Light-filled drawing room in the Shropshire countryside

From blank canvas to warm, characterful room

My clients had only recently moved into their country home when we began working together. While they felt fairly confident about the other rooms on the ground floor, the drawing room had them stumped.

A large, light-filled space, it had plenty of potential but very little to guide them. They wanted it to feel comfortable, welcoming and informal — somewhere that could accommodate large family gatherings, but feel equally inviting when it was just the two of them reading, relaxing or listening to music.

There was another layer to consider, too. They were bringing together furniture, belongings and quite different tastes from two previously separate homes. Rather than simply filling the room, we needed to find a way to make it feel cohesive and distinctly theirs.

Before

Despite its generous proportions, the room felt empty and uninviting. My clients were unsure how best to use it, or how to create a layout that would draw them in every day rather than it becoming a space that was only used on high days and holidays.

A basic grid of spotlights provided the only source of light, while the existing shelving at one end of the room felt tired and out of balance. Large rooms can be a wonderful luxury, but without careful planning they can easily feel sparse rather than inviting.

Finding the direction

We began by understanding how they wanted to use the room, what mattered most to each of them and the atmosphere they wanted to create.

Early layouts, concept designs and visual inspiration helped us explore the possibilities and gave them both confidence in the direction before we moved on to the finer details.

The size of the room allowed us to create different areas within it, rather than treating it as one large seating space. Bespoke joinery and custom-made furniture was designed to improve the proportions of the room and complement the existing bookshelves at the opposite end, which were also given a new lease of life.

The new cabinetry created a considered home for the television and music system, while helping to define a quieter corner for reading, relaxing and listening to music.

Adding warmth & character

Lighting played an important part in changing the feel of the room. The existing spotlights offered plenty of practical light but little atmosphere, so we replaced these and introduced layers of decorative and ambient lighting to make the space feel softer and more inviting throughout the day and into the evening.

A beautifully textured, linen-look wallpaper now wraps all four walls, replacing the cool grey paint the clients inherited. Richer colours were introduced through the upholstery, with a generous rug, curtains, cushions and tactile fabrics adding further layers of warmth, pattern and softness.

Although the drawing room extension is much more modern than the original part of the house, it was important that it still felt connected to its setting. We introduced period-inspired details including a custom-made ceiling rose to frame the statement pendant, heritage-style radiators and carefully chosen sockets and switches. Existing coving was matched and continued seamlessly across the new joinery — small details that quietly makes the whole room feel as though it has always belonged.

Before

Each of my clients had a slightly different vision for the room, shaped by their own tastes, belongings and the homes they had previously lived in. The challenge was to bring those two perspectives together and create a space that felt equally at home to both of them.

It also needed to work beyond the two of them: somewhere comfortable for everyday life, but equally relaxed and welcoming when family from both sides came to stay.

The Finished Room

What began as a large, rather anonymous space is now warm, layered and full of personality.

It works when the family gathers together, but also has quieter corners for everyday life. Most importantly, it has become a backdrop for the things that tell my clients’ story — their books, artwork, music and treasures collected on their travels.

Rather than feeling newly “done”, it feels settled, personal and genuinely theirs.

A New Chapter

Perhaps the greatest success of this room is that it doesn’t feel like somewhere waiting for an occasion. It’s just as likely to be used for an afternoon with a book or an evening listening to music as it is for a houseful of family at Christmas.

And while the design work may be complete, the room itself isn’t meant to feel finished. There is space for another painting, another pile of books, something brought home from a future trip. Over time, it will continue to gather the things — and the memories — that make a home interesting.