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10 Beautiful Rooms

It was International Women’s Day last week and this week I just wanted to focus on 10 Beautiful Rooms that were either styled by women, photographed by women or designed by women.

This first room belongs to Michelle Matangi who lives in New Zealand and who I discovered on instagram as she is decorating her house. I am going to show you her sitting room from three angles because, well one, I think it’s lovely and two her colour choices.

image by michelle matangi
image by michelle matangi

You will see from the images above and below that she has a blush pink wall – anchored with lots of black and a pale gold sofa. Last week I went to the lastest Farrow and Ball trend talk given by their colour consultant (more on that later in the week) and she spoke about combining Hay with Setting Plaster and Wimborne White for a slight nod to midcentury but also to create an established feel to a space – one that feels like it has been there forever but that you came across it and tided it up a bit. It’s a supremely comfortable palette and I think this room of Michelle’s totally echoes that.

I might not have mixed the pink and the gold but it works – especially with the black accents.

image by michelle matangi
image by michelle matangi

And then here’s the really clever bit that Michelle maintains was a happy accident. She said she was painting the wall and couldn’t get the telly off the wall to paint behind it so she left it as it was. Now people are always asking me how to hide the television and the stock answer is to paint the wall dark. Not everyone wants to do that but what about making a statement like this?

It’s like a feature wall but for the 21st century – that is to say not being governed by where walls begin and end but making your own decision about where you want the paint to go. I saw another picture – which irritatingly I now can’t find – where the owners had painted the chimney breast but had also extended out to the sides but just halfway along the wall so that it wasn’t a conventional paint effect but looked much more considered. And therefore cooler. Think on’t people think on’t.

image by michelle matangi
image by michelle matangi

Next up, I have featured the stunning home of Cowboy Kate before but she has had the paintbrush out again since then. This is her dining room. I can’t believe I have never thought of gold leafing the wall before. Such a genius idea for a dining room to reflect light and make it feel luxe and special.

gold leaf dining room wall by cowboy kate
gold leaf dining room wall by cowboy kate

Below is a picture of the the home of Lucy St George, co-founder, with Jane Rockett, of – yes Rockett St George . Her home featured in Living Etc earlier this year and I do love that rich blue on the walls.

Lucy St George of rockett st george home
The home of Lucy St George of rockett st george

And while we’re talking about inspiring women running businesses and decorating their homes with such style and brilliance, we can’t have one without the other. Here’s Jane’s home.

living-room-from-where-i-sit-eames-house-bird-charles-ray-vitra-rockett-2f57f6cbd8c3b12a78a1e0b82890e34d7ef3a493
Jane Rockett’s home, co-founder of Rockett St George

Well of course it’s dark – you would be surprised if it wasn’t wouldn’t you? But it’s a house full of treasures. You feel that there would be something interesting to look at in every room and spot the dog lamp in the picture above – that’ll be by another brilliant woman – Abigail Ahern.

I’m pretty sure the kitchen isn’t blush pink but the lighting makes it look as it if it might be and after last week’s pink and green rooms it seems like it’s a colour that you’re not averse to in your kitchens.

kitchen of jane rockett
the home of rockett st george co-founder Jane Rockett

Going lighter again with this kitchen which was photographed by Martina Gemmola and styled by Ali Ross, an interior designer from Melbourne. Oh how I long for a pantry. It is, as someone said to me last week – on my list of completely unnecessary must have items.

image by Martina Gemmola design by Ali Ross
image by Martina Gemmola design by Ali Ross 

And finally this gorgeous room by Karen Knox, who you will know as one of my crack team of experts. This is the newest wallpaper from Little Greene and I would love it in my house more than I can say but I think it possibly only works in a bedroom as otherwise it would be covered by furniture. Anyway, Karen has done an amazing job with this room. You can see the rest of it on her site.

Maisons-Du-Monde-Goa-Bedframe
little green wallpaper via Karen Knox

So there we have it. Ten Beautiful Rooms designed by women, photographed by women and styled by women. Come back tomorrow for another great woman – television presenter Amanda Lamb will be sharing her expert knowledge on Selling Houses as a new series is about to come back to our screens. She’s seen it all and she knows how to sell your house.

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.

9 Comments

  1. First of all thanks for dedicating a post for women. I loved it, the concept and designs are really good. Among all the designs I liked the black one with the flowery wallpaper. I am having very less furniture in my bedroom, this design will work for me.

  2. I got very excited by the Little Greene “Upper Brook Street” wallpaper, until I realised that the red hot poker flowers are part of the wallpaper itself, and not a customised addition. Bugger.

  3. Gorgeous choices!! I’ve been following Michelle for a while and she always blows my mind with her color combinations! She’s so talented! Love Cowboy Kate, too!! Her house is so sultry and full of texture!

  4. That wallpaper! It may be the thing I have been looking for, for one of my rooms. Would it work above a dado, do we think?

  5. These are just gorgeous rooms…. the colours used and the amazing lighting in them are just so inspiring. If only I had the time and the money to change my home up every time a new idea strikes me… But I am really loving the blush with the black and latte colours lately, and also the striking green you’ve introduced recently.

  6. thank you for these beautiful rooms. A great way to start the day and the week!
    I have painted the hall in our flat pink. It is tiny. I think black is obviously the way to go for any furniture I might be able to fit in there. Greetings from early morning Göteborg.

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