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"I wanted this room to feel like an exhale. A space offering calm, comfort and restoration."
Most interior design begins with how a space should look. For Alex Dauley, the process is a little more personal. When the interiors expert reimagined her own London living room, she started with a question: how should this space make us feel? We sat down with her to talk it through.
Designing a small living room for the way you live
Alex works to a principle she calls The Lifestyle Design Method. Before any decision is made about how a room will look, she considers who will live in it, how they use it and what they need from the space.
"When designing a living space, most people ask themselves what style they like, what colours are trending or what they've seen on Instagram. I approach it differently. I start with lifestyle. How do you actually use the room? How do you want to feel in it? The design decisions then become much clearer."
This London living space was designed for Alex and her family. The brief, in her words, was an adult retreat. Somewhere sophisticated and layered but deeply comfortable, to unwind at the end of busy days.
A small space to work with, every design had to earn its place. Alex chose the Haven Sofa to evolve with her family. Its modular configuration can be adapted or expanded over time as their needs change.
"A modular sofa allows you to adapt to changing circumstances rather than replacing it. That's both practical and sustainable.”
Comfort was just as central to the choice. Seat cushions are made from the softest foam in the King Living collection, with a sink-in feeling that springs back into shape.
“The keystone chaise also creates opportunities for different ways of using the room. It encourages lounging, conversation and relaxed living rather than simply facing a television."
The colour palette: Styling a deep teal sofa
Colour is one of the most common ways to shape a room, yet often the most daunting, with many holding back from something bold. Alex's advice on bringing colour into a room starts with instinct.
"Start with what you love rather than what feels safe. I think people often worry about colour because they're afraid of making a mistake, but colour is one of the most powerful tools we have as designers."
For Alex, a deep teal sofa was bold enough to shape a room, but easy to live with. "The deep teal works because it's rich and grounding. It behaves almost like a neutral while still adding personality and character."
Styling a deep teal sofa is about building a palette around it. Teal is a shade that shifts with the light, reading deep and inky at night and softer by day, which makes it far more versatile than a true blue.
In a velvet-soft chenille like Richmond Petrol, the colour deepens. Walnut timber and softer neutrals balance the colour and settle the room, while bouclé cushions, stained glass décor and ceramics layer warmth on top.
And for the rest of the small space, being bold with colour doesn't require a dramatic gesture. “You don't need a bright yellow wall to be brave. Sometimes colour appears through fabrics, artwork or textiles."
How to mix textures in a small living room
In a small living room, texture is what gives the space its warmth and depth.
"Texture is what makes a room feel alive. A successful scheme usually contains contrast. Smooth against rough, matte against polished, soft against structured.” Alex says.
“The key is restraint. Not every element needs to compete for attention. I often describe interiors as orchestras. Every instrument has a role to play, but if they're all playing at maximum volume, the result becomes noise."
That restraint holds the room together: a layered space that reads as curated rather than busy. As Alex puts it, the secret is editing, introducing pieces with purpose rather than simply adding more.
Those pieces carry meaning. As a Welsh designer of Caribbean heritage, Alex returns often to identity, storytelling and belonging, the belief that the most meaningful homes reflect the lives lived within them.
"I don't believe homes should feel generic. The most meaningful spaces reflect the lives, experiences and cultures of the people living within them. Many of the objects in this room have been collected over time. Some are vintage finds, some reference travel, some simply resonated emotionally. Together they help tell a story that's uniquely ours."
A conversation between shapes
The living room already held strong architectural lines through its joinery, and Alex wanted to soften them.
"I often think of interiors as a conversation between shapes. Introducing softer curves helped create balance. Good interiors rarely rely on one shape. It's the tension between straight lines and curves that creates interest."
The soft lines of the Fleur Lounge Chair brought that curve into the room. Its sculptural silhouette rests on a slender base, with a folding backrest that shifts from a low, contemporary profile to a deeper seat with full head support.
Where Fleur draws the eye, the Haven Lounge Chair invites you to stay. Echoing the ease of the Haven Sofa in a single, relaxed form, the adjustable armrests adapt to any preference for comfort.
A room that exhales
Beneath the layers, the room answers to a single feeling.
"I wanted the space to feel like an exhale. Life is busy. Work is demanding. We are constantly connected. I wanted this room to offer the opposite. A sense of calm, comfort and restoration. Some spaces energise us. Others allow us to slow down. This room was designed firmly in the second category."
Alex's five styling takeaways
1. Start with how you live, let the room's function shape the design before the look
2. In a small space, choose a modular sofa that reconfigures as life changes
3. Balance strong architectural lines with softer, curved seating
4. Build your palette around one grounding colour, then layer with contrasting textures
5. Edit as you go, the most personal rooms come together slowly
A room that exhales
Connect with interior designer Alex Dauley and photographer Tom St Aubyn.
Recognised with a Red Dot Design Award and a Gold Muse Design Award, the Haven Sofa is customisable across bespoke fabrics and leathers. Discover more here.
For interior designers, architects and stylists, King Trade offers tailored support, customisation and trade pricing across the King Living collection. Connect with King Trade to feature your project, or visit a showroom to explore more award-winning Australian design.
Explore more of the space on Instagram
DATE PUBLISHED
13 August 2026
