Our three top tips to create a relaxing sitting room:

NO. 1
LARGE, AIRY SITTING ROOM

In a large room, take the furniture away from the walls, and instead, use internal architecture like fireplaces and windows to set centre lines to base the layout around. While this might feel counter-intuitive, it actually makes the room feel more spacious and avoids leaving an empty space in the middle of the room. Introduce an expansive rug ³Ù´ÇÌý
ground the seating area. Use the walls for bookshelves or to display art and fill corners with a small desk, like the Ardingly, balanced in the opposite corner with a large plant.

NO. 2
LONG, NARROW SITTING ROOM

If you don’t have architectural elements to design around, position a large piece of furniture, like a dresser or tv cabinet, to hold the scheme. Break the long space into two with a corner sofa and console behind, extending into the central space to create a low room divide. Then dress the console with tall lamps or flowers to add height but allow light through. A square shaped coffee table interrupts the linear lines of the room, making the space feel more visually interesting. An upholstered chair or love seat in the corner ‘rounds� out the conversation area and use the other end of the long room to create a library or study area.

NO. 3
AWKWARDLY SHAPED SITTING ROOM

With unusually shaped rooms or those with lots of doors or even a staircase, it can be tempting to push all the furniture against the walls. However, there is a lot of architectural ‘noiseâ€� in such spaces, so it is important to keep the room feeling smart, organised and uncluttered. Circulation is key to make the room feel comfortable, and we recommend leaving at least 80cmÌýbetween furniture and wall for good flow. Keep walls clear and divide the floorplan in³Ù´ÇÌýuseable blocks to which you can assign areas. Here there is a compact sofa area â€� we usedÌýthe slim lines of the George sofa â€� centred on a rug, and a reception area centred aroundÌýa pedestal table like the Sheldrake round dining table, which encourages flow in bothÌýdirections. A dark, unused corner under the stairs is utilised as a seating or reading area.Ìý

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FRED’S DESIGN TIPS

1. Mark out where furniture will sit with masking tape on the floor to get a sense of size and scale.
   
   
2. Try to avoid positioning the sofa with its back to a doorway as it will feel a little exposed.
   
   
3. Introduce a range of sofa sizes and shapes while maintaining a sense of symmetry. A sofa opposite two armchairs looks relaxed, two matching sofas facing each other will feel more formal.
   
   
4. Ensure you have at least 50cms between the coffee table and sofa or chair for a comfortable flow.
   
   
5. Ideally you should have a side table on either side of the sofa, or one next to a chair, but don’t introduce lots of different styles and materials for side tables as it can look chaotic.
   
   
6. Select a neutral fabric (this can be a light or dark tone) for your sofa and add pattern and texture with an upholstered footstool, armchair or cushions.

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Many conversations about art seem to get tangled up with talk of ‘provenance�, ‘collections� and ‘curation�. To me, it’s much simpler. Art is whatever you want it to be. Whatever you look at and think is beautiful, arresting, intriguing or even just pretty.

Some of the things I consider as art in my own home include piles of pebbles from various beaches, a pair of Japanese matchboxes set within a deep box frame, and a tiny watercolour of a rainbow that my son did when he was about six years old. There are more conventional pieces too: a limited-edition print; a black and white etching of a seagull from a student show; and my prized possession, a laser-cut plywood relief of a portion of herringbone floor.

They’re all very different, but because I absolutely adore each one, they ‘work� together. I consider them the punctuation points of my taste. The visual pause points and full stops around my home that tell you something of my story. They’re memories in three dimensions that allow glimpses into corners of my personality.

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I think the walls in our homes are our biggest canvases on which to express ourselves. We can divide them with panelling, add depth with texture, adorn with colour, and play with pattern to create engaging planes on which to gaze. But adding art � whether pictures, prints or paintings, or curiosity shelves within an alcove to accommodate tchotchkes and sculpture � is the ultimate finishing touch. It should always be the final layer of your decorative journey; the emotional embroidery, if you will, on the characterful tapestry that is your home.

As such, let’s underline that, however you define it, art is essential. It’s a pivotal part of the interior design toolbox, as important as furniture, colour, or plants. Capable of elevating any space, whether rented or owned, from mundane to marvellous. Art is the fast-track to magical mood making � to surround yourself with the richness of creativity is to wrap yourself in wellbeing. In conclusion, I don’t have rules per se as to how and where to display what and why, only five suggestions that always work well for me.

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O N E

Hang by eye � where does a picture feel best in terms of height or relation to other things in the room? If doing a collage of pictures though, it works best to keep the gaps between each piece roughly the same.

T W O

Put art in unexpected places, like at the bottom of the stairs (or the top), in the loo, and opposite your shower. These are places to take a moment and be surprised.

T H R E E

Frames are as important as the pictures themselves. Mounts too. Take your time choosing both.

F O U R

Don’t be afraid to switch paintings around: it can give a room a whole new feel.

F I V E

Always choose with your heart. It doesn’t matter who a piece is by, or where it’s from, as long as you want to keep looking at it.

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