After being quoted £30,000 for an extension, Homebuilding's Content Director, Laura Crombie, decided to get creative by changing her entire downstairs floor plan to make the space work better for her family.
Since their old living room had become the kitchen-diner, it "made sense" for the redundant formal dining room to become the new living space. Despite being around 3x4m, they were "confident" they could make it work, and it has now become a "warm and cosy space" where her family spend most of their time.
Below, she walks us through how they achieved it, along with the best products she chose along the way to bring her dream living room design to life.
Article continues belowBefore and after photos
Before
After
How they did it
To begin, the old serving hatch was blocked up with timber studwork overlaid with plasterboard, and aluminium bi-fold doors were added to maximise the beautiful garden views. Since the doors were the same width as the old window, they didn’t need a new lintel, but the floor did need to be reinforced to cope with the weight of the doors.
"We chose two-pane bifolds from Kloeber as they look like patio doors, with minimal frame, but open right back to allow access to the garden and to frame the view," she says.
As for the flooring, Laura chose Karndean’s herringbone LVT in 'Savannah Oak’, which flows seamlessly into her kitchen. To add a cosy touch, the floor was covered with an extra-large Berber-style rug, picked up in a La Redoute sale.
They also chose to paint the walls in Tikkurila Anti-Reflex White – Laura's all-time favourite emulsion, which is ideal for high-traffic areas, as you can “touch it up constantly without any telltale marks.”
"I still like a feature wall in the right setting, so I chose Lady Bug from Earthborn Paints, which is a really rich burgundy. I love the fact that it’s washable and virtually VOC- and odour-free, making it perfect for a family home," she says.
Shop Laura's favourite paints
Crowned the “best white paint you can buy” by Laura, this emulsion provides great, even coverage and works well for touch-ups.
This eco-friendly clay paint comes in a gorgeous, rich burgundy shade – the perfect choice for a cosy statement wall like Laura's.
The next big decision was choosing the right sofa. Having previously bought a Swyft sofa and “absolutely loved it”, Laura opted for another, choosing the largest one she could fit in the space, as it’s an area that's frequently used for sitting, relaxing and hosting.
"Swyft is a pioneer of ‘sofas in a box’, which means they come in pieces and can be carried into tricky spaces easily. We opted for installation, which meant the delivery drivers built them for us and took away all the packing, which was super handy," she says.
If you want to recreate Laura's look in your home, she bought two of the Model 10 three-seater sofas and a footstool in teal velvet, which she praises as being easy to wipe clean and ideal for those with children and pets. She says the mid-century feel ties in perfectly with the style of her 1960s home.
Shop Laura's furniture
This three-seater sofa features a luxurious teal velvet finish, and Laura confirms it’s easy to wipe clean.
Available in a variety of fabrics and colours, this ottoman is ideal for putting your feet up while storing any clutter.
When it came to decorating her small living room idea, Laura selected a print by Georgia Elliot – an artist she discovered on Instagram, whose work she “loves” and hopes to one day afford an original of. Some of her prints are now available at John Lewis.
Laura bought her cushions from Dunelm, the ceiling light from Wayfair, and the wall lights from La Redoute.
They didn’t feel the need for lots of living room storage ideas, so a TV unit from Wayfair proved the perfect compact solution – especially as it has a similar feel as the mid-century style sofas.
"The fact it’s up on legs and you can see the floor beneath, makes the space feel bigger," she says. "The glass bookcase unit from JYSK has a similar impact as you can see through it – it’s also highly practical as it stops anything inside from getting dusty."
See the floorplan before and after
"The space now is warm, cosy and proof that small living rooms don’t have to be boring. As a family, we spend more time in this room than any other space," she concludes.
If you enjoyed seeing the transformation of this small living room, you might also like to see photos of Laura’s £350 built-in pantry from Amazon. Alternatively, if an extension feels like a better fit for your needs, take inspiration from this low-waste home designed with the planet in mind.
