If you’ve spotted Victoria Beckham posing on social media of late, you may have noticed one of her preferred backdrops: the glamorous dressing room at her London townhouse. But this is unlike the walk-in wardrobes of yesteryear: the successful entrepreneur and style maven has taken things up a level — quite literally — by incorporating a living room into her upstairs space. Take that, Carrie Bradshaw!
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Furnished with a statement green velvet sofa and stylish pink armchairs, and finished off with a jet-black rug and a dazzling chandelier, the whole thing is achingly Parisian, which effectively makes it a contemporary salon, inspired by the elegant living rooms found in the grand European homes of the 18th and 19th centuries.
An upstairs living room in a Surrey house by the design studio Covet Noir
In this Holland Park house, the designer Katharine Pooley created a bespoke home bar topped with Calacatta Oro marbleJames McDonald
Beckham is not alone. Other celebs known to have carved out dedicated seating areas for lounging and conversing far removed from the staff downstairs include Kim Kardashian and Benny Blanco. And at this year’s WOW!house — the annual London show house featuring interiors by a raft of award-winning names — Martin Kemp Design is tapping into the trend with a salon-inspired space called the Parlour, which takes its cues from the formal living rooms of the past.
Often incorporated into or sitting alongside dressing rooms and bedrooms, and featuring everything from bars to baths for different uses throughout the day, these hybrid spaces are fast becoming one of the most hard-working rooms in the house. And they come with all the bells and whistles.
Gershwing wallpaper in gold by Divine Savages (£159 for a 6.5m roll) adds a decadent touch
Jodie Hazlewood’s upstairs living room in her former Nottingham flat, complete with a bath (Painted Boat Bath, £3,056, by BC Designs)Jodie Hazlewood, BC Designs
“We’ve been adding everything from occasional seating to fridges and coffee stations for a while, but increasingly the dressing room is considered a continuation of the living space with clients looking to create lounge-like environments,” says Philipp Nagel, the director of Neatsmith, which creates bespoke wardrobes and dressing rooms for the rich and famous. “It’s now somewhere to spend time, whether that’s getting ready in the morning or winding down at the end of the day, as well as an additional space to host.” From curling up with a good book to enjoying a killer cocktail, the routines of everyday life are elevated to luxurious heights from the comfort of this sexy new spot.
Before a recent move, Jodie Hazlewood — the founder of the British handmade furniture company The House Upstairs — regularly posted snaps of her stand-alone upstairs living room in Nottingham before it was even a thing. “It gives you a space that doesn’t need to work for anyone else, which changes how you approach it entirely,” she says. “While the rooms downstairs are often arranged with guests in mind, this salon-like environment can be shaped around your own habits, making it feel more personal and easier for everyday living. For me, that meant combining a place to sit and read by a wood-burning stove with an elevated bath area for a good soak, so the use of the room shifted naturally depending on the time of day. It was somewhere to start the morning slowly or to retreat to in the evening, and it never felt like it had to be ‘ready’ in the same way as the main living space.” It’s hardly surprising that Hazlewood is planning a similar first-floor space as part of the renovation of her new home in Bristol.
Likewise, Georgina (George) Townsin, the creative powerhouse behind the interior design company Studio George, has recently created similar lounges for clients looking upwards rather than outwards. “We’ve just designed a smart, adults-only living space for relaxing, conversing and reading away from the mess of everyday life at a home in Notting Hill,” she says. “The space is a sanctuary that feels separate from the rest of the home and creates a sense of calm and luxury. More generally, these upstairs spaces give you the chance to use materials and finishes you might not have in everyday family rooms, like a suede sofa, velvet footstool and silk curtains.”
De Rosee Sa created this calm dressing space in Mayfair, complete with a custom daybed and red lacquered sidetable. The wardrobe doors are covered in Iris wall fabric by Dedar
In a mid-century Dulwich townhouse, this first-floor living room, by Studio George and Cake Architecture, features vintage, contemporary and bespoke furnitureFelix Speller
Elsewhere in the city, the interior designer Katharine Pooley has thoughtfully considered all four levels of a family residence — including, you guessed it, a living room on the first floor. “This formal space comes into its own for entertaining with a fully fitted bar, Rose Uniacke sofas, a Kelly Wearstler floor lamp and cast Murano glass pendants by Thomas Pheasant,” she says. “It’s not unusual for a townhouse to be arranged vertically. Therefore we often see relaxed areas and wellness spaces on the ground and lower ground floors, with the upper levels dedicated to slightly more formal gatherings.”
So how do you create your own upstairs living room for unwinding à la Beckham? “You don’t need a large walk-in wardrobe or even a separate room to achieve one,” advises Claire Sá, the founder of the architecture and interiors studio De Rosee Sa, who notes an increased demand for such dedicated spots. “If you introduce somewhere to sit, even just a small chair or stool, and think carefully about lighting, it immediately feels like more than simply a space full of wardrobes or a spare room. The way people use their homes has fundamentally changed. There’s less separation between different parts of the day, so rooms need to be more flexible. Getting ready is no longer just a task, it’s a moment of transition — between work and going out, between bathing and sleeping — and we want spaces to feel calm, ordered and comfortable.”
Maybe it’s time to level up your living room.