Style File: Nicola Harding
Nothing fazes Nicola Harding, who has turned her talents to country houses and city flats alike. While she is respectful of a house’s architectural features, her modern take on colour gives her projects a frisson of excitement. Her calling card is a contemporary style with classical roots, expertly sourced antiques and a commitment to working as sustainably as possible. In recent years, too, Nicola has turned her interior design skills to hotels. We are not talking about big-brand, corporate design, no, but instead about quirky, under-the-radar boutique interiors – the type, in fact, from which so many of us take inspiration for our homes.
“My aim is always to create a place rich in soulfulness and atmosphere,” says Nicola, “I like making human, intimate, playful spaces with that sense of a charmed childhood, where you feel at home quickly but still comfortable if something happens to be out of place.” And we can't help but agree: indeed, Nicola's talent for interiors – no matter where they may be – are always well-layered, stylish and functional, design characteristics that have earned her a recurring spot on House & Garden's Top 100 List.
Discover Nicola's designs, including the plans for her own country house
Paul Massey1/18This Jacobean beauty seemed to have it all, but its new owners felt like it was lacking its vital spark. Brought in to restore a sense of character, Nicola embarked on a whirlwind revamp, transforming rooms with an artful palette and creating beguiling contrasts of dark and light. In the entrance hall, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Bancha’ on the walls and ceiling sets off the antique suzani wall hanging and the rug from Gallery Yacou. A pendant from Obsolete hangs above the central table.
Paul Massey2/18In the wife's sitting room, a sofa in Soane’s ‘Dianthus Chintz’ picks up on walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Constantia Blue’ and cabinetry in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Crimson Red’.
Paul Massey4/18Set on the banks of the Thames, this 18th-century house has always been blessed with a glorious outlook. But, after an artful redesign by Nicola Harding, its interior now has a sense of flow and an easy elegance perfectly suited to a weekend family home. In the sitting room, whose walls in ‘Atria’ by Pure & Original and Emery & Cie’s bejmat floor tiles lend the room a relaxed glamour. A leather-covered ottoman from Dean Antiques complements the Howe London sofa and chair – in Prelle’s ‘Toile Barbare’ fabric – which are positioned to make the most of the views. Beside the sofa, an antique table lamp is paired with a Rosi de Ruig lampshade, which picks up on the knotted hemp rug from Vanderhurd. The wooden stool was an antique find.
Paul Massey5/18Woodwork in Pure & Original’s ‘Aubergine’ and black bejmat tiles from Emery & Cie provide a dramatic backdrop for a handsome 19th-century table and vintage painted stool. The old factory light is from Matthew Cox.
Paul Massey7/18On acquiring a generous Georgian-style house in rural Berkshire, a young London family brought in Nicola to help them make their own colourful mark on their new home. The walls of this light-filled room are painted in ‘Setting Plaster’ by Farrow & Ball. Blue and green fabrics include a bottle-green velvet by Rose Uniacke on the bespoke George Smith ottoman and ‘Cordoba’ linen by Vanderhurd on the vintage armchairs.
Paul Massey8/18Nicola’s team collaborated with Naturalmat to design the headboard in the main bedroom, which is upholstered in ‘Carolina’ linen from Vanderhurd. Walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ and a rug from Guinevere continue the pale pink and blue theme.
Paul Massey10/18With the help of Nicola, a couple in London united three flats in a nineteenth-century house to create a family home, using atmospheric colours and a characterful mix of furniture. Here in the living room, Nicola combined Farrow & Ball’s ‘Light Blue’ paint on the walls of the family room and panelling with a slightly darker shade – ‘Blue Reef’ by Pure & Original – on the joinery. Cushions by Tobias & the Angel soften the look of a Howe armchair covered in antique overdyed linen.
Paul Massey11/18Farrow & Ball's 'Elephant's Breath' paint was used on the walls of the kitchen/dining room, with 'Dimity' on the ceiling and 'Dove Tale' on the skirting. The painting is A Floating Soul by Koo Jeong A from Pilar Corrias Gallery.
13/18Nicola considers herself mainly a residential designer, but the chance, 10 years ago, to take on the refurbishment of six country inns spurred her interest – and talent – for hotel design. Pictured here is a Classic Room at The Mitre Hampton Court.
14/18The snug area of The Garden House at Beaverbrook.
16/18“In spring 2018, hungry for new adventures and a greener life, my husband, three children and I swapped our Victorian terraced house in west London for a listed village property on the edge of the Cotswolds,” says Nicola.
Paul Massey18/18Pictured is the exterior of the Georgian-style house in Berkshire redesigned by Nicola – one of many projects, indeed. Over the course of her illustrious career in design, Nicola has learned the ‘dos and don’ts' of design – and shared her top tips for creating colourful, layered interiors with House & Garden.
