Insiders: How to Create a Cosy, Layered Living Room with Alice Gaskell

Alice Gaskell is the founder of interior design firm, Alice Grace, based in Bath, England. Alice has a knack for working with contemporary spaces to create homes that are both timeless and beautiful, whilst her love for fabric and pattern blending adds depth and warmth to her designs. Her work is known for its personalised service, transforming spaces with a unique touch that embraces modern with traditional, as well as stylish with practical living. Alice has always possessed a refined eye for detail, and her passion for interiors inspires those who look to achieve refined yet achievable interiors.

We caught up with Alice to chat about creating a snug and cosy living room in your home, filled with texture and layers. Read on for Alice’s expert advice. 

Carefully consider the lighting

It goes without saying that lighting is absolutely key for creating a cosy ambiance in your home. For a cosy living room, you want a mix of table, floor, pendant and wall lights, especially in the darker months, where you bring warmth into your home with your choice of lighting. I love the way lighting highlights and casts shadows around a room – it can be an immediate mood enhancer if you get it right. It’s also important to choose the correct bulbs to achieve the right tone and ambiance in a room. And don't forget the soft, flickering glow of candlelight! 

Add as many lighting options as you can

There's no such thing as too many lamps! They all have their moment to be useful, depending on the time of year, the time of day and their specific purpose. If you have a new build, you may have inherited a huge amount of ceiling spotlights but, nine times out of ten, these are never needed and can be partially replaced, disabled and covered. In my own home, we have done this by using wallpaper and panels on the ceiling in various rooms. Instead, offer lighting options at different heights to create a cosier ambiance. Living rooms often have shelves or bookcases which can be highlighted with angled spotlights or wall lights, and you could also place a cordless rechargeable lamp on a shelf higher up. I like multi-armed floor lamps and plenty of table lamps of varying sizes and shapes and colours. A mantle is a pretty place to add a couple of tapered candles, and everyone loves a scented candle on a tray in the middle of an ottoman or coffee table.

Prioritise comfort

For a living room, make sure both you and your guests feel at ease and comfortable. You want to be able to pop down a drink on a side table, put up your feet and relax - not feel like you have to sit on the edge of your seat because of too many staged cushions. To me, a space is more welcoming if it looks a little used and lived in.

I have always been drawn to an earthy colour palette

I think adding warm brown, green and soft pink tones grounds a room in a palette that is so easy to work from. I tend to avoid a lot of really bright colours in my own designs, as I find them too loud – but that is, of course, a personal opinion and what works for one person might not work for another.

Focus on the textures of each element of your room 

Don’t just consider soft accessories such as cushions and throws when thinking about textures – you can also focus on the materials of your furniture, lighting and other accessories. For example: glass, marble, leather and reeded details can add layers to your room through everything from your choice of coffee table to the vases you introduce. In our own shop, we have introduced upholstered mirrors, which give you the opportunity to add an additional element in your choice of fabric and trim. Think about mixing up your lampshades to include linens and cottons, mixing pleated and plain shades, and alternating structured designs with more delicate details. There are so many opportunities to add variety to your space when you begin to consider these small details. 

Take your time to build up patterns and textures

Creating a layered living room does take time. If you are someone who prefers more neutral decor, introducing a variety of textures in your scheme (such as soft furnishings and rugs) can go a long way to creating somewhere that is inviting and comfortable. Textured wallcoverings can also enhance a considered space and make you and your visitors feel immediately cosy and comforted. I like to add pops of colour through a variety of elements such as woods, silks, linens and various patterned fabrics to bring a space too life and give it depth and meaning. However, you want it to look like it has been built up over time. This often means that pieces don't necessarily 'match' and aren't all brand new, but instead tell their own stories.

Mix old with new

We absolutely love mixing old with new when it comes to introducing pieces such as cushions, books, vases and art. I have books from my childhood on display alongside all the books I’ve recently purchased which I'm desperate to read but never have time to.  I often buy cushions in the sales but also have my favourite sources of bespoke independent makers which are perfect for the 'odd-one-outs'. Unique patterned designs beautifully offset staples, such as the gorgeous RU velvet cushions that ground the space. This combination gives you that perfect, comforting, layered look. I think it really shows when you have a mixture of bespoke, old and new pieces – it stops a space from feeling too staged and unnatural. 

When designing your living room, I would start with one piece that inspires you and sings to your core

It may be a piece of art, a rug or even a scrap of fabric. It could even be a picture of a room that you have pinned over and over, that inspires you and that you can't get out of your head. This is such a great way to start building your room design, by creating a spring-board of the colours you want to work with, and the mood and feel of the room. 

It is very easy to get so overwhelmed with inspiration and ideas through consuming social media, that you can often overlook what is genuinely 'you'. When you begin to invest in pieces for your home, you don't want to be filling it with items that are meaningless, or part of a temporary trend that won't last the test of time. You want the ‘clutter’ of your home to feel deliberate and natural. I advise taking a step back and considering what each item will bring to your space before taking the plunge.

I am a believer in spending where it matters. For you, this may be a rug or a sofa or a piece of art. Whilst these big-ticket items are big decisions that can be expensive, they form the base of your room. It is then the smaller pieces that will really elevate a space, create an eye-catching beauty and tell the story of you and your space. 

Discover more about Alice’s interior design company, Alice Grace.

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