Monday Inspiration: Beautiful Rooms

Well what a week. I spent most of it filming for something that I will tell you all about in September and then my in-laws came for the weekend; the first time they have been here since 2019. It felt so strange to see them inside and not huddling under an umbrella at the end of their driveway. A sign that life is gradually returning. I have a meeting in town this week too and although it’s only for a morning, it seems to have mentally swelled to occupy the entire week’s brain capacity. It’s so long since we went out to meetings and work events that I feel as if I can’t possibly plan anything else on another day until I have done that. Does anyone else feel the same? I wonder how long it will take before we are all running around as much as we used to or if the slower pace will remain – that’s probably better for us? I know I have tendencies to take on too much in the ever present self-employed/freelance panic, so I’m going to try and plan my time to be a bit less frantic from now on.

Anyway, to get us in the mood for, perhaps, a busier week than we might have been used to in recent months, a few beautiful rooms for you to stroll through and we are starting with some featuring natural, and vintage wood. I have written before, in my interview with Oliver Heath, that wood in interiors has been proven to lower the heart rate and stress levels so if anyone else is worrying about going back out there, take a few minutes to gaze on these beautiful rooms and then touch some wood in your own homes.

The gorgeous kitchen at the top is a mix of natural wood, marble and brass – all classic materials that can combine in so many ways to create so many different looks. If ever there was a room that followed my mantra of something new, something old, something black and something gold this is it.  It’s a new kitchen but the brass taps will acquire an aged patina over time, the cane barstools have black legs and the window, also dark, frames the view beyond while the light fittings bring a touch of luxe. Note also how the marble backsplash bounces the light around. The effect is classic but contemporary and while it’s new it has lots of natural materials in it that will age well and it will look brilliant (better?) in a few years rather than dating with time.

Then another kitchen in wood and cream with black and brass handles. Similar materials and colours in different proportions and places creating a totally different feel.

Even a small wooden item like a bedside table will bring character and personality to a room. Bedside table are really hard to find as we often need more storage there than we think/care to admit so I often look to vintage places for this particular item. Especially as there often isn’t space for much other than a bed which means lots of upholstery and soft furnishings and a dash of vintage wood can warm up a hotel white bed scheme or punch through a more maximalist floral setting. A bit of contrast is always a good idea in a scheme.

Now for this old house in Sweden which is for sale and I can’t be the only one who dreams of collecting the key and moving straight in after mopping the floors. I’m cheating on the theme slightly here as there’s a vintage wooden cot bed but it’s really all about the frescoes on the walls and the colour combinations. That rich green is lovely and while I don’t tend to have any red in my own house you could either use the odd splash as an accent or alter it slightly to a rich burgundy (or even rust) or back to a pale pink.

And then, while I don’t consciously plan these posts a theme tends to emerge as I put them together and since going with your gut is a good way to start an interior scheme – let your subconscious take charge at the start and see what comes out – I also like to see what is drawing me in and here we have a pair of red chairs at a vintage wooden table which just add a splash of bold disruption to what is otherwise a very mellow and toning scheme.

And finally, more versions of pink and red but this time the wood is all painted and the matching arch of that wall light is the bow that ties this all together. That said it could have been a contrasting disrupter colour too – somehow that book needs to be open on the green page tying to the plant on the table to stop this all sliding into perfect co-ordination. Rather than relying on a book to bring the spice, the light could have been a different colour that could have linked to a patterned tablecloth. Imagine a bright emerald green or cobalt blue or, for me, a dirty ochre yellow. Don’t worry about introducing what may seem like a random colour to a scheme – as long as it a) pleases you and b) appears elsewhere in different forms elsewhere in your house it will form part of your red thread.

Right I’m off to have a word with myself about how one meeting in town doesn’t take a whole week. Post-pandemic planning – we can do this people. Just don’t rush up and kiss me for a few months. We are not back there yet.