Look to retain and restore appropriate architectural detailing. The ‘handwriting’ of the building can really ground your decorating journey and getting the bones/proportions right is what creates the backbone to a good room. Think about cornice, skirtings, panelling and fireplace and look for historical precedents from the period to help guide you.
A room can only shine if its fit for purpose and you want to make sure you use all of your home as much as possible – having rooms that serve multiple purposes avoids the ‘once a year Christmas room’ scenario! We often put tables in drawing rooms and hallways that can double up as a dining table or put lots of storage in a dining room so it can be used as a playroom/study too.
Planning is key and can makes for a cheaper, smoother and far less stressful journey. Storage is the answer to unlocking an organised life – it is always worth spending money on built in joinery.
Paint and Paper Library's architectural range will be your friend here because their neutrals are shaded from 1-5 which can be rolled out across the house depending on how dark you want to go – note: don’t try to make a dark room light or a light room dark, embrace the natural state of a room and go with it! Switching from yellow hued neutrals to more grey tones can feel very jarring as you move between spaces.
My walls are covered with things I have found/been given over the years – a get well soon card drawn by a friend, an icon of Mary I bought at auction, an ink drawing I bought for a couple of quid at a church sale – all hold emotional value and I enjoy remembering where I found them! Picture rails, framing and lighting artwork can really alter the emphasis you place on them. I've enjoyed reframing some old family portraits we inherited – removing their brash Victorian frames and replacing them with more modern tray frames which has really refocussed attention on the artwork itself and weave all become rather attached to the characters in the pictures.
That applies to furniture and fabrics. Antiques bring a patina to a room (especially pieces that have been used and loved in the past) and makes a space feel timeless – its also a responsible way of buying! I have a particular interest in folk art and furniture and love the way it is often decorated with fantastical characters, patterns and colours.
Vintage fabrics are an absolute favourite way to layer textures and patterns to create something truly original – my home is littered with Kanthas, Frazadas, Suzanis, tribal blankets, Welsh blankets, African textiles – each is unique and combined with contemporary fabrics creates a glorious melting pot of interest in a room.
I am terrible at arranging flowers but love bringing in colourful leaves or budding branches and watching them unfurl– it makes you engage with the seasons in an immediate way and having a living thing in a room definitely brings it to life.
Rugs are a chance to do something brave in a room – they tend to be a significant investment in a scheme BUT they are the artworks on the floor and can really offset everything else in the room. It can even be a good place to start a scheme.
Bring the furniture together to create a social hub.
Once you’ve fine tuned function you can start thinking about style. Try to find inspiration in books, old magazines and in the world around you. Keep a folder – either physically or on your phone – to store tear sheets of things that inspire you. It could be the colours in a painting, the shapes in a building, a particular piece of furniture. If you gather things over time you are more likely to arrive at an authentic aesthetic that isn’t influenced by trends. You want to build a home for life not one that reflects the now.
Treat your guests to nice linen for a comfortable nights sleep – a guest lying in is the greatest compliment you can get.
Mud and clean sheets are never a good combo!
