English Home

During the run up to Christmas, the fun ofdecorating and the focus on shopping forpresents and food can mean that one’seye for practical matters can slip. Yet withendless comings and goings of friends and overnightguests across the festive period, this is the time whena home needs to run at its smoothest. The sitting room(along with the kitchen) becomes a hard-workingroom. But, thankfully, there is still time to make a fewadjustments to ensure it is a truly comfortable space,ready to host winter guests.``````AN EXTRA SEATLarge gatherings across the festive season requireinstant additional seating. Three people rarely feelinclined to sit in a row on a sofa, even if it is a threeseater, so do consider the configuration of seatingand whether it is worth investing in a compactoccasional chair or two.Easier still is to provide short-term seating witha footstool or ottomans. These can act as a perch forchildren or younger adults, and double up asa coffee table, with the provision of a large, stabletray for cups and teapot. Footstool designs with hiddenstorage have the added bonus of aiding clutter clearingat a moment’s notice. Two smaller, identically sizedrectangular footstools will give maximum flexibilityas they can be grouped as one large footstool ormoved to different locations.``````CLOCKWISE FROMTOP LEFT Low-levelseating for the youngand flexible.Karaman floorcushion, £235, OkaLaid-back seating forone, or a perch formultiple guests.Zeus day bed in robinstripe recycled wool,£470, Sofa.comClassic recliners, inluxurious velvet offerversatile seating.Enya chair, £795,Graham and GreenSeating, footstooland ottomans infabric from £86 ametre, FermoieOPPOSITE A sofa bedcan cater for extraguests at Christmas.Oregon Large SofaBed in colour Grey,H87 x W206 x D108,£1,369, MultiyorkSet the scene for jovial gatherings bypositioning seating for conversation### THE ENGLISH HOME 103TEH UK DEC 15 Sitting Rooms.indd 103 22/10/2015 17:27