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In an interview with Livingetc, London-based designer Filippo Calvagno answered reader questions about making a home feel cozy without relying on layers of soft furnishings. His suggestions include adapting an existing living-room chair into a reading spot, using a bench and cupboard to organize a hallway, and choosing warm neutrals such as Farrow & Ball’s Dimity.
London-based designer Filippo Calvagno has shared practical advice on making a home feel cozy, in a Livingetc interview answering readers’ questions about reading corners, busy entryways and neutral paint. His recommendations focus on how a room functions and feels, rather than simply adding layers of cushions and throws.
For a reading spot in a small living room, Calvagno said a dedicated room or even a formal corner is not necessary. A comfortable chair, a small side table and a lamp can make an existing part of the room work as a place to settle in. He recommends a seat large enough for someone to curl up in, paired with a low surface for a book or drink and a light that is suitable for reading.
Calvagno also advised choosing materials that invite regular use rather than feel too delicate. In the interview, he named slubby linen, warm leather and boucle as examples. He described placing a Ligne Roset Togo seat by a fireplace for a client, where it became a reading area; the client also found the low seat useful as a baby-changing station. That anecdote illustrates how a single piece of furniture can serve more than one purpose, but it is a client’s experience, not a general claim about the chair.
For a welcoming hallway that does not become a shoe-drop zone, he suggested a bench for guests to sit on and a nearby cupboard for footwear. He said he sometimes places an antique urn or vase beneath the bench to discourage people from treating the space below it as shoe storage. His paint recommendations include Farrow & Ball Dimity and Lick Pink 02, which he said he likes with brown.
Small Changes for Daily Comfort
Calvagno’s advice addresses common household constraints: limited living-room space, a crowded entrance and the challenge of choosing a neutral color that feels warm without looking overly creamy. Rather than treating coziness as a shopping list, his answers connect the room’s arrangement, lighting and materials to how people use it.
The hallway suggestions also balance hospitality with organization. A bench gives visitors a place to sit while removing shoes, while storage close at hand can make it easier to keep footwear contained. The approach is especially relevant during periods when a household expects more guests, though the interview does not provide evidence that any one arrangement will work for every home or household.
His paint comments offer a way to think about color under changing light: Calvagno said Dimity initially reads as white to him, then takes on an amber or pink glow when sunlight reaches it. That description is his assessment of the color in use, not a guarantee of how it will appear in every room. Light, orientation and surrounding finishes can affect what a paint color looks like.
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Calvagno’s Approach to Interiors
Livingetc presents Calvagno as a London-based designer with a Sicilian background who was born in Germany and has lived in the United States. In the interview, he said those experiences have shaped his approach to design. He also pointed to his background in dance, saying it influences how he thinks about movement, rhythm and people’s experience of a space.
The article frames his work as cozy but still modern, emphasizing color, texture and layout rather than a simple accumulation of soft accessories. The questions cover three specific decisions readers may face at home: how to carve out a reading area without extra space, how to make an entry welcoming while managing shoes, and how to choose a warm-feeling neutral.
Calvagno’s named products and paints are examples from his own practice and preferences. The source does not say they are the only suitable options, nor does it include independent testing or a comparison of products. Its focus is design advice attributed to one designer.
““It’s nice to walk in and be met by a bit of brightness.””
— Filippo Calvagno, speaking to Livingetc
What the Interview Does Not Establish
The source is an advice interview, not a report on a new product launch, project opening or change in the design industry. It gives no publication date in the supplied material, so the timing of the interview cannot be stated more precisely. It also does not identify the clients or provide further details about the projects Calvagno references.
His descriptions of paint colors and materials are personal design judgments. The interview does not specify how Dimity or Pink 02 will look under different lighting conditions, or provide room measurements, paint samples or a controlled comparison. Readers would need to test colors in their own space before relying on the descriptions.
The article also does not report costs, availability or current product specifications for the named furniture and paint. Calvagno’s suggestions are presented as practical options, not as tested solutions for every home.
Applying the Advice at Home
Livingetc’s published piece offers the advice as part of its wider interior-design coverage. The supplied source does not announce a follow-up interview, event or further development. For readers applying the suggestions, the practical next steps are to look at existing furniture first, check whether a side table and reading light can be added, and consider what storage a hallway needs before choosing decorative items.
For paint, Calvagno’s recommendations can serve as starting points rather than final specifications. Sampling a shade in the room and observing it at different times of day would help show how it works with the space’s actual light and furnishings. The source gives no indication of what Calvagno or Livingetc will publish next.
Key Questions
Who is Filippo Calvagno?
Filippo Calvagno is a London-based designer. Livingetc describes him as having a Sicilian background, being born in Germany and having lived in the United States; Calvagno said those experiences influence his design approach.
How does Calvagno suggest creating a reading corner in a small living room?
He recommends using a comfortable chair already in the room, with a side table and reading lamp nearby. A separate room or formal corner is not required, in his view.
What does he recommend for a more organized hallway?
Calvagno suggests a bench for sitting and a cupboard close at hand for shoes. He said placing an urn or vase beneath the bench can discourage using that space for footwear.
Which neutral paint colors does he like?
He named Farrow & Ball Dimity as his preferred white and said he also likes Lick Pink 02, which he pairs with brown. These are his preferences, and the interview does not establish how they will look in every room.
When was the Livingetc interview published?
The source material provided for this article does not include a publication date, so the interview’s publication timing cannot be confirmed from the available information.
Source: livingetc.com
