Allow for the working hearth
The hearth needs its own clear area. Before using this arrangement around a real fire, check the furniture and log-basket positions against the appliance's required clearances.
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ROOM 108 · Living Room
The fireplace room for November
Published
A old stone cottage, conceived for Derbyshire.
A stone cottage can become a caricature of itself surprisingly quickly. This November sitting room keeps the hearth and timber, then gives them primrose, a low contemporary table and a lamp made for reading.
See the product sourcesTHE DESIGN
The fire is the reason to gather, but it does not need to claim the entire room. The sofa has a clear view of the hearth, and the table follows its long edge. Logs wait in a basket outside the working hearth area, close enough to reach without becoming a decorative wall.
Dark leather gives the seating a definite outline against the stone. Primrose lifts the shaded cupboard, while the brown and red rug provides a warmer centre on the floor. These are separate decisions, not an instruction to make every surface rustic.
The small flower painting earns its place through colour and familiarity of subject. Beside it, the articulated lamp can bring a page into focus after daylight has gone. Comfort here depends on being able to do something, not simply look at the fire.
WHY THE ROOM WORKS
The fire earns the best seat, but not the whole floor.
Colour palette
- Camel
- Primrose
- Chocolate
- Stone grey
- Natural timber
A low table keeps the room open
Its long top follows the sofa rather than turning across the route.
Primrose lifts the shaded side
The pale yellow cupboard brings warmth to a corner the fire cannot light evenly.
Read beside the fire
An articulated lamp supports reading without asking the flames to do the job.
WHAT TO BORROW
Sit by the hearth with a book after dark. The fire may be the view, but the page still needs a lamp; check that position alongside the fire's required clearances.
THE PIECES BEHIND THE DESIGN
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The design began with these pieces from our Shop. Open each product for its exact size, finish and retailer details.
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King Dark Brown Leather Button Tufted 3 Seater Modern Chesterfield Sofa wit
Living With Luxury
Dark brown leather gives the hearth-facing sofa substance; its low oak base keeps the cottage room from feeling overstuffed.
£2,424.95
The Contemporary Coffee Table
The Roost
The plain brown table provides a long, usable surface parallel to the sofa, leaving the hearth route readable.
£499.95
Metal And Brass Articulated Floor Lamp From Ewa Varnamo
The Roost
The articulated metal lamp puts light on a book while the fire remains the room's broader source of atmosphere.
£295.00
Jug of Flowers Oil Painting
The Roost
Jug of Flowers introduces colour through a familiar still-life subject, giving the cottage character without rustic props.
£450.00
Equivicol, 1962 Handtufted Wool Rug
175 x 175cmbers - Brown
The Roost
Equivicol brings a defined field of colour under the seating, rather than another conventional cottage rug.
£980.00
Sadra Rattan Log Basket
Storage · Natural
Nkuku
A rattan log basket keeps the next few logs together beside the hearth, adding useful texture without extra furniture.
£130.00
Tuleeka Wool Cushion Cover: Ochre · 60 x 40 cm
Ochre · 60 x 40 cm
Nkuku
The wool cushion softens the contact with the leather sofa and supplies a smaller-scale texture near the seat.
£55.00
Chaipat Candlestick: Candles Holders & Lanterns · Large · Antique Brass
Candles Holders & Lanterns · Large · Antique Brass
Nkuku
The slim candlestick adds a small vertical line on the broad table; candles should remain clear of books and textiles.
£60.00
Inkollu Wire Bookstand
Kitchen & Dining Accessories · Aged Brass
Nkuku
The wire stand holds an open book without the weight of a lectern, making the table useful for a slow afternoon.
£25.00