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10 Beautiful Rooms

Cold then isn’t it? That’ll be November for you, so this week we’re going warm and cosy to banish the winter blues. These first images are from the Tine K catalogue. This Danish designer inspired me to use leather handles on my kitchen cupboards after I saw in a magazine that she had done the same thing using old leather belts. I wasn’t quite that inventive but I have been a fan of her look and furniture ever since.

image via Tine K Home - velvet sofa in port
image via Tine K Home – velvet sofa in port

These dark greeny grey walls with the pink sofa are just a fabulous combination. Try Pigeon by Farrow & Ball (I have linked to it but it doesn’t look anything like that in real life – or not on my computer anyway – do get a tester if you think you might like it) for a similar colour and this is one of her velvet sofas in port. I know you think a pink sofa isn’t a practical colour choice, but it’s no worse than a pale grey or neutral and will work much harder to give your room impact.

grey wall and floors image via tine k home
grey wall and floors image via tine k home

I love this long grey corridor with the fireplace at the end housing its woodburning stove. You can see, from this monochrome image, how easy it is to work with grey as a base. There isn’t a colour it doesn’t get on with – unlike the more traditional beige/magnolia/oatmeal which reigned supreme for so many years. Grey is everyone’s friend and you can warm it up with natural wood alongside every colour in the rainbow from pastel to neon.

image via tine k home
image via tine k home

Here is some pastel – or now we must call it millennial – pink with some gold cushions for warmth. Watch out for that is a colour combination that is coming for us next year. Pink and yellow – I like it in this slightly muddy version, you might prefer a more vibrant sort – it doesn’t matter which end of the spectrum you reside.

dark window frames via tine k
dark window frames via tine k

This one for anyone who was in doubt about the power of dark window frames. I wish mine were. I wish I could fall over a small lottery win and paint them all dark grey or blue black. It’s so far off the necessary list that I know it will never happen but if I could I would. Perhaps you can – so do.

country house photographed by benjamin edwards
country house photographed by benjamin edwards

More moody green, this time in Yeabridge House photographed by Benjamin Edwards and it’s also available as a location house from Light Locations It’s one of those houses that looks as if it all just fell effortlessly into place and that no-one bothered with anything as vulgar as interior design or trying to create a look. I’m sure they did, but the overall effect is gorgeous and a testament to the power of not having too much matching and not trying to hard. Or doing that thing where you wear 10 tonnes of make-up in an effort to make it look like you are wearing none. I suspect a lot more work went into this that at first appears and I mean that in a good way.

country house photographed by benjamin edwards
country house photographed by benjamin edwards

Sometimes we can spend too long agonising over what works – and I know there can be large sums of money involved – but don’t forget to start with the things you already have that you love and that will already get you off to the perfect start. If you feel comfortable in a room that will immediately show in the ambience it has and that’s half the battle. Doesn’t matter how much lovely stuff you have if deep down it isn’t you and doesn’t feel comfortable for you.

country house photographed by benjamin edwards
country house photographed by benjamin edwards 

Next up is this fabulous navy blue dresser photographed by Paul Craig who did a series of ladder images on his instagram recently. I always wanted a ladder in my kitchen but sadly my ceilings aren’t high enough to justify one which means we’d probably just trip over the darn thing every time we’d had a glass of wine. Or three. I think this idea will have to park itself with the dark window frames for the time being.

dark blue dresser at Sion Supper Club image by Paul Craig
dark blue dresser at Sion Hill Place Supper Club image by Paul Craig

Finally two images from the ongoing renovations of Mark Upton. I love this dark and moody bedroom of his. The panels on the wall are tin tiles – like I have on my kitchen ceiling – simply painted to match the wall. You can buy them from Andy Thornton and there are masses of different patterns.

navy blue walls via Mark Upton
navy blue walls via Mark Upton

The story goes that the Americans admired the stucco plasterwork of 18th century England but didn’t know how to create it so they made pressed tin tiles which they stuck on their ceilings instead and then painted to create the same effect. My kitchen ones are still in the original tin colour but they look great painted too.

And finally a shot of Mark’s moody living room. Black walls and green plants with a pale rug and lots of light flooding in from the windows to keep it looking stylish but not too dark.

dark walls and plants via Mark Upton

And that’s this week’s tour of 10 Beautiful Rooms. Have a lovely day everyone. I’m off to start compiling some Christmas gift guides for you all.

 

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

5 Comments

  1. thanks so much for the intro to homewood house Kate. That entire vibe is what I’m going for in my house refurb (when I actually have the funds to start it)…..and i agree, far more work has gone into nailing that amazing look than one would imagine…

  2. Hi Kate,
    Great post. Is there any way you can source that gorgeous large mirror in the first Tine-K photo?? Need it for a dining room. Saw this photo shoot in an old Elle Décor article. Thanks!

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