This Image: The Michael Anastassiades lighting at Flos gives an architectural look, from £300
Angelina Villa-Clarke talks about the art of cosiness for this month’s series, Keep the Home Fires Burning
Lighting is central to creating the right atmosphere for the ultimate comfortable fireside space. Add in variations, such as table lamps, pendants and wall lights, so you can create differing effects depending on the time of day or night.
Simon Wallis-Smith, director of Fritz Fryer, agrees: “It’s important to have multiple layers of light in areas such as the living room, with the principle source being dimmable. This enables you to set the right mood for the room.”
“Quirky chandeliers give immediate impact to a room”
Meanwhile the lighting collection from new brand J Adams & Co draws inspiration from England’s historic design archives. Box wall lights and lantern-style pieces are imbued with antique styling and age-old surface techniques, all sympathetically combined with the latest lighting technology to suit the modern home.
Quirky chandeliers, like those available at Besselink and Jones, and the overhanging Arco lamp at Flos, give immediate impact to a room, while stylish side lamps – check out the range available at Dar Lighting – are essential for evening reading.
This Image: Add glamour to your space with this Osler Design Crystal Chandelier from Fritz Fryer, £7,885
Finally, make sure your colour palette is on-trend to create the perfect backdrop to your fireside. Combine dark and light shades and consider painting the chimney breast or alcoves either side of a fireplace in a bold, statement colour.
Helen Shaw, marketing director of paint specialist Benjamin Moore UK lends her expertise: “Paint has the power to change the feel of a room more than any other element. With fireplaces often being the focal point of the room, you can create a wonderful effect by using paint colour to accentuate the feature. For a subtle scheme, use a colour a few tones darker than your main wall colour.
“Sticking to muted, greyed-off shades will help to keep the scheme feeling cosy and inviting. For a more adventurous pop of colour, select a complementary shade (complementary colours are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and green). The cleaner the colour, the more vibrant the effect will be – more muted shades will create a more subtle and sophisticated combination.”
This Image: Paint specialist Benjamin Moore advises using contrasting tones around your fireplace such as the Dark Lilac and Lavender Mist shades used here, from £17 for 0.94L.