Wake up to a happy home: how to design a feelgood house
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Loading... - Henry Williams
- 12 Apr 2022
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A mirror brightens every room: Emil Humbert, designer
Bringing natural light into darker spaces is always a good starting point when it comes to rethinking a room. Mirrors can make a world of difference. Placing mirrors close to windows, at a perpendicular angle, will reflect light deeper into a room, while bringing a reflection of the outdoors inside. Placing the mirror on the opposite wall also works, creating the illusion of an extra window. Using a mixture of tints and styles creates a soulful atmosphere. We create our own contemporary designs – often in brass – and place them alongside the many antique mirrors from all different periods we find in the flea markets of Paris.
humbertpoyet.com
Display your drinks in style
As every decent decorator will tell you, the secret to a feelgood front room is always having a handy place to set your G&T down, wherever you happen to be sitting. Invest in some additional side tables, such as this portable beauty (below) by Beata Heuman, which doubles as a place for books, bijoux objets d’art, an extra lamp or, better still, a handy spot for your own dedicated, mood-lifting minibar.
beataheuman.com
‘See what you are drawn to’: Lucinda Chambers, designer
You needn’t conduct a major overhaul, just a tweak, rearrangement or new addition can change your space. With shelves, imagine you’re creating a collection. Start with the item you love most, and build from there. They needn’t match, but connect through colour, textile or print. I’ve just rearranged my main shelves; they are full of brown and cream midcentury pottery, and lots of white. Don’t be afraid to rummage through the attic to see what might now make a reappearance. I just found my stash of old wooden shoe lasts, now on display. Avoid being a snob, things don’t need to be valuable: see what you’re drawn to at markets, carboots, secondhand. And when you put something down, remember it need not be its resting place. Pieces are in conversation with each other – move them and the topic will change.
Box clever with better storage
The satisfaction of good storage makes working life more serene and seamlessly productive – meaning you’re happier in the end, too. But rather than going bland or beige, choose something that also brings decorative flair. Harris & Jones have collaborated with British designer Cressida Bell on box files and storage boxes in arresting bold and exuberant designs.
Give your bathroom an upgrade
Think decorative objects, comfort and luxe. Scour Facebook Marketplace for small glass-fronted cabinets that you can tart up with some paint, and line the shelves with colourful wallpaper, or a bobbin-detail wooden shelf that can be wall hung to display both unguents and ornaments. To complete the look, invest in a portable light from Pooky in a pretty colour so that when it comes to working through your nightly routine before bed, you can switch off the harsh spotlights in your bathroom and bask in a soft (read: flattering) glow.
Sketch has ditched its pink walls
Give your living room a lift by following the lead of Parisian queen of colour India Mahdavi. In 2014, the interior designer turned the walls of Sketch’s Gallery restaurant “millennial pink”, making it the most photographed interior in London. Now, she’s reimagined the grand space with a textural, copper-hued de Gournay wallpaper and a paint tone she calls “Mandarin au Lait” that cleverly coordinates with the Yinka Shonibare Dutch wax batik pattern artworks that deck the walls. It’s so warm and delicious-looking it practically glows. Replicate its milky orangeness at home with an approximation of the hue that Mahdavi created in collaboration with paint specialists Mériguet-Carrère in Paris, then frame and hang some of the silk bandanas Shonibare created for the Tate… et voilà! You’ll have your own personal Sketch at home.
Get stoned
You’ve heard of the healing power of stones and essential oils, but combining the two is the double-dose way to relax. For a blissed-out start and end to the day, put an amethyst and soothing sodalite set by Norfolk Natural Living at Crouchers on your nightstand. It’s an eco-conscious brand founded by an aromatherapist, with everything ethically sourced.
Doormats needn’t be dowdy
Give your hallway an easy refresh by dispensing with tired old brush mats that have lost their lustre. Instead, indulge your bolder tastes with a bright and breezy HAY design that signals the fashionability of stripes. Clash, or coordinate, with your existing decor for a mood-boosting walk over the threshold.
hay.dk/en-gb
A tulipiere is blooming marvellous
Flowers never fail to bring good cheer. Borrowing from the design book of the 18th-century Dutch upper classes, Host Home has given the classic tulipiere vase a modern makeover. Used traditionally to display rare flora and fauna, the tulipiere can be placed on a sideboard, windowsill or shelf in the sightline of your desk. Filled with blooms, it will give you an instant and long-lasting mood elevation.
Bring in the night sky
Sleep is a national obsession so it makes sense that bed linen resembling the night sky is a thing. Dreamy sheets from Tekla and velvety comforters in midnight hues from Caravane are waiting to help send you into nocturnal bliss.
Frame to enhance: Martin Brudnizki, interior architect
Good art is capable of saying a lot more in an interior than all the curtains, chairs and lamps you spent months selecting. It tells a story, reminding us of the place we bought it and who we were with. When it comes to framing, treat the frame as you would fabric on a chair – it should enhance the work of art. Handmade with natural finishes is nicer than shiny, plastic-looking blacks and whites, and subtle shapes and curves in the moulding can help elevate a piece. The mount is equally important. Forgo conventional white and go for black with photography, or look at the colours in the picture and bring those out. Add further details with linen or gilded inserts.
‘Choose upbeat colours’: Joa Studholme, curator, Farrow & Ball
As we turn our backs on winter, we want to take advantage of longer daylight hours and introduce more upbeat colours to our interiors, along with colours that connect us directly to nature. However, this isn’t just painting walls – think outside the box. Painting your windows in a colour like the lively yellow Babouche will create an instant impact, reflecting light to create a sunny hue. Interior doors leading to an outside space work fantastically well if painted in cheerful colours such as Breakfast Room Green, a botanic shade that invites you into the garden before you have got there. And for something comforting and familiar, why not paint a chequerboard floor in Stone Blue and School House White? It can’t help but make you smile. Read More...
