Have you visited our design studio? There are a few favourite spaces the team love at our studio; the sideboard with the ever-evolving vignettes or the meeting table where the process of designing often begins with blank sheets of paper and a steady supply of drawing pencils. Whilst not particularly gorgeous to look at, Sophie, our director and lead designer is particularly partial to the storage room out the back, where all our samples are laid out in super-organised rows, and client pieces await delivery to their forever homes. Recently, a client visiting the studio was besotted with our entrance. In our entrance foyer, we have a sofa chair, a side table and a lamp. It faces the street and is bathed in natural light. Our client declared it the ‘perfect mum nook’ and asked us to replicate it within the project we were undertaking to redesign her living room. Of course, we were happy to oblige!
It’s interesting; a huge focus on our design philosophy is creating beautiful, inviting spaces for families as a sanctuary from life outside the home. In the busyness of family life, where mum often works two jobs, one of which is completely unpaid and comes with quite appalling conditions including scooping action figures out of toilet bowls (or is that just us?) it makes perfect sense that mum might wish for a sanctuary within a sanctuary.
Think about it; children often have their own bedrooms, whilst mum shares a bedroom, bathroom and living space. Homes have to be shared, negotiated and compromises are plentiful. Many of our clients who fit into the empty nest demographic reclaim their space by turning their offspring’s former bedrooms and playrooms into, well, whatever they want! Virginia Woolfe said that in order to be a successful writer, a woman needed a ‘room of one’s own’. Do mothers really have to wait for their offspring to leave the nest to enjoy some space to themselves? In many homes, space is at a premium, so a room may not be a viable option. A nook, however? That we can create!
There are a number of essentials in the perfect mum nook. An area adjacent to or near a window is something we look for when we design a space like this, providing natural light and fresh air. In terms of positioning, a corner space, preferably next to the window is ideal. We’ve also created nooks in voids at the top of staircases, and in the space below a staircase. Small spaces can be used for the most charming, cosiest nooks. The best place is one that’s slightly separate from the rest of the living areas in lieu of mum having an invisibility cloak.
A comfy, cozy chair is the heart of a nook. It needs to be wide enough for mum to sit comfortably, with both legs nestled beside her if possible, and high backed so there’s somewhere to rest her head. We love a wide arm, not just stylistically (because they do look fantastic and we love any opportunity to add a bit of styling) but because they can easily balance a book and a coffee or a tea cup and saucer. Of course, a side table will serve the same purpose, as well as provide space for a lamp, a gorgeous scented candle, some of mum’s china cabinet treasures and maybe a photo of those she loves most, but is doing her upmost to ignore for at least fifteen minutes!
Other niceties for mum comes with texture- yes, we’re talking cushions, throw rugs, and maybe even a floor rug to delineate the space. The other essential? Noise cancelling headphones. Some of us swear by them!
We love creating spaces that are dedicated to helping mums unwind, relax, read, dream and just be. In fact, we’ve created a Houzz Ideabook that showcases our favourite spaces for mum. Would you like a sanctuary within your sanctuary? Please contact us.
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