. Sometimes it’s so sunny you can’t see the TV, so they come in really handy.
One of the most important parts of the room for us was choosing a new sofa; something that we could all relax on and was comfortable. When I saw this teal colour in Sofology, I knew it was the one.
A bit more about my home...
How I made it work We had a false wall installed to house the TV and a fire, put down grey laminate flooring and bought new furniture, including a huge teal-coloured sofa that’s now the focus of the room.
My favourite part I love all the surfaces I have for displaying knick-knacks, like my console table and the wall shelves. It’s nice to have all the bits I love out on display.
The sofa is modular, which means we can move the parts around to suit our space, so if we ever move house it should still fit a different-shaped room.
As a florist, I love nature and I’ve filled the room with plants and bits picked up from walks, such as driftwood and shells. We spend a lot of time in this room and I love that it now feels like us.
Style advice
Consoles aren’t just for hallways
Yoko used this light wood rattan-effect console from Wayfair to sit against a blank wall. It’s narrow enough that it can easily be walked past without jutting out into the room.
‘I like its rattan drawers and it’s another place to display vases and flowers –plus the drawers mean we can pop remote controls in there out of sight,’ she says. ‘I also use it for work when I need to, and I’ve put the pouffe from Wayfair underneath as a little stool.’
Tailor existing furniture to fit your new style
‘We had this sideboard in our last house, but it felt a bit dated as it sat low on the floor without any legs. I decided to raise it up and bought some light oak legs from eBay, which have made it feel a lot more modern.
‘I’m so glad I didn’t get rid of it. Now we use it to store our Sky box and keep all the ugly wires and cables hidden from sight.’
Style up shelves
‘I didn’t want lots of frames on this wall, so instead I chose these white and oak pocket shelves from String Furniture and a large wood artwork, along with one print to create a feature behind the sofa.
‘I think they work really well together and I’m always faffing with the shelves, displaying new bits on them and moving items around.’
Feature and styling Laurie Davidson. Photos David Gile.
This is a digital version of a feature that originally appeared in HomeStyle magazine. For more inspirational home ideas, why not subscribe today?