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Well I don’t know about you but I’m in need of soothing calm this week. I wonder if it’s the thought of lockdown ending? Or, if things go wrong  – not ending. You know when you are about to go on holiday and you suddenly feel exhausted or can’t sleep? It’s as if you have given your body an excuse to give in to all the tiredness it has been holding onto. And while you desperately want to go on holiday you want it so much that you are also nervous that it won’t live up to your expectations. I have heard from several people that they are nervous about returning to (the new) normal. And it’s as if the end of lockdown may force a sort of reckoning about who we are going to be and how we are going to live when the doors are opened again. So yes, all the calm this week. And the knowledge that I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. And with that the thought that if I own up to it then it might make one other person feel better about how they’re feeling too.

pale neutrals in the home of homewares store ingredientslondon
pale neutrals in the home of homewares store ingredients ldn

So first up is the fabulous homewares store Ingredients Ldn that celebrates a slower pace of living and sells beautiful homewares that are carefully, and beautifully made. And while you may not be able to replicate this floor to ceiling window you might be able to drag a chair to your own window and add one of their (or you own) cosy throw, textured, blanket while taking the time to make a really good cup of coffee and give yourselves 10 minutes to just stare out of the window. I am very good at this and I promise it helps.

tongue and groove panelling by @carpendaughter
tongue and groove panelling by @carpendaughter

Next to the home of Whitney (Clappe) Utesche, aka @carpendaughter, who maintains her home isn’t as clean as she’d like us to think (me neither Whitney me neither) but this is so warm and calming. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon, which might be darker than this unless you have a very light room so do test it in your own house before you buy) but the key is the storage. A row of shaker pegs along the top of the T&G will hold, not just an artfully placed basket, but can also be used for clothes, either individually or on hangers, pictures, more baskets of toys, scarves… whatever you fancy. It’s perfect for kids rooms as it’s easy to operate (most of them won’t put stuff in a wardrobe as that involves opening doors and drawers).

pale pink woodwork styled by emily rickard
pale pink woodwork styled by emily rickard Photo @oliverperrottphoto

 

Staying with the pale pink but this time it’s just on the woodwork while the walls are left in a pale off white and the patterned floor does the singing. This is the home of interiors stylist Emily Rickard and it’s perfect. The dark radiator and cupboard give it weight while the Tom Raffield lamp brings warmth and wow. If you don’t want to match your woodwork to your walls, or prefer white walls rather than a colour then think about using a contrast (eithe§§r bold or gentle) to draw the eye to the view beyond the window or just invert tradition. Imagine this with pink walls and white woodwork… Emily’s way is better.

pink bathroom by imperfect interiors shot by Chris Snook
pink bathroom by imperfect interiors shot by Chris Snook

Here Beths Dadswell, of Imperfect Interiors, has used pink all the way up and it tones perfectly with the jute rug and stone fireplace. The white window also ties in with the bath. I’m not one for a long soak in the bath but imagine this was a chair or a soft, or I might just climb into the empty bath fully dressed with a book and contemplate the view.

Lastly, the ongoing renovation of a huge Warwick townhouse with cottages and outbuildings belonging to Dean Poulton and Borja De Maquaand, aka @mytinyestate if you don’t follow them on instagram, you really must. The house is stunning and was a complete tumbledown wreck when they bought it. Here the pink is in the wallpaper while the panelling is in a stronger green that cocoons the bed. This green, by the way, is Tiny Estate Green by Fenwick & Tilbrook.

tongue and groove panelling with wallpaper by mytinyestate
tongue and groove panelling with wallpaper by @mytinyestate

I hope taking a few minutes out of your day to wander through these beautiful rooms and meet their talented creators has helped.

 

Tags : beautiful roomscalming colourscalming interiorsmonday inspirationpale pink roomtongue and groove
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. I like the simplicity here as well, no clutter. The rooms look cozy, relaxing and I personally find this pretty pink to be nurturing. Lovely pictures! I’m in the U.S. we’re not in lock down over here but I’m still hiding at home for the most part.

  2. Gosh, so easy to slip into any one of these rooms, on impulse and to find within an interior of calm sanctuary. Thank you!

  3. yes calm is just what I need at the moment, the pink bathroom is beautiful, I am contemplating if I can get away with tongue and groove behind my bath if I add plenty of shower curtain as it needs to work as a shower too? Love the small side table for soap etc. thank you

  4. Thank you yes calm is just what I need at the moment, the pink bathroom is beautiful, I am contemplating if I can get away with tongue and groove behind my bath if I add plenty of shower curtain as it needs to work as a shower too? Love the small side table for soap etc.

  5. Absolutely love them all, such peaceful and welcoming spaces. The pink bathroom by Imperfect Interiors is stunning, feeling really inspired by it

  6. Definitely feeling all of this and those beautiful rooms too. Thank you for the Monday morning pick me up!

  7. So soothing! And funnily enough I was reintroducing soft pinks into my sitting room this weekend via accessories, so definitely on this page!

  8. Beautiful calm rooms – and yes, you’ve put it so well Kate. We need an end to this, but slowly and measured. Not sure it’s going to be like that.

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