Turn your living space into a more mature area of your home... read more
We know how it is you’ve let your children run riot in your living room and it now just seems like a space filled with lots and lots of toys. However, you want to be able to hide the mess on an evening when your little ones are in bed to have a more grown up space before chaos begins again the next day. The fabulous Sophie from Meet The Taylors talks us through her quick wins for making her living room feel a little more adult…
Before we had our son two years ago, the living room was our favourite room in the house – light, airy and full of lovely candles, cushions and decorative items. Fast-forward to having a toddler and everything was raised several feet higher to prevent accidents and breakages and every corner of the room was filled with colourful plastic. Not really our idea of a calming living space to have a relaxed evening in.
With a little one we spend a lot of our evenings in the house, so this summer I went on the hunt in Laura Ashley, my favourite shop, for items that would give our living room a grown up make over.
I’ve been lusting after the Pineapple Complete Lamp for quite sometime; I was just deciding which room to get them for as I think they would make lovely bedside lamps too. The Pineapple Lamp is a stunning design – beautifully classic in champagne colour tones and has a really quirky side too. It fits in perfectly with our space – a statement item in a neutral colour palette. Everyone loves a pina colada in the sunshine so I felt it was a perfect addition for our living room makeover this summer!
Toy storage has been on our wish list for months. I searched high and low for something in a classic design that would add to our space whilst also disguising the ‘every colour of the rainbow’ toys that litter our downstairs space. This set of two Kubu Trunks is perfect. They are an ideal addition to our lounge – stylish and practical. I also use them as a side table, perfect for a quick cup of tea and a flick through a magazine whilst our son naps.
I also think the Kubu Trunks are the type of item you can use in every room of the house – much more practical than a hefty storage unit that needs to remain in one place indefinitely.
We decided to put our coffee table into storage to give our son plenty of space to play which means that my husband and I don’t really have a table to hold drinks and nibbles when we do get to sit down and relax together in the evenings. I was delighted when I found this Cream Wooden Lap Tray. It often sits between us on the sofa holding a cup of tea and slice of cake. It also has the benefit of folding legs so can be raised up – perfect for lazy breakfasts in bed too. It’s a beautiful soft cream colour so an ideal addition to any space.
We are absolutely delighted with our living room makeover. It’s amazing to see what a difference a few decorative, and practical, items can make to your space. Our lovely new additions have helped us create a more grown up, relaxed living area that we can really enjoy this summer – and no sign of the brightly coloured toys!
Now to decide which room to focus on next…
We love how Sophie has managed to create a space that works for her whole family. Do you have the same challenge? Let us know below or on Twitter @LauraAshleyUK