How to create cosiness in large spaces
House Rules judge and HB alumnus Wendy Moore says that warehouse style works best when the structure of the building becomes part of the aesthetic – but you need to remember that you are still creating a home, not a workspace.
“When you have big spaces you are trying to create intimacy, so I think that’s when the importance of lighting and soft furnishings come in,” she explains.
Here are Wendy’s top 3 tips to make a warehouse feel cosy.
1. Lighting
“You need to bring lighting down to a more traditional room level,” she says. “That’s why big drop pendants really work well in a warehouse because they do bring the focus down to a more comfortable level – particularly at night when you don’t get the benefit of any kind of natural light that bounces off the ceiling. Lighting makes a larger space feel more intimate and not empty or cavernous.”
"...after lighting, it’s about soft furnishings – bringing rugs in, plus artwork and cushions to create a sense of place in different zones”
Wendy Moore
2. Soft furnishings
“And then of course after lighting, it’s about soft furnishings – bringing rugs in, plus artwork and cushions to create a sense of place in different zones,” she explains. “So a loungeroom needs a big generous rug that connects all the loungeroom furniture to create a sense of place of a living area, which is usually a semi-open area.”
3. Adding missing elements
Sometimes old warehouses have lost architectural features, says Wendy, so adding in industrial-style materials such as exposed brickwork, concrete and copper gives the building a sense of history. “It doesn’t have to be only about stripping back – adding elements such as copper piping is a clever use of industrial materials,” she says.
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