Many moons again I came up with a title for a shoot I was art directing and styling for the British magazine Homes & Gardens and that was Living with Layers. Little did I know back then just how important layers would be to my style of interiors.
I think people stop decorating to soon, by that I mean when I walk into any room I don’t want to clock it in an instant I want my eye to be a little bedazzled, a little confused, but also excited and stimulated all at the same time. I don’t want to see a three piece matching set of furniture, a TV ,the odd occasional table and a pendant light, not enough its just not enough, it doesn’t cut the mustard. Its a bit like cooking you need oil, a little seasoning some herbs in order to bring a dish alive, you don’t just buy say some fish shove it in the oven and wham bam serve it. It needs a little work, as do our homes.
I get asked a lot about the dusting aspect, which is a very practical question when you have a lot of stuff but I’m not a practical designer. I hang chandeliers far to low causing many people in the household to get black eyes, I partner precariously tall big lamps on little ostrich tables, that look like they will topple and fall any moment. I use a dining chair as my office chair which is not as comfortable and makes me cramp up, but if I had an office chair its ugliness would cause a migraine (I am sure) and then I couldn’t work so what may I ask would be that point of that?
So yes dusting is involved but I would rather live in a house with lots of stuff that requires a feather duster over it once a week then cut it down to the bare essentials so it would feel like I am living in some transient hotel. Simple as that, I leave you with an image full to the brim, some people might think they are over loaded. me I think they are kind of wonderful. You literally don’t know where to look, its like wandering through a forest you can’t see a clear path subconsciously your senses are activated and you’re excited.
Right onwards and upwards, I have a project that needs finishing by tomorrow, a book to write, and a stand to design for Paris which is 2 weeks away, yada, yada, yada.
I love your blog, I look forward to it every day. But I don’t want to ask about dusting, instead I’d really like your opinion on flooring. Our conservatory, which is also our main entrance (therefore grubby floors) currently has the most hideous outside paving slabs down, very bumpy, impossible to keep clean etc etc. Our plan had been to put down the same wooden flooring throughout the downstairs, but mant are telling me this won’t wear well in the conservatory – pitting, scratching, scuffing, bleaching (faces due south) etc etc. So, stone? Porcelain? And in the kitchen too? What are your thoughts on good, hardwearing floors (within a small budget)?
I’ve also had a guest hit his head on a low-hanging light. Ouch! Felt bad, but then he upbraided me angrily at some length, until my sympathy morphed into indignation greater than his own. “I’m so sorry” became “You should watch where you’re going!”. Now I’ll never move the damn thing. ( and I probably should):)
Grateful for all the inspiring images. Especially like the white walls with v. v. dark floors (sacrilege on this site to not be fully on dark side, but still…). If still looking for art I implore you to check out http://www.victoriachalmers.com. A-may-zing. Just look, you’ll see.
I adore your blog. The pics you show are divine. I try to get my home to be a visual feast and don’t care that it takes me double the time to dust! People have laughed at my huge mirror,large urns and lamps in my kitchen but I love them and I think you would to. Keep up with the fantastic blog
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Thank you and your place sounds wonderful
I just love it! Smart but with a casual element. I want my loving room to look like this!
Couldn’t agree more and totally think your eye shouldn’t know where to look first – visual feast indeed! Yes rooms should have at least one ‘wow’ factor but is it so wrong to want 2 or 3 or 4? I’ve had people tell me not to hang a big huge mirror in my living room because it’ll take attention away from the big velvet chesterfield sofa but I’ve said, ‘so what? what’s wrong with having lots of pretty to look at?’ Same with other rooms in my home – I want people to take a moment, to pick apart all the layers, to be in the room for a while before saying, ‘Oh my god, I didn’t even see that xyz in that corner! I love that!’
You just make so much sense to me – thank you for giving me that extra confidence to do what I want and love and stuff everyone’s ideas of what the rules are 
x
To right about lots of focal points the more the better, thank you for you kind words