Antique dealer and interior designer Max Rollitt employs his deep knowledge of antiques and furniture restoration to create spaces that blend timeless elegance with an artistic sense of scale, colour and pattern.
'The formality of the French 1810 guéridon table is contrasted with a hand-painted Bloomsbury-style lampshade'
He puts a particular emphasis on comfort, however, ‘that doesn’t mean compromising on quality, but instead softening a traditional, formal look to create something joyful’.
‘Antiques have a rich story to tell’
Asked to create a warm and invitng bedroom as part of a project to renovate a 17th-century farmhouse in Hampshire, Max employed this distinctive approach, combining smart antiques with interesting fabrics, wallpapers and furniture. His starting point was a large-scale wallpaper, Adam’s Eden, from Lewis & Wood, designed by artist Adam Calkin. The formality of the French 1810 guéridon table and the 18th-century mahogany lattice-back chair, after François Hervé, are contrasted with a hand-painted Bloomsbury-style lampshade hanging from the ceiling.
'This layered look, created by mixing pieces from different periods has long been a cornerstone of English country-house style'
More softness and informality are offered by cushions made from an old Kashmiri wedding cloth and Kantha quilt used to dress the bed, an antique Persian carpet and a painted faux-bamboo stool from the designer’s own bespoke-furniture collection.
'The designer’s distinctive approach succeeds in bringing them to life'
The simple linen-covered headboard has a scalloped-side detail. To create a sense of balance, he injected a solid teal colour in the curtains and wing chair.
Although this layered look, created by mixing pieces from different periods has long been a cornerstone of English country-house style, the designer’s distinctive approach succeeds in bringing them to life. ‘Antiques have a rich story to tell.’
To find out more about interior designer Max Rollitt and his company, visit www.maxrollitt.com
Credit: Joanna Wood
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