This project began as a blank canvas. ‘Structurally, the house was in perfect condition, but in terms of coming up with a scheme, we were starting from scratch with four white walls,’ explains Susan Deliss, who is known for her skill at bringing rooms to life with striking combinations of colour and pattern.
The brief for this project was to create a room that was fresh and smart without being too formal. The starting point was choosing a limited colour palette of blue and green, with accents of pink to inject some warmth.
The sofa and armchairs were designed by Mrs Deliss. ‘I like to have a mix of furniture with legs and a sofa with a skirt. Too much fabric can end up feeling claustrophobic, but, equally, too much wood can look uncomfortable, so I try to achieve a balance.’
White-painted side tables were sourced through Lorfords in Tetbury. A blue and green floral fabric by Schumacher was used on the sofa; it has been trimmed in green to add a smarter, more tailored finish.
The central ottoman is covered in a pink fabric by Fermoie. ‘Blue and green without another accent colour in the mix can risk looking too cool,’ warns Mrs Deliss.
The armchairs are upholstered in an intense mid-green linen from Pierre Frey, a colour that is carried through to the collection of framed ferns hanging on the far wall.
These are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Lime White, a warm shade with a small amount of green pigment (01202 876141; ). ‘It was perfect for this room, which is surrounded by the garden and lends it a very soft, greenish light.’
Credit: Natalie Dinham
A formal country house library with sympathetic new touches
Interior designer Flora Soames has mixed old and new to revive a historic house in Northumberland.
-
Cocker spaniels: The indefatigable dog breed with medieval lineage that stole David Beckham’s heartOnce bred to flush out woodcock, now found in royal estates and Hollywood homes — the Cocker Spaniel’s charm knows no bounds.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
Injecting colour, pattern and character into a once-plain sitting roomBooks, art and textiles transformed a once-characterless space into a warm, inviting sitting room.
-
Say no to boring walls: Six choices of paint and paper which will get people talkingAmelia Thorpe picks out some glorious alternatives to just painting everything white.
-
'Not cheap... but cheaper than a divorce lawyer': Why it pays to hire a consultant to choose the perfect paint colourDriven to distraction by paint charts? A colour consultant could be the answer for anyone befuddled by choosing the right hue, says Giles Kime.
-
Room with a cru — how an 'enduring legacy of lockdown' is the latest must have in interior designLong gone are the dusty cellars of the past. Now is the time to make the place you store your wine as pleasurable as drinking it.
-
The secret to transforming an awkwardly shaped roomCave Interiors turned the awkwardly shaped sitting room of an Edwardian house into a warm and welcoming space.
-
A gloomy kitchen entirely re-created as a cosy living spaceWhen Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham were asked to redecorate a country house in Berkshire, the first task was to turn a dark space into a colourful sitting room.
-
A living room that's a lesson in how to restore lost character in a historic spaceNicola Harding used rich colours and textures to enhance the historic character of a Jacobean house in Berkshire.
-
The slipper chair: How one of America's great designers produced a classic of armless funThe slipper chair might have its roots in the 18th century, but it owes its compact, convivial appeal to Billy Baldwin, a giant of 20th-century American interior design.
