Contemporary Comfort and Portuguese Design

After months of upcycling country style furniture and decorating in muddy shades of grey for the holiday cottage, I’m craving for a project that calls for a bit more sophistication. And yes, a bit more COLOUR! I’m itching to get my hands on some samples of plush velvet and smooth, cool silk. I want to select upholstered pieces that were designed for modern day living and for discerning customers who expect their choices to last, and continue to be in style for years to come. I want to browse a catalogue of considered, multi-tasking furniture and be wowed by each and every piece.

So I did just that.

With a little help from Open Plan Living.

My selection of furniture, upholstery, lighting and art have all been chosen because I consider them to be either beautiful or useful. A lot of them are both. This Bracara desk (1) with it’s simple but functional design for instance, is certainly beautiful, and it has lots of features to keep an orderly workspace. Don’t know about you, but I can’t work if my desk is a mess. The artwork (2) which is acrylic mdf on canvas is quite simply stunning and the Julius leather chair (5) could be used in either the dining room or the office, or even the hall. The hoops are in polished brass and it is upholstered in natural leather, hand-dyed and hand-waxed. And what about the Lune A stool (4)? A very beautiful and versatile piece, which can be used as a stool or, if you put the wood tray on it, as a small coffee table. Last but not least, the Giacomo Floor Lamp (3) has 3 adjustable metal lamp shades, which means you can highlight three separate points in the same room. If that’s not working hard for its keep I don’t know what is.

One thing that I just can’t find successfully for our home is art. But this beautiful black and white photograph (6) could certainly work. In fact it would work in any type of interior. I think I could gaze at it all day. It’s very serene. The Bracara Sideboard (7) has a certain retro chic to it, and I don’t think I even need to explain why I would choose a pink velvet sofa. It’s all I need to indulge a long held fantasy of a completely feminine room, which would also include the David chair (1), below.

Proving I can be practical too, I’ve chosen another comfy velvet sofa (4), this time in ever-popular grey. The ceiling light (2) has been chosen because it too, has adjustable shades and is perfect for hanging low over a dining table and the Bracara Dresser 5111 (3) is a fun piece that is exceptionally well made and is a handy little stand-out piece of furniture.

This post has been written in partnership with Open Plan Living, who are a young and dynamic team based in both London and Oporto, Portugal. They offer a wide range of designs, from exclusive brands and artists represented by Open Plan Living in the UK, to fully bespoke solutions for your home, office or retail space customised to your needs.