A Designer's Trick of the Trade: How to Achieve Comfort without Compromising Style

After more than 25 years in the interior design industry, one of the things I've learned is that designing a home is rarely about choosing between what looks beautiful and what feels comfortable. More often than not, it's about finding creative solutions that honour the priorities of everyone living in the space.

As I work with couples, I quickly discover that each decision-maker brings a different perspective to the design process. One partner may place a higher value on aesthetics, while the other prioritizes comfort and practicality. Neither approach is wrong. In fact, the best interiors are born when both needs are thoughtfully considered.

One request that inevitably comes up is the desire for a recliner or reclining sofa.

Now, before anyone comes after me, I understand the appeal. There's no denying that recliners offer comfort. However, they can also be challenging to incorporate into a thoughtfully designed room—particularly in open-concept spaces where furnishings are visible from multiple vantage points and play a significant role in the overall aesthetic.

This is where experience, creativity, and a few tricks of the trade come into play.

In the family room featured here, my clients wanted a space that felt sophisticated and cohesive, but they also wanted the ability to truly relax at the end of a long day. Rather than defaulting to a traditional recliner, we opted for a multifunctional solution: a beautiful nesting coffee table with a concealed ottoman tucked neatly underneath.

The coffee table serves as an elegant focal point and practical surface for everyday life. It's the perfect place to set down a glass of wine while entertaining, display a beautiful stack of books, or gather around a charcuterie board with family and friends. Hidden beneath it is a faux leather ottoman that can easily be pulled out whenever someone wants to put their feet up and unwind.

What I love most about this solution is that it doesn't ask my clients to sacrifice one priority for another. They gain the comfort they were looking for while preserving the polished, elevated look they envisioned for their home.

This, to me, is what great design is all about.

It's not about imposing a designer's preferences or convincing clients to abandon the things they love. It's about listening carefully, understanding how people truly live, and uncovering solutions they may never have considered on their own.

Sometimes the most successful spaces aren't the ones filled with the most expensive furnishings or the latest trends. They're the ones that quietly solve problems, support everyday living, and reflect the people who call them home.

So, the next time you're convinced you have to choose between comfort and style, remember: with a little creativity and thoughtful planning, you can absolutely have both.