LOVING YOUR HOME
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Have you got a designer trade secret you can share? My general rule of thumb is to never shy away and never think “ooh that’ll be too much!” Rooms generally look better if you’re bolder in your choice, so just go for it. Often people who go for the safe option, commonly an overdose of beige, only feel disappointed with the results.
Sophie Robinson will be hosting master classes on interior design in London, along with fellow judge, Daniel Hopwood, and the two finalists from The Great Interior Design Challenge Visit the website for details: SophieAndDaniel.com
Sophie’s simple tips for bringing a tired room back to life Think neutral: If you’re starting from scratch think of neutral investment buys – carpet, sofa. Then accessorise with colours and over time add to the room when you can afford to. Upcycle: Work out what furniture you already have and upcycle and upholster. Paint up old wooden furniture with specialist one-coat paints like Annie Sloan’s chalk collection. Customise: Add a trim to plain curtains or cover a plain lampshade with new material. Feature wall: To add colour to a room buy one small tin of paint for a feature wall or two rolls of patterned wallpaper. De-clutter: Too much stuff will make a room look overcrowded. Instead group collections together in box shelves or put photo frames together. Scattering them around the room will only look messy. Think in pairs: My favourite trick! Invest in a pair of lamps rather than a single pendant lamp, this will look more designed. For example a pair of lamps either side of the sofa. A pair of paintings, a pair of cushions, a pair of chairs also gives the room a sense of balance and calming symmetry.
Pictures: Sophie Robinson’s holiday lets. Words: Jenna Gregory. 1 0
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