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Before and After
Room Tour: A Tricky Space Lacking Warmth and Privacy is Reworked
Before and after photos show how this big, boxy living room has been transformed into a versatile and cosy family space
When Nabil Rubeiz of Mia Karlsson Interior Design initially visited the first floor living room in this modern house, it was all windows, stainless steel, glass and white walls. The room, which stretches from the front to the back of the house, felt too big and open to be the cosy, multifunctional space the owners wanted. The family also felt exposed to the street by floor-to-ceiling glazing and kept the blinds closed at one end.
From replacing some balustrades with a giant planter to adding soft colours and strategic shelving to zone the space, Nabil came up with some ingenious design ideas to soften the room, create privacy, add storage and generally make it a more practical and comfortable place for the family to spend time together.
From replacing some balustrades with a giant planter to adding soft colours and strategic shelving to zone the space, Nabil came up with some ingenious design ideas to soften the room, create privacy, add storage and generally make it a more practical and comfortable place for the family to spend time together.
The large room is beautifully light thanks to two huge windows at either end. But the arrangement, pre-renovation, had some downsides. “The first point on the owners’ brief was to create some privacy and cosy areas that weren’t overlooked,” Nabil says. One of the windows in particular (see further down) was problematic.
They also asked him to design shelving for their extensive book collection; somewhere for the children to play on the floor; room for a table where the family could play board games or do puzzles together; a comfy, private-feeling spot for watching TV, and a place to put their piano.
They also asked him to design shelving for their extensive book collection; somewhere for the children to play on the floor; room for a table where the family could play board games or do puzzles together; a comfy, private-feeling spot for watching TV, and a place to put their piano.
This before photo shows what a challenge Nabil faced to meet the brief.
“It’s always hard when you have big rooms – they come with the challenge of how to zone and use the space so you don’t feel lost in it, and where to put the sofa to make it cosy, for example,” he says. “This is a beautiful space, but it is big. It was a white shell.”
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“It’s always hard when you have big rooms – they come with the challenge of how to zone and use the space so you don’t feel lost in it, and where to put the sofa to make it cosy, for example,” he says. “This is a beautiful space, but it is big. It was a white shell.”
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At the other end of the room is a window that caused privacy issues for the owners. Because this is a first floor room in a corner house, these windows overlook the street to the side as well as the garden. The long pane behind the chair was a particular issue, as through it, passers-by had a clear view into the room. As a result, the couple tended to keep the blinds pulled down.
The space below is the kitchen and dining room. Nabil felt the vast, double-height wall on the right (just seen) was quite stark, and wanted to soften it.
Now, the space and the views, in and out, have been transformed. A large planter cleverly blocks the view into the room for people on the street.
The double-height wall has been clad in slatted oak panelling to bring texture and warmth into the room, rather than the expanse of white-painted plaster.
“This is a way to soften these vast, double-height walls,” he says. “It also adds great acoustic values, not only soundproofing the neighbours on that side, but also reducing echoes and vibrations; previously it was quite an echoey space.” The wood goes all the way down, which also visually connects the two rooms, top and bottom.
Under the double window there is also now one of two new little music zones where the piano lives.
The double-height wall has been clad in slatted oak panelling to bring texture and warmth into the room, rather than the expanse of white-painted plaster.
“This is a way to soften these vast, double-height walls,” he says. “It also adds great acoustic values, not only soundproofing the neighbours on that side, but also reducing echoes and vibrations; previously it was quite an echoey space.” The wood goes all the way down, which also visually connects the two rooms, top and bottom.
Under the double window there is also now one of two new little music zones where the piano lives.
“The space had a lot of hard and shiny textures. It made it a bit soulless, I think,” Nabil says. For this reason, he initially thought of removing the stainless-steel and glass balustrade. “But then we thought, ‘Why waste it? It’s good and solid,’” he says. “So instead we removed just two panes of glass and replaced them with the overhanging planters.”
As well as creating privacy, they’re in the perfect spot for an abundance of greenery, as it’s bathed in natural light. A landscaping company built the containers bespoke and planted them with suitable varieties.
The planters are made from moisture-resistant MDF and painted to match the off-white ceiling colour. We wanted the plants to be the highlight. “My own house is full of plants and I wanted to give a little bit of what I love to the client,” Nabil says.
Bespoke planters, Biophilic Designs.
As well as creating privacy, they’re in the perfect spot for an abundance of greenery, as it’s bathed in natural light. A landscaping company built the containers bespoke and planted them with suitable varieties.
The planters are made from moisture-resistant MDF and painted to match the off-white ceiling colour. We wanted the plants to be the highlight. “My own house is full of plants and I wanted to give a little bit of what I love to the client,” Nabil says.
Bespoke planters, Biophilic Designs.
Nabil also worked hard on the lighting. “The space was dotted with spotlights. We had to remove a lot of them. It’s nice to have a couple of directional spotlights on a painting or something, but not to have a grid.”
Elsewhere, he zoned the lighting to specific areas and artworks and added wall and table lamps for mood lighting. He also replaced the lone chrome pendant seen previously with a trio of textured shades to illuminate the dining table below.
This expanse of empty floor is an important circulation point, as it opens onto the stairs that connect with the kitchen below. It was deliberately kept uncluttered. Nabil retained the original flooring, which was in good condition.
Nelson Bubble pendant lights, SCP. Acupanel oak acoustic wall panels, The Wood Veneer Hub.
Elsewhere, he zoned the lighting to specific areas and artworks and added wall and table lamps for mood lighting. He also replaced the lone chrome pendant seen previously with a trio of textured shades to illuminate the dining table below.
This expanse of empty floor is an important circulation point, as it opens onto the stairs that connect with the kitchen below. It was deliberately kept uncluttered. Nabil retained the original flooring, which was in good condition.
Nelson Bubble pendant lights, SCP. Acupanel oak acoustic wall panels, The Wood Veneer Hub.
Back at the other end of the room, the space next to this window provides a light, good-sized area where the children can play on the floor.
Pot Bobby wood planters, Hve Me Over.
Pot Bobby wood planters, Hve Me Over.
The colours in the room – yellowy-beige and terracotta – create a cosy atmosphere and help to zone the space.
Heaps of storage, both open and closed, keeps things tidy but not sterile. The large painted cabinet contains futureproof adjustable shelves, currently filled with toys.
Design By Us Wave Optic Wall Lamp Rose, Viva Lagoon.
Heaps of storage, both open and closed, keeps things tidy but not sterile. The large painted cabinet contains futureproof adjustable shelves, currently filled with toys.
Design By Us Wave Optic Wall Lamp Rose, Viva Lagoon.
The black plinth is made from sustainable compressed paper. “It’s a beautiful material; it’s slightly textured and looks like natural slate,” Nabil says.
“The lamp is beautiful – it gives a nice, not in-your-face shadow,” he adds.
Orbit table lamp, Globen Lighting. Plinth material, Richlite.
“The lamp is beautiful – it gives a nice, not in-your-face shadow,” he adds.
Orbit table lamp, Globen Lighting. Plinth material, Richlite.
The storage beneath the TV contains a wide, eco-friendly biofuel fire.
Rug, Linie Design.
Rug, Linie Design.
The old sofa looked a little lost amid all that white space. The owners sold all the furniture they no longer wanted, rather than just chucking things out.
Now, a new sofa sits in the same location; Nabil commissioned bespoke cushions to soften it.
The double-sided, floor-to-ceiling shelving works both as a partition and a screen to the window, zoning and cosily enclosing the sofa area.
Sofa, Roche Bobois.
The double-sided, floor-to-ceiling shelving works both as a partition and a screen to the window, zoning and cosily enclosing the sofa area.
Sofa, Roche Bobois.
This spot, between the TV zone and the piano, is the family games area, perfect for puzzles and board games. On the left-hand side, a wall sections off the stairwell, which runs parallel to the television wall.
Nabil built two-sided vertical storage on the right-hand side and added drawers beneath the bench. The upholstery fabric ties in with the paint on the tall cabinet to pull the room together without being too matchy-matchy.
He also added directional ceiling spots to illuminate the area.
Nabil built two-sided vertical storage on the right-hand side and added drawers beneath the bench. The upholstery fabric ties in with the paint on the tall cabinet to pull the room together without being too matchy-matchy.
He also added directional ceiling spots to illuminate the area.
The same area, with the door to the stairs visible, pre-renovation.
In this before photo, you can see the wall opposite the games area was flat and blank, a dead zone at the top of the stairs. And now…?
It’s the owners’ new music zone. “They wanted an area for a record player and storage for vinyl,” Nabil says. To the left is the start of the wood panelling that fills the double-height wall down to the dining space below.
“The speakers are wired invisibly, with cables and cable grommets behind accessible panels. We allowed for lots of hidden sockets for amps and other equipment, which is hidden in the closed storage,” Nabil says.
The whole job ran smoothly with the help of Houzz Pro software, which made it easy to share invoices, lists of materials and “Selections” boards. “It shows the clients a moodboard with the prices of everything we’ve suggested under it, from wood panelling to tiles and lighting,” Nabil says. “It allows them to see how the budget is going and they can approve items with a click. They found it very useful and clear.”
And how did the homeowners feel about the transformation? “They were very, very happy,” Nabil says, smiling. “We gave them more than they’d expected in the way we designed and zoned the room. A major part of the brief was to make some privacy for them, especially by the TV area, and we managed to do that. They say they now feel more comfortable and relaxed in the space.”
Hill House chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, owners’ own.
Tell us…
Which design ideas in this room have inspired you? Let us know in the Comments.
“The speakers are wired invisibly, with cables and cable grommets behind accessible panels. We allowed for lots of hidden sockets for amps and other equipment, which is hidden in the closed storage,” Nabil says.
The whole job ran smoothly with the help of Houzz Pro software, which made it easy to share invoices, lists of materials and “Selections” boards. “It shows the clients a moodboard with the prices of everything we’ve suggested under it, from wood panelling to tiles and lighting,” Nabil says. “It allows them to see how the budget is going and they can approve items with a click. They found it very useful and clear.”
And how did the homeowners feel about the transformation? “They were very, very happy,” Nabil says, smiling. “We gave them more than they’d expected in the way we designed and zoned the room. A major part of the brief was to make some privacy for them, especially by the TV area, and we managed to do that. They say they now feel more comfortable and relaxed in the space.”
Hill House chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, owners’ own.
Tell us…
Which design ideas in this room have inspired you? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family with two primary-school-age children
Location Crouch End, north London
Property A modern end-of-terrace house
Room dimensions Around 14m x 6m
Designer Nabil Rubeiz of Mia Karlsson Interior Design
Project year 2023
Photos by Ben Sage