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10 Beautiful Rooms

And Monday has rolled round again already. Before we set off on our weekly stroll I would just like to thank everyone who has listened to, rated, reviewed and subscribed to the new podcast I am doing with Sophie Robinson. The response has been phenomenal and for a brief moment over the weekend we were at No6 in the UK podcast charts which was just beyond our wildest dreams. Episode three will be out in a couple of weeks and if you go to the podcast page you will see a link to a live event where we will be recording episode four if you fancy coming along and being part of the live audience.

pink and green by @andthentheywentwild
pink and green by @andthentheywentwild

Now then to the rooms to the rooms! And we starting off with a little exploration of pink and green. It’s a combination that has been around for a while but is only now beginning to find its way off the page of the magazines and into real homes. Michelle Ogundehin, television presenter, interiors consultant and, of course, former editor of Elle Decoration, posted this weekend on instagram that she had thought green was too dark for her at the beginning of the year but has spent the weekend adding a fir green to her sitting room… where there is a pale pink sofa in in residence.

pink and green by @maxmademedoit
pink and green by @maxmademedoit

Carol, the brilliant illustrator of maxmademedoit, has used Farrow & Ball calomine in both her studio and dining room and, as you can see below, her bathroom. I’m also searching for the right shade of pink for the bedroom – as many of you know we have a green bed against the false wall that is the wardrobe and I’m looking for the right shade of pink for the rest of the room which is currently painted Pavilion Grey. At the moment everything I have tried is just too pink for that south-facing room which seems to really intensify the colours. I want a sort of nude tone with a hint of brown but so far it’s evading me. Cue The Apprentice music…. The Hunt for the Perfect Pink continues….

pink and green bathroom by @maxmademedoit
pink and green bathroom by @maxmademedoit

Meanwhile, there’s another trend which is beginning to gain ground and that’s the square tile. I don’t think the metro/subway has had it’s day – it’s a classic after all – much like grey, but it’s no longer the only shape in town as it were. I went to visit a potential client in the Barbican the other day where the original bathroom tiles – square – were still in place – and we agreed that suddenly they looked modern again. Hers needed replacing but she’s thinking of sticking with the same shape.

pink tiles in the bathroom of @2lgstudio
pink tiles in the bathroom of @2lgstudio

Here you can see the pink squares in the home of Russell and Jordan at 2LG Studio and also in white, with dark grout, back in the home of Nicki Bamford-Boyes, aka  andthentheywentwild. Note also the plain white tiles which are the perfect foil to the black taps and accessories which is all warmed up with the pale pink accents.

I have said before that black and white is a classic scheme and you can imagine totally refreshing this by replacing the pink with green, or even more black. This is a bathroom that could last for ever terms of style. Even the black taps, suddenly fashionable but, I think, with more longevity than brass which flared into our consciousness so dramatically and may die back just as fast. Or perhaps I’m just making excuses because I don’t have any. The moral of the story being – do what you love not what you think is fashionable.

square bathroom tiles by @andthentheywentwild
square bathroom tiles by @andthentheywentwild

The other great style statement that is growing in popularity is panelling/cladding/shiplap – call it what you will. It’s another look that I don’t have but if I could find the right place to add it I would. It’s warmer than tiles and, once again, if you get bored you can paint it rather than having to rip the whole room apart.

This rather fabulous downstairs loo was created by Kate Marker, in her Grey Oak project. Try Farrow & Ball green smoke for a similar shade of green.

green shiplap bathroom design by kate marker interiors image by @stofferphotographyinteriors
green shiplap bathroom design by kate marker interiors image by @stofferphotographyinteriors

More panelling in the bathroom but this time in the rental cottage of Eden Hall, in Norfolk in a series of photos taken by Sar of Peas in my Pod. There are many different ways to do this in your home and it’s a good way to add character. The only thing I would advise though is that if you live in a house that wouldn’t have had panelling in the first place don’t add a “Victorian” or “Georgian” pastiche. Better to go for square like this, or vertical uprights – something that doesn’t look fake in other words. Then it will work.

edenhall norfolk bathroom
edenhall norfolk bathroom

Another clever use of the vertical, or tongue and groove, is to create a giant headboard like this one below. Last week we looked at the gorgeous velvet headboard by Joao Bothelho and this one below is a similiar idea for about £13,000 less. You can take it all the way across the wall for a really luxurious look. Then you can add bedside shelves and a light on top if you wanted to create an all-in-one sort of feel.

wooden cladding as bedhead at edenhall norfolk
wooden cladding as bedhead at edenhall norfolk

Or there’s the classic four poster. This one works in a small room because it has no curtains around it so it’s not dominating the room. Note in both rooms, the touches of pink which warm up the pale white and grey colour schemes. Also the stripes on the bedding are a stroke of styling genius.

edenhall norfolk
edenhall norfolk

Finally one for all of you who still love the dark rooms. This is Pearl Lowe’s bathroom as seen on instagram. And she’s got panelling too although hers might be original.

pearl lowe bathroom
pearl lowe bathroom
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.

12 Comments

  1. We have plaster V in our living room as I was trying to avoid the ‘too pink’ approach and wanted some strength of colour. It’s definitely not too pink, though in some lights I’m worried it’s actually a bit lilac. We have it paired with green – livid by Little Green – which is a lovely combo. I’d definitely look at the five shades of ‘plaster’ if you haven’t already.

  2. ooh, just looked at the Craig & Rose colour card – the Camisole Pink looks gorgeous – pink but not too pink

  3. Thank you, Kate – these rooms are beautiful. I have fought tooth and nail for pink walls but my husband is having none of it and the p-word is now banned in our house.

    Talking of paint, does anyone have any experience of Autentico paint? My local interiors-type shop tells me it’s better than F&B…

  4. I’ve got Alhambra Stone from Craig & Rose on my bedroom walls and ceiling. It’s a beautiful pink/peach depending on the light. In fact it can look one colour on the walls and another on the ceiling, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

  5. Pretty rooms this week. I do like pink and green – one of the friendlier combinations. Not keen on that naked four poster bed though, it has a ‘when are you going to finish it?’ feel to me, with a hint of metallic spider hovering over the bed.

    1. We have plaster V in our living room as I was trying to avoid the ‘too pink’ approach and wanted some strength of colour. It’s definitely not too pink, though in some lights I’m worried it’s actually a bit lilac. We have it paired with green – livid by Little Green – which is a lovely combo. I’d definitely look at the five shades of ‘plaster’ if you haven’t already.

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