THE JOURNAL
DESIGN ALCHEMY One of the most elusive tricks of interior design is making a room look like it has been there forever.
Stylish and eclectic, yet harmonious and comfortable – the sort of space where you instantly want to put your feet up. Becky Metcalfe discovers the secrets of creating inviting interiors
“F
ew things are more fascinating than a peek into the private hours of how people live.” So said the irrefutable doyenne of style, Diana Vreeland. But knowing how to
create somewhere that is that elusive mix of comfort, informality and visual charm can be challenging, and editing a room full of treasures can be overwhelming. It is the job of designers to interpret the wishes of their clients through their own creative lens. But, when completely left to their own devices – more specifically, within their own homes – how do they decorate? Daniel
Slowik and Benedict Foley, an interior designer/antique dealer and framer/dealer in pictures respectively, maintain firm views about decoration. “Edit ruthlessly – some people think living with lots of things can be overwhelming, but really it's the space between that’s the most important thing,“ says Slowik. “Without context, most things end up looking like a big old hash.” At their house on the Essex/Suffolk border, the delightful interior reflects a shared love of collecting, while a sense of humour lightens up every room. As you might expect there is little that is noticeably new
in the house. What is new has often been made by friends; the unique advantage of this, Foley notes, is the opportunity to learn about the process of making from the makers themselves. These include a hand of cards in ceramic by Gavin Houghton and an angular metal table shaped like a lightning bolt by Jermaine Gallacher which sits next to a Howard armchair. “A mix of kitsch and special is good,” adds Foley, “also colours repeating through different materials. I love turquoise and it will often crop up in a picture, ceramics, even a postcard on a mantlepiece.” When at the Design Centre, Slowik
ABOVE: Olive green walls and tobacco-coloured canvas curtains set the scene for an invigorating anything-goes colour scheme at Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell’s Cotswolds cottage. Hall says his aesthetic is “about mixing things up and clashing them together”; the ottoman heaves with books, and there are plenty of comfy spots in which to read them
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© Andrew Farrar / Rare Birds, True Style (Rizzoli)
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