The sophisticated urban style sitting room designed by La Nave Home at Gancedo

La Nave Home studio, formed by Mª Carmen Girón, Elena Herrero and Teresa Garzás, was delighted to accept Gancedo’s invitation to create an interior design proposal at the textile company’s flagship store at Velázquez 38 in Madrid. An initiative which on previous occasions has included Burondo, I Mediterránea, Pete Bermejo and María Santos, to name but a few.

On this occasion, the La Nave Home proposal is an urban sitting room, in which the combination of black and white tones with geometric patterns comes together to create an environment which is elegant and sophisticated yet also cosy and laidback, thanks both to the fabrics and rugs chosen to enhance the environment as well as the vegetable fibre details which give the décor a warm, natural vibe. The mirrored surfaces strategically placed at different points around the space also play a key role in the outcome, cleverly reflecting the light as they do, making the sitting room look larger and brighter.

Black and white, the most stylish contrast
There are many ways to apply this colour palette to the décor of an environment and produce a modern, elegant space. It’s a question of first choosing the colour of the walls, ceiling and floor (which will act as background support) and then trying out textiles, furniture and decorative accessories to come up with contrasts which are either understated or bold and eye-catching. So, you can go for white walls with features in black for a classic, sophisticated look, or invert the colours and have black walls with white elements for a more daring touch. But remember, in the latter case, to make sure that the room has enough natural light so that it doesn’t end up feeling too gloomy.

In this sitting room, La Nave Home set up a backdrop of white wallpaper decorated with subtle broadly spaced black stripes, which floods the environment with light. The works of art which decorate the walls pick up on this most striking and spectacular two-tone effect.

On the floor
Carrying on with the black and white colour contrast, when it came to covering the floor of the space, a fitted carpet in wool and natural raffia was teamed up with a black jute rug in the centre of the room. A mix producing a captivating visual effect that inexorably draws all eyes.
The fitted carpeting adds warmth and comfort to the environment. Its neutral natural tones create a cosy background which balances out the black and white colour palette of the décor. At the same time, the rug becomes a daring yet sophisticated focal point. Besides, the natural materials (wool, raffia and jute) add texture and a sense of oneness with nature, something which feels very comforting in an indoor space. The La Nave Home team has undoubtedly achieved a balance between the cosy yet sophisticated and the natural but modern.

Customized furniture
In their atelier La Nave Home has designed and produced the chest-of-drawers, console table and mirrors, using dark tinted cane and upholstery, versatile pieces that are easy to mix and match, whether incorporated into a rustic environment or a more modern, minimalist space.
And of course, as well as their traditional uses for curtains and seating, fabrics have endless possibilities: from upholstering unusual pieces of furniture such as side tables or chests-of-drawers, to covering lampshades and creating frames for pictures and mirrors. For the best result, it’s important to choose quality fabrics, long-lasting and resistant to wear-and-tear so that the furniture retains its aesthetic appeal over the years, and in colours and patterns in keeping with the rest of the décor. Also, the fabric must be fitted in a precise, professional way to ensure that the furniture sports a flawless, wrinkle-free appearance, not forgetting close attention to detail in the stitching and the finish of the edging.

Try out geometric patterns
Introducing striped patterns to a black and white décor is the ideal formula for adding a zing and visual richness to the environment, all the more so if, as in this sitting room, different thicknesses are used, and horizontal and vertical patterns are alternated. The curtain made up for this project illustrates this, with horizontal stripes at the head and foot and vertical ones in the drop; a groundbreaking touch in a sumptuous, exquisitely designed space in which not a single detail has been left to chance.