Nine rooms that prove the devil is in the detail
One reason people enlist the help of interior designers, among the many, is that they understand the value of details. When most amateurs reach the point of extreme decision paralysis, a designer is just gearing up to take on what is arguably the most important part of any project: the finishing touches. Those small flourishes that make all the difference, and often turn a house or room into something characterful and unique.
Detailed decorating elements come in many forms. For example, a motif which recurs around a room or a house can help to link each of the spaces together (just take a look at the south London project below, designed by Laura Stephens, in which a diamond motif provides a running thread throughout each of the spaces). In other cases this attention to detail is manifested in the turning of something ordinary into something inspirational – the transition between two carpets in the below project by Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler is a rather genius example.
Perhaps it is the gentle incorporation of something personal into a scheme. This could be en embroidered cushion, or, as in the teenager's bedroom of the below Spencer Wedekind project, joinery which discreetly displays the first initial of her name. Whether you go large or small, the fact remains: details are just as important as any other decorating decision – read on for inspiring ways to make the most of yours.
Jasper Fry1/10This project by Spencer and Wedekind shows how joinery can be used to create something truly personal. If you look closely, you will see how the woodwork follows the shape of an ‘M’, the first initial of the owners' teenage daughter. A simple but effective touch.
Lucas Allen2/10A small but impressively considered detail, and one that's easy to copy, can be found in the house of Joanne Burgess, founder of The Curious House. Each room's purpose is picked up on in the artwork – in the kitchen the paintings and prints depict scenes of people eating or still lives of food.
Lucas Allen3/10An antique sugar packet has been framed in the pantry area of the same house.
Simon Upton4/10Often an afterthought, doorways should be a decorative and considered element in their own right. Take this one in Nicky Haslam's Cotswolds house. With the help of artist and muralist Lizzi Porter, Nicky has brought the walls alive with baroque swirled cartouches in azure blue framing the doors.
Paul Massey5/10A jewel-box apartment by Laura Stephens, which features a diamond motif throughout. ‘We used a wallpaper in the primary bedroom called ‘Gallier Diamond’ by Brunschwig & Fils. The client loved it so much that it served as an inspiration throughout the flat,' she says. 'We got my joiner to replace the doors of this IKEA wardrobe to match,' she explains.
Paul Massey6/10In the drawing room of designer Giles Vincent’s house in London, a pair of bronze and wood wall lights by David Turner Workshop flank Still Life with Pumpkin by Louis Valtat. A custom-made design, the form was created to echo the curved shape of the gourds in the painting. Bespoke objects like these are a brilliant way to introduce unique elements that connect with other items in a room scheme.
Alicia Waite7/10This view from the bathroom to the hallway of Emma Ainscough's London flat shows the brilliantly playful scheme. The bathroom has been papered in 'Lioness and Palms' in the midnight colourway, with a 'Turtle Green' by Eico paints beneath the dado rail, nicely linking the two while providing distinctly different feel in each room.
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Mark Anthony Fox8/10How to transition between flooring in any space in the house is often a dilemma that perplexes the best of us. Don't go for the simplest solution, instead opt for one that turns the space into a decorative detail. When transitioning from this bespoke carpet from Sinclair Till to a sisal for the next door bedroom, Emma Burns, of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, added this trim, which picks up on the colours in the carpet and offers a neat full stop. The image below shows the full effect.
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Mark Anthony Fox9/10The effect is very sophisticated and also highlights the wooden panelling of the door surround.
Sarah Griggs10/10In this childrens' bathroom in a Notting Hill flat, Natasha Quick carved out space for a bath, which she framed with a shower curtain made from a Rose Uniacke linen and a pretty Nicole Fabre fabric. Tiles, featuring a floral motif drawn by Hattie Eavis, frame the shower behind the bath and mirror the shape of niche that the bath occupies.
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