Q: I’m planning to hide my TV behind some joinery, with sliding doors across its front. What do I need to know?
A scheme by Lizzie Green featuring a TV hiding behind a panel clad with artwork by the artist Laura Vargas Llanas.
The TV wall is a challenge in every design brief. A necessity, for sure, but no one ever wants to see it. Yet it needs to be within easy reach. Sliding doors are a good idea, though not without their pitfalls. Firstly, you need at least the same size as the whole TV, either side of the TV itself, to have enough room to move it in and out. With TVs as big as they now are, that’s a lot of wall space needed.
Secondly, I think the panels that go over the TV look good when they’re showcasing art — but the art has to look as good when it’s split either side of the screen as it does when it’s together. For one project, I commissioned the artist Laura Vargas Llanas of Kanica Studio to create a tapestry that worked with the sofa color and was abstract enough to be split in two. It was amazing, but not inexpensive.
You could, of course, get two identical abstract prints, if they lined up well, or two panels of wallpaper. Then add a ridged frame around them so when you’re sliding them, you’re touching the frame and not the art itself. Finally, you’re going to need a brilliant joiner to make this built-in piece for you, bespoke — it’s unlikely you can fashion this from runners and edges found at IKEA. But the end result is completely worth it, and if you have the budget and time, then go for it.
Lizzie Green is a London-based interior designer and founder of her eponymous studio. She is known for her color- and pattern-focused schemes and love for traditional details.
Q: How do I pick wallpaper for a cloakroom that feels fun and impactful but also quite grown-up and not too overpowering?
I love using wallpaper as a cloakroom idea, but as they’re small spaces, I prefer to pick a pattern that doesn’t have a massive repeat. When it’s too dense, you can’t read it and feel a little hemmed in. A favorite is The Coven by Maison C, which has plenty of space between the figures, and I also like the spacious prettiness of Sandberg’s Jon and Lake August’s Nasturtium.
Whatever you choose, take it up and over the ceiling, and over as much of the joinery as you can. It feels more seamless this way, and less like you’re breaking up the story of the print.
Q: I’ve seen a lot of colorful lacquer dining tables lately and like them, but I'm not sure how to make them work. Do they have to be the star of the room? What chairs go with them? Help!
A dining room from one of Lizzie's schemes, featuring a pastel pink lacquered dining table.
I love a big, shiny, colored dining table, too. They’re so fun and so cool that they immediately set the tone for the sort of dinner party you’ll have around them — grown-up and a bit glamorous. I used a pink lacquer Chunky table from Gustaf Westman in a recent project, and it became a central piece, informing how the rest of the home felt. You pass by the dining room and see it from the end of the hall, and every time, you just think ‘wow!’.
So, yes, I’m a fan, but I agree they’re not without a little bit of trickiness to make them work. Ideally, they contrast with other pieces — matching everything to this shiny table would end up feeling a bit like a packet of bubblegum. I chose a chocolatey sideboard and walnut dining chairs from Hay that were modern, like the table. So think about that relationship: look for contrasts not just in eras but in textures, too — you don’t want too many reflective surfaces in one room.
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