When creative consultant Max Hurd called on his friend, the decorator and designer Benedict Foley, to help him decorate his house in Queen's Park, the brief they came up with was 'Oscar Wilde by way of a Brazilian bordello, circa 1900, with references to Verner Panton, John Fowler, Nicky Haslam and a good dose of Marlene Dietrich camp’. In a little over a year, the pair transformed a bland white box into a riot of colour and pattern, with plenty of nods to traditional country house style.
Benedict and Max were determined to be as sustainable as possible, and used plenty of antiques and second-hand pieces throughout the schemes. Where they did buy new, they turned to friends and makers whose stories they were interested in, including ceramics by Gavin Houghton, fabrics by Sibyl Colefax and Viola Lanari, accessories by Campbell Rey, and of course, fabulous Archive paint colours from Farrow & Ball. Benedict also included his own charming frames and brackets (made under the name A.Prin Art) throughout the rooms. Looking to recreate the style? Here are our favourite things to buy from each space.
The attic
Painted in Farrow & Ball's Archive shade ‘ Blazer’, this flamboyant space also features purple office carpet bought as a remainder, paired with a wonderfully chaotic violet fabric from Viola Lanari. The room is full of interesting shapes, from the zig-zag lamp by Jermaine Gallacher to the bulbous plaster candlestick from A. Prin. The cushions are made up in Sibyl Colefax's ‘Lilies and Geranium’ pattern.
Hugh's room
Max's flatmate Hugh is the lucky occupant of this room, with a trellis hand-painted by decorative artist Queenie Ingrams, a blind in Sibyl Colefax's ‘Venetian Blind’ fabric, and a bed covered in an American 19th-century rag quilt. The walls are in Farrow & Ball's Joa’s White with woodwork in Charlotte’s Locks and Belvedere.
The bathroom
The bathroom is painted in Farrow & Ball's Pitch Blue, with a spectacular pelmet inspired by an early John Fowler design and painted in leftover paint and sample pots (Farrow & Ball's Harissa Red & Joa’s White). The window curtains are Red Ivy Trellis, a custom print from Daniel Slowik Limited. Monogrammed towels from Volga Linen make elegant accessories.
Max's room
Farrow & Ball’s ‘Tented Stripe’ wallpaper is a nod to Fifties country-house style in Max's flamboyant bedroom. Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s ‘Squiggle’ linen in aqua was chosen for the curtains and bed canopy, which cascades from a plaster scallop shell Max bought in Italy; the headboard – an Ebay find – is painted with the same motif. It sets off the pyramid design of the bedcover from TT Quilts, a charitable enterprise that helps victims of conflict in Vietnam.
The downstairs loo
This charming space is wallpapered in Farrow & Ball’s Versailles design, with one of A.Prin's sweet ‘Serpentine’ frames on the wall.
The kitchen
The existing cabinets were left in situ in the kitchen and painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Fake Tan’, with a rather grand castellated trim added to the top. The lower cupboard doors were removed and replaced with a curtain made of Sibyl Colefax’s Teapots fabric. Ceramics by Gavin Houghton and Carolina Irving brighten up the room.
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The drawing room
A combination of Farrow & Ball's ‘Bisque’ on the walls with ‘Bancha’ on the woodwork makes a striking setting for a collection of art on the walls in the drawing room. Sumptuous sofas in green velvet from Love Your Home strike a contemporary note.
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The vintage striped chair with bullion fringe was found by Max in Golborne Road, and a hand-embroidered cushion by This Man's Work sits on top.
The library
The walls here are in Farrow & Ball's Sap Green with the woodwork in Bancha. The sofa was made in a green cotton velvet by Love Your Home, scattered liberally with cushions made up of Sibyl Colefax’s Lilies & Geraniums, Decor Barbares’ Dans Le Foret, and a number made by Max’s sister Flossie from Indian Kantha cloth as a house warming present. The whole sits on a carpet designed by Campbell Rey for Nordic Knots.
