Hey guys,

Sorry for the delay but Valentines Day is big in my household!

My subscriber’s email last week was short and to the point:

“Space feels so flat. Nothing needs to stay. We haven’t purchased much furniture or lights yet.”

Honestly, that second sentence is the best possible starting point because the reason the space feels flat isn’t complicated. It feels flat because everything in it is flat. A groundbreaking conclusion, I know.

I’m giving this space a 6/10 because I’m sad, but not offended. 

This is a nice space.

There is nothing inherently wrong with beige, but when beige becomes the only language in a room (walls, flooring, cabinetry, upholstery, rug) you lose depth. You lose hierarchy. What you’re left with is ‘sameness’.

Right now, the space feels like a West Elm showroom: safe, warm, cohesive - but without tension or surprise. Without any contrast, the eye has nowhere to land. Let’s tackle the ‘flat feeling’ together. →

When I look at this space, I want to pull it apart and disrupt the ‘sameness’ a little bit. It’s simply not interesting, and if you select one more beige item I might scream. You’re officially on a beige ban.

When I’m designing a space I’m constantly thinking about controversy. My rule is that every space should contain at least one item that someone else wouldn't have put there. If you think that everyone will immediately love and relate to your home then I’m sorry to break it to you: you’re living in a showroom. There are no anchor moments in this space. No element that declares intention, personality or preference.

There are a few areas where we could implement a disruptive moment and I’ll delve into them below.

I know that I said you did a good job with the foundation of the space, but we have a few missed opportunities here which I think we should pick up on first. 

I like the kitchen design: it’s simple and elegant. It needs a little depth, and a very easy (and fairly inexpensive way) to implement this would be to add another finish into the mix, which will just add an edge where right now, it feels far too flat. 

Add tile to the chimney hood - something with texture, depth, or subtle pattern - and suddenly the kitchen gains a focal point.

Opportunity to disrupt:

Your barstools are screaming out to be switched for something that adds another form of contrast into your kitchen.

This doesn’t need to be loud. It just needs to be intentional.

Fabric is almost entirely missing from every image that I have seen.

The only significant textile present is a low-pile flatweave rug (also beige) which visually disappears into the floor rather than grounding the dining area. Your rug feels hard, too. How did you manage that?

The dining chairs don’t help - they really are the definition of bare-bones. Since you said nothing has to stay… Facebook Marketplace?

I would recommend some chunky, upholstered chairs with texture and presence. They will change the vibe here completely. 

Fabric creates depth, absorbs sound, and introduces layering. Without it, spaces feel hard and slightly transient. We have this big open plan space with some slightly swanky architectural features, but we need to turn the harshness down a notch. 

At the very least, I need to see:

Opportunity to disrupt:

Switching out your rug is the easiest way to shake up this space, but I think that you knew that already. 

The rug that you have chosen is technically the right size, but compared to your chunky island and the large bright backdrop, it feels stingy. I’d be inclined to switch this out for something square to let your dining area really take up space in the centre. 

I want to delve into something that interior designers probably don’t talk about enough when it comes to contrast. When we tell you to add contrast, you hear ‘light and dark’. What we really mean is: reach for both ends of the spectrum and then fill in the gaps. Let me explain. 

This subscriber technically has contrast. We have a soft, light backdrop and heavy dark crittall. We have light oak cabinetry and dark timber chair frames. Tick, tick - technically. 

So, why does it still feel flat?

The scheme doesn’t end with light and dark. We need balance, and you can achieve that in two ways.

If you’re opting for a very light and a very dark wood finish in your space, think about the middle ground and how you can bridge the gap with additional ‘medium’ tones in the space. If you don’t do this, you end up with a very harsh and potentially jarring aesthetic.

Contrast is made up of far more than light vs dark. Think about additional ways to add contrast into a scheme, starting with:

The oak cabinetry is doing a lot of heavy lifting here and it’s beautiful, but everything around it sits at the same tonal volume. Contrast is what makes warmth feel intentional rather than accidental.

Something that I am happy about is the way that you have considered lighting. We have cables for wall lamps, levels of lighting and perfectly placed sockets for side lamps. Good job.

Introduce:

Layered lighting changes mood instantly and adds dimensionality without changing layout.

This is not forever.

But for now, avoid adding any more beige textiles.

You already have enough neutrality in hard finishes. Every new soft furnishing should introduce contrast - whether through tone, texture, or scale.

That might mean:

Just not more flat beige.

People often think a flat space needs colour.

It doesn’t, and I’m not going to push you too hard if neutral is your vibe. 

A flat space needs hierarchy and a few good decisions.

Right now, everything exists at the same visual level. Introduce variation - through lighting, textiles, focal points - and the room will begin to feel intentional almost immediately.

The good news is, you’re at the exact stage where those decisions can still shape the entire space.