4 minute read
INTERIOR SOLUTIONS
Painting alcoves
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I love the transformative power of a tin of paint. We tend to shy away from bright colours in our homes, but a child’s room is the perfect place to explore fun interior design ideas. Here, we built in a bed with alcove shelving. I then painted the alcoves in bright colours to showcase books, toys and treasured objects. You can paint the alcoves in more subtle colours for a prettier effect or use blackboard paint if you want to give your children somewhere to be creative. You could also use wallpaper, which is is a great way to give personality to a child’s room. Many design companies have wallpaper and fabric in the same design for a coordinated look.
Painting a bath panel
Painting the side of your bath can transform the whole look of your bathroom. If you have a built-in bath, it’s easy to repaint the bath panel using an oil based eggshell paint. Choose a dark colour like Farrow & Ball Railings to contrast with an all-white bathroom for an industrial look or go for a bright colour to make your bath a stand-out feature. I think this works especially well with freestanding baths which are a design feature in themselves. Here this enamel bath has been painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Provence and finished with Matt Lacquer to make it waterproof. The ombre walls really make it zing.
Image credit: Annie Sloan
Image credit: Clair Strong Interior Design
Gilding old picture frames
I have an art background and love to collect artwork from art fairs and flea markets. A simple postcard or sketch can look wonderful if it is framed beautifully with a carefully chosen mount. I use The Bath Framer on London Road for big pieces, but I also scour markets for old frames which I paint and gild to transform them. Gilding Wax is a brilliant product for adding that antique look to an old frame. Simply paint your frame and the wax on top to give an aged effect. For a more traditional look, try gilding with loose or transfer leaf – brass, silver or copper all look wonderful. You can also use gold leaf on furniture, candlesticks and tiles.
Image credit: Annie Sloan
Louisa Morgan, Mandarin Stone mandarinstone.com
Use slim mosaics for kitchen wall tiles
If you’re on the hunt for kitchen wall tiles, look no further than Mandarin Stone’s Iggy porcelain mosaic collection. Shown here in sage gloss colour way, these slim ‘finger’ mosaic tiles add instant character wherever they’re used, creating a wonderfully tactile surface with their grid-like formation. Perfect for kitchens and bathrooms, the soft-green hue will lift any space, no matter how small or dark, while the unique glaze helps to capitalise on natural light. Here, they’ve been paired with a worktop in Troy honed marble.
Image credit: Mandarin Stone
Combine patterned and plain tiles
If you’re looking to create a bathroom that oozes style and character but still feels light, airy and modern, this bathroom design ticks all the boxes. Combining two tiles from Mandarin Stone’s brand new 2022 collection, the striking Violetta Nouveau marble effect porcelain has been used in its matt finish on the floor and gloss on the walls. The Zellige 2022 White Gloss ceramic tiles sit above at just above half height, continuing the fresh white feel, but the tactile surface texture creates a more authentic feel. A contemporary wall-hung vanity keeps the floor space free and makes the bathroom feel larger.
Image credit: Mandarin Stone
Catriona Archer, Catriona Archer Interiors catrionaarcher.com
Mirrors
Of all the interior design and styling tricks I use, mirrors must surely be one of my favourites. They are so versatile and create such a dramatic transformation to any space. Adding mirrors to the back of a bookshelf or cabinet brings interest, light and depth. Or if this is a push too far, upcycling a simple wooden tray with a made-to-measure mirror tile creates a stylish display point for any room. Madeto-measure mirror is simple to order from Roman Glass (romanglass.co.uk). I recently repurposed a large mirror into a bath panel. It was trimmed to size and glued onto a marine ply backing. The result was a modern bathroom detail that doubled the perceived floor space of the small bathroom.
Cushions
I often upgrade cushions by changing the infills to feather pads that are two inches larger than the cushion cover. This gives a plumper, more indulgent look and feel. Complement this with a large cosy blanket and it would be hard not to want to sink in, kick back and relax!
Groupings
Lots of little objects and pictures dotted around a room can feel cluttered. But grouping your treasured items together gives them a more purposeful point of interest. As a rule of thumb, I curate objects together by colour, shape or function. I tend to place the largest item first, then add the other objects around this. Using a large tray is a great way of keeping small items together and creating interesting vignettes on a coffee table or sideboard. Leaving plenty of ‘breathing space’ around the overall display will allow it to be appreciated all the more. n
