DE S IGN CENTRE
COMFORT
LESSONS IN
According to design doyenne Dorothy Draper, “no room can be called perfect unless it has real comfort.” In this age of Instagram, are we being swayed by just what looks good? Emma Love asks professional interior designers their secrets to getting it right
“C
omfort has a lot to do with the things you can’t see; it’s about how a space makes you feel. If the lighting is good, a room feels great straight away,” says interior designer Joanna Plant. It’s a
feature of her work; her WOW!house bedroom, for example, was notable for its softly layered lighting with lamps from Porta Romana and Vaughan. “Then there’s the temperature, which is often overlooked. Imagine going to a friend’s house for supper, walking in and the room is warm and inviting, and beautifully lit. Immediately you feel a lovely cossetting comfort. If we think of all the senses, how a space looks is often quite a long way down the list.” Comfort is felt, rather than seen, in a multitude of other
ways too. For interior designer Kate Guinness, the flow of space – decided through floor plans and furniture layouts – is the foundation for making somewhere easy to live in. “Getting that right and making sure that everything is where you need it to be is a form of comfort,” she confirms, also citing lighting as a key factor. Alexandra Childs, founder of Studio Alexandra who is perhaps best known for designing Glebe House hotel in Devon, agrees. “I like to have low level lamps or wall sconces to create a soft ambient light and utilise dimmer switches for practicality. How you light a space affects paint colours too. In the living room at Glebe House, I used a deep, dark shade of pink which feels warm in winter, and joyful in summer.” However, Childs, who often sources from Design Centre
showrooms such as Dedar, GP & J Baker, Sanderson and Elitis, thinks that the current Instagram trend for maximal interiors only works if you clear away clutter. “In my own home, I’m always trying to get general life stuff out of the
RIGHT: Studio Vero’s Venetia Rudebeck says that pattern and
texture, as well as smaller details, create comfort. This Notting Hill living room features bold art, cushions in fabrics from
de Le Cuona and A Rum Fellow at George Spencer Designs, with a trim by Samuel & Sons; and a curved sofa upholstered in a fabric from Schumacher
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