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10 Beautiful Rooms

grey panelling via 1st-option.com
grey panelling via 1st-option.com

Today’s selection of beautiful rooms is definitely giving me house envy. But, at the same time, they are good for inspiration. Not that I need any incentive to change my house. I would say we are in a perpetual state of “nearly there” and I can’t decide if that’s because that’s probably true for everyon,e or because I am constantly looking for new things to show you and therefore inevitably see things that I would like in my own home.

wooden floorboards via 1st-option.com
dramatic entrance via 1st-option.com

These first few rooms come via the locations agency 1st Option which means that any of you who work in pr or advertising or have products to style can hire these spaces out for work purposes. And if you do then take me with you so I can have a real-nose about won’t you?

I know you’re going to groan at the panelling in the kitchen below again aren’t you. You’ll have to bear with me – it’s part of my long-term subliminal plan to bring the Mad Husband on board to my desire to do this at the dining end of our kitchen. And when I say long term… it might take years but I’m dogged like that.

aylestone via 1st-option.com
aylestone via 1st-option.com

I also love this kitchen below which, yes, is huge but it’s also quite simple and it wasn’t so much the hanging chair I liked – although that would be cool,  if unrealistic in most kitchens – but the large plant which really makes this space and stops it being too stark and minimal. It’s amazing how plants have quickly become the must-have accessory again. I was looking at a picture of my kitchen taken early last summer before the fiddle leaf fig moved in and couldn’t work out why it looked so cold and hard.  So you don’t have to have a giant plant if space doesn’t permit – scale according to your size. Even a few pots of herbs dotted about will make a difference.

curious house via 1st-option.com kitchen
curious house via 1st-option.com kitchen

This is the sitting room of the same location – it’s just visible in the image above. Lots more greenery to offset the black and white decor and this room feels instantly cosy without being too dark, even though it does have black walls. In real life, ie not for photos, I would probably have more books on the shelves but these are the inspiration pages.

black sitting room at the curious house via 1st-option.com
black sitting room at the curious house via 1st-option.com

Next up are a few pictures from the gorgeous house of photographer Paul Craig who, I’m very excited to say, is coming to shoot The Mad House for a magazine next week. Some of you will recognise his house from Living Etc where it appeared last month, but Paul is going to take some new pictures especially for us and share them as a guest post later in the year. He’ll be telling us about the inspiration he has gained from photographing some of the most beautiful houses in the UK and giving a few tips on photographing your own home whether it’s for instagram, fun or estate agents so look out for that one.

Arodene Road-1
the kitchen of photographer Paul Craig

Talking of guest bloggers, tomorrow sees the second person to join us and I’m delighted to say that Sophie Robinson, formerly of The Great Interior Design Challenge and interior stylist extraordinaire will be dropping in to tell us how to use colour. It’s definitely something I’m nervous about so I thought she would be the perfect person to advise us all. Do drop in tomorrow to read that.

Arodene Road-3
the living room of photographer Paul Craig

In the meantime you can carry on looking round Paul’s house. I love, love, love the antique mirror he has put behind his dining table. I have just spent the weekend doing something similar in my bathroom where I didn’t want too many modern mirrors as it can look at bit gym/dance studio. Paul will be photographing it soon but in the meantime I imagine it will turn up on my instagram.

Arodene Road-10
the dining room of photographer Paul Craig

Finally, last week I showed you a the new Mannmade furniture range from the architect and designer Sebastian Mann and here are a couple of the interiors projects he has worked on. I particularly love the wave effect created by these ceiling lights. Note how he hasn’t used spotlights but angled ceiling lights that are there are to light the artwork and have also created the most beautiful effect on the walls.

sedlescombe project by minaleandmann
project by minaleandmann

The lighting is by Buster and Punch who have cornered the market in elegant industrial design. I also wanted to add that when it comes to rugs, the rules change slightly when you’re using irregular shaped animals skins as Mann has here.  I think these can totally work as rug islands in the way that the more classically shaped rectangles and squares can’t. Do you agree? You don’t have to!

via minaleandmann sedlescombe project
project by minaleandmann

So there you have it. I hope you have enjoyed today’s selection and are ready to face the rest of your Mondays wherever they are and whatever you are doing. It’s half term in the Mad House which, now that they are older, means very little change to the work routine as they do their own thing but just adds extra cooking into the mix. Wishing you all a very happy day.

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.

2 Comments

  1. Love the wave/cloud lighting effect.
    Hanging chair in kitchen a no-no.
    Interesting winged chair, is it old or new ?

  2. Love the last, French Industrial room, Kate. I could easily move right in without making one edit to it. Thank you and cheers, Ardith

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