DE S IGN CENTRE
can be found in the Turnell & Gigon, Pierre Frey, Schumacher or C & C Milano showrooms. “You can find anything you need under one roof, which makes it a great resource as a decorator,” says Slowik. The Cotswold home of Luke Edward Hall and
Duncan Campbell was originally intended as a weekend escape. But over the years, the house, a former shepherd’s cottage, has become a scrapbook of their enthusiasms, discoveries and aesthetic experiments. They wanted the place to feel cosy and inviting – somewhere to entertain and also somewhere where they could combine styles and periods and try out their own designs. “I like to take inspiration from different places,” commented Hall
in Violet Naylor-Leyland’s
latest book Rare Birds, True Style (Rizzoli). “There are people I look up to – Cecil Beaton, Stephen Tennant, Rex Whistler and Oliver Messel. And while reading about Ancient Greece, I might also be listening to 1980s pop music. It’s about mixing things up and clashing them together,” says the designer, illustrator, painter and all-round creative polymath. This unusual take on decorating is not reserved to their home; the Schumacher Garden Room, which Campbell designed for WOW!house with Charlotte Rey, was eclectic and
“SOME PEOPLE THINK LIVING WITH LOTS OF THINGS CAN BE OVERWHELMING, BUT REALLY IT'S THE SPACE
BETWEEN THAT’S IMPORTANT”
layered, mismatching eras and styles with a deft hand. Josette, Hall’s newly launched project
in Dubai, has
a sense of playfulness, yet is elegant and refined. The flamboyant marshmallow pink restaurant channels the grand brasseries of France, with nods to the glamour of the 1920s and 30s. At the Fitzrovia-based design practice Albion Nord,
juxtaposing and effortlessly pairing the old with the new is a leitmotif. A piece of furniture is often given a new lease of life by reupholstering it in a contemporary fabric or pairing it with a modern mirror or marble lamp. “It’s important not to go with a ‘suited’ look where everything is the same,” says creative director Camilla Clarke. “A space should be dynamic and reflect the person that lives there, showing items from their past and their present.” Her background in history of art and painting has taught her about experimentation, too. ”Just as you find with a painting, creating layers and balance is one of interior design,”
the most she says. Pinpointing
important parts of viewpoints
and vistas with artworks is another way to draw you into a space and help create moments of interest. “I particularly love post-war abstract art, especially in a more traditional interior against strong architectural details, cornicing and mouldings,” she says. At Benham
Park, one of the firm’s latest projects, the design for the 2,800 square metre Grade II-listed Georgian mansion was purposedly pared back in response to the classical architectural features. The results were interiors for modern, comfortable country living. Clarke’s go-tos at the Design Centre include George Spencer Designs, Lewis & Wood, Tim Page Carpets and Tissus d’Hélène. “You find something new every time you go in, she says. “Paolo Moschino is also a firm favourite and we’re loving the new Ralph Lauren Home showroom, they have excellent lighting on show.” Interior designer Anna Haines has an elegant,
layered aesthetic; patterned fabrics, textiles and antiques are set against serene colour combinations, but there is nothing stiff about her work. Like Albion Nord, she likes to see the imprint of a client’s style and values on her projects. She always incorporates their pieces, books and objets, but “embellishes them enough to spark joy.” She picks up vintage textiles, and particularly ceramics
and pottery, from auctions, fairs and markets, and at the end of the design process brings them to the house, filling in gaps where they are needed. “I think it's really helpful to see them in the spaces – more often than not, the client will say yes.” With regard to the placement of objets, Haines is a fan of the power of three. “I always find comfort in three pieces together, as opposed to two, which feels a bit too curated,” she says. “I almost err on the side of a bit unfinished – it’s asymmetrical, rather than overly balanced.” In her own home, she often plays with arrangements, regularly adding ornaments or changing the display on the mantel. “They help it become not too stagnant, adding that element of feeling lived-in and comfortable.” Proof positive that the most memorable interiors speak of memories, craft, history, personality and character. Curating a space can make the most of what you have, incorporate new pieces and bring new meaning to your surroundings. Just trust your instincts.
ABOVE Interior designer Anna Haines incorporates vintage finds as well as treasured pieces that already belong to a homeowner; this bedroom in a west London house also features a bed throw in C & C Milano’s ‘Oscar’ linen and cushions made from ‘Rio’ fabric from Colony by Casa Luiza OPPOSITE The Grade II-listed Benham Park, a major project for interior design firm Albion Nord. In the library – warm and welcoming despite its grand proportions – the studio has specified George Spencer Designs’ ‘Spencer’ velvet upholstery on the bespoke camel back sofa, with cushions from de Le Cuona
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© Andrew Steel
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