Multi use rooms

Firstly apologises for the lateness of this post and for the not posting the last two days. Crazy frantic days coupled with some incredibly exciting opportunities has taken me out of town and away from the computer.  Today as I have been hot desking my way around the store in amongst deliveries and clients I have gotten into thinking all about multi purpose rooms – how I need to run a work station from the store but not wanting it to invade my beautiful space -  modern day spaces these days have to work so much harder, with few of us having the luxury of a room for each function of the home (or in my case store).

Screening could be the way to go – a decorative screen or freestanding bookcase or even a group of large plants can provide a simple partition.  Or if a physical barrier seems to obtrusive lay different rugs in seperate zones to give each area its own personality. Whatever you choose, dividing your space according to function creates essential pockets of privacy, leaving you free to wrok, read and relax. Yay!

Photography Graham Atkins Hughes

Using furniture that isn’t typically home office allows this workspace to blend with the rest of the room. Colour coordinated files and stylish storage boxes keep stressful clutter at bay and are used in tones that complement the overall decor.

Carpets, tiles and more

The floor is one of the largest areas in your home, so what goes down will determine the overall aesthetic. Cracking the code for the flooring is not an easy task. With the multitude of options out there it really comes down to the usage the floor will receive – but not at the expense of a fabulous feel good factor. These are big, scary decisions, often defined by budget, but get the flooring right and anything else you throw at the room will look fanatastic.

Photography Graham Atkins Hughes

A contemporary sisal  rug skims the polished wooden floor, giving a hard wearing yet comfortable surface. Laying a smaller rug with a livelier pattern over the top adds additional texture, giving balance and vitality to this living room.

Changing Moods

Creating a bright mood for a room can be tricky as it can easily become too garish. I hate to admit this but I have actually gotten up in the middle of supper and turned off and or dimmed friends lights so much does it bug me. Hardly surprising then that I am rarely invited round to supper anymore!
It’s the single pendant thing with nothing else going on that drives me crazy– so the
trick is to wash the room with ambient light which will accent particular features. The big big secret is that even during day time rooms must have some shadow for contrast so don’t try to eliminate everything.

The image below illustrates perfectly just how fabulous your pad can look with a selection of different lights on different levels. The firelight adds atmosphere, the central pendant makes a style statement and the table light casts a mood. I love lamps on lower levels particularly if they have been subdued by dimmers. Oh an if you do only have one pendant close your curtains in the evening – I have been known (unless otherwise restrained by husband) to march up to people’s front doors offering advise! Yikes!

Final Details

Accessories are easy to replace which means that you can afford to have a bit of fun with them. So whether it’s with quick to arrange cushions, new bedding or rugs or even a speedy update of door handles follow in the footsteps of the fashion-forward and introduce oversized elements in your design. It won’t necessary work in all situations – its very much about experimenting.  But your home will have a heightened sense of drama and become even more exciting as a result.

Below is my pad  – a supersized porcelain chandelier sits over a small table and accessories get changed around depending on the season. A large rasta floor cushion skims the floor (so in love with it am I that even in summer it  stays put) . Other cushions come and go and the rug gets lifted to let the summer light bounce and reflect off the floor boards.

Photography Rachel Smith, Gap Interiors

Why quirky mixed with modern mixed with vintage should meet more often

It all comes down to personality some rooms have it and some I hate to say just don’t. If your pad is lacking a few style ratings add some quirky touches. Flea market finds are a super easy way to inject personality as these pieces tell a narrative in the way that mass produced products just can’t. Also if you opt for just one look say Scandi then your whole room will,  I promise you look way to clean and cold! The trick and its a clever one at that is to combine – modern with vintage as vintage  adds instant personality. You can traditionalise your home by adding paneling to borring old walls and painting them a fab colour (as seen below) then mix in a dash of the quirky (love that art) with some vintage and modern pieces. Yes this is a hotel hang out but its a great way to get inspired – adding character is easy – the secret is all in the mix!

On why size matters

Playing around with scale can stop a room from feeling bland, depressing and drab. So think out of the box a little and opt for pieces that have been stretched or supersized. I call the trend neo-nonsense – its all about illusion and fantasty with designers drawing on the early 20th century surrealist art movement for inspiration. We saw a little of this a few years ago in Milan with Marcel Wandes gigantic lamps, silent bells and Delft eartherware, and Studio Job’s gigantic pieces for the mosaic tile company Bisazza not to mention their fab paper lights, tables and storage systems for Moooi.

You can also go the other way by mixing small furnishings in large spaces ( think Alice in Wonderland and you immediately get the idea). I have done both in my pad teaming a supersized flocked anglepoise lamp next to two little tub chairs I picked up from a flea market. Every time I walk through the door the combination makes me smile!

Update your home by revamping your window treatments

By simply changing your window treatment you can perk up your room in an instant and give it an entirely new feel. It’s a big old conundrum to figure out what to go with roller, roman, Venetian, curtains, shutters and so on. The main rule of thumb is whatever you select should be in harmony with the rest of the room. If you are just starting out or haven’t finished decorating yet or just can’t figure it out then I say opt for a white roman blind you can always get more elaborate later on – and the great thing about roller blinds is that they add simple style at a very reasonable cost.

The image below is a perfect illustration of just how great roller blinds are for little nooks such as this. They lighten the mood, block out the nosey neighbours but still let the light in. These blinds have been made to look more whimsical by hanging one of them the opposite way round – subtly making even the easiest of window treatments in vogue.

Photography Graham Atkins Hughes

Light up your life

I am on a mission with this topic so apologises if I bang on about just how important lighting is.  If you happen to just have one pendant hanging from the ceiling, please do something about it – as I am thinking about campaigning to make it a criminal offence! Lighting should never ever be an afterthought in a decorating scheme but part of your plan from the early stages. You need three types; ambient or general background lighting, task lighting for working, reading and cooking and feature or accent lighting. Layering the lighting is my top tip – so mix and match with aplomb a selection of pendants, floor, table and recessed not to mention a smattering of candles and fairy lights to create added intrigue.

Having said that its quite hard to find incredibly beautiful lighting – so frustrated am I that after trawling around the world for numerous years and only finding a handful of lights that I love I have decided to design my own range.

It’s not yet official and we are in the very early stages but watch this space for our quirky yet beautiful range of side lights- scheduled for release Autumn 2009!

Photography Graham Atkins Hughes

Feature lighting at its very best: over-sized contemporary wicker floor lights bathe the room in a soft dappled glow. Playing with scale is the real trick to making this look work.

Photography Graham Atkins Hughes

A plethora of lamps here create little nooks of interest and cosiness. But note how they are comparable in size and shed a similar amount of light distributing small points of illumination evenly throughout the room.

Give yourself a star

I am I must confess a little obsessed with stars at the moment, and I’m coming across them everywhere.  The supremely talented Miss Sarah Bailey makes fabulous super sized star cushions wrapped in velvet (we stock them in store) and they fly out like hot cakes! Paul Smith has designed a star rug (see below) and perhaps best of all is this star light which screams instant Hollywood glamour.

Stars in all their sizes and installations transfix and transform rooms. They are one of those stand-alone statement pieces that are designed to simply impress. I love how things from the past lend ways to new ideas – and if your interior is feeling a little too serious or formulaic try throwing in a  star – it lightens the mood adding a humours touch. Funny can be cool you know!

Mix & Match

Truly the most exciting trend in interiors right now is embracing eclecticism and mixing and matching an ever-changing array of items. To me this is what interior design is all about – a totally unsnobish way with design – its that off hand European kind of casualness that I love, whereby its never about the latest thing its more about whimsically mixing desirable objects that we cherish in a stylistic way. One such space, curated with passion and filled with soul is the living room  below. A stylish sanctuary in which to unwind – its got oodles of charm with its stacks of books creating a visual art display in themselves as well as being elegant, glamourous, and eclectic. Love it!