Hi I’m Mike Goldwater and I was at the photoshoot for the new Furncare Liv Collection of bedrooms and communal rooms for challenging environments and those living with disability or dementia. Having spent some time ‘living’ with this furniture, I thought you’d be interested in my take on what I experienced.

Whilst setting up the rooms, I can’t deny that for just a moment I completely forgot I was in a photographic studio. The rooms, the furniture, the soft furnishings and the general vibe looked and felt so homely.

The first set we built was the B001 bedroom. That classic Waylen furniture is very cool, and heavy! The cabinets and wardrobes are really substantial, and the solid wooden surfaces feel organic and natural. The Dove Grey painted finishes give it a modern feel and contrast well with the real wood. Whilst it looks nice and solid, it’s also safe. All the corners and edges are carefully rounded off which not only makes them safer, it’s also a really stylish feature too.

I’m quite tall, but the Everly bed was a perfect fit (don’t tell anyone I tried it for size). And the crisp bedlinen and duvet cover felt great. If it wasn’t for those bright studio lights I think I could have snatched a most welcome 40 winks. Wish I’d thought to draw the stylish Kaya Ochre curtains now!

The Waylen dressing table doubled as my temporary office for the day, and the Jansson chair – upholstered in Nevis Putty faux leather – was very comfortable. The Elm tub chair was far too comfortable though, that became my go-to resting place between shots as it really is great with that feelgood Aspen Light Charcoal upholstery.

Our design coordinator came up with such a great theme for the room – even the recommended wallcoverings and pictures were carefully considered and worked a treat. Great job Jade.

A quick wall swap and we were in a glorious green B002 bedroom. All the soft furnishings, cushions, curtains and pictures were swapped over, and the room took on a whole new character. Lush, rich, sophisticated. The studio crew liked the curtain fabric, which worked so well with the Annika Emerald cushions. Even the smart Kira bedside lamp looked great on the Waylen three-drawer bedside cabinet.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much time to dwell on this lovely bedroom as we moved on to the matching L002 Living Room. Just like its bedroom cousin, the living room feels lush and homely. They say it’s all in the detail, and Jade’s selection of Gazania Forest curtains, Loreto Forest and Imbali Emerald cushions and the Palm Canvas on the wall was a triumph again. Having said that, the stars of the show were definitely the magnificent Luxe Bottle Green Rita sofas. Hard to believe that the soft velvety upholstery is waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant as it just feels so nice. Just to be clear though, it IS waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant!

Having had to surrender my Waylen dressing table/desk, I parked my laptop on the matching Waylen dining table for a while. Easy to see how nice it would be to have the same theme and furniture range flowing seamlessly from bedroom to dining room and living room. It really makes for such a calm environment.

Another wall swap and we’re in the grey L001 Living Room above – cousin to the B001 bedroom. All sleek, smooth and sophisticated. The Vision Pewter curtains were a hit with the crew again (self-proclaimed curtain aficionados!), but yet again those Rita sofas stole the show. This time they were upholstered in Compass Pewter which, just like the Luxe Bottle Green version, is waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant. I say that because I always thought that you could spot contract grade upholstery a mile off. This whole collection is contract grade furniture (in fact it exceeds contract grade standards) but it really doesn’t look like contract furniture. It looks and feels more like home. And you simply can’t get better than that!

Don’t take my word for it though. Visit the Furncare showroom and try The Liv Collection for yourself. Failing that, request a Liv Collection brochure and see the whole collection.