INTERIORS • FOCUS
Extract taken from Bold British Design by Emilio Pimentel-Reid & Sarah Hogan (Quadrille, Hardback & eBook) Photography ©Sarah Hogan, styling by Emilio Pimentel-Rei
PILLOW AND FABRIC ON HEADBOARD CYMBELINE BY TIBOR REICH 1951; MONOPRINTS BY GEORGIA COLLETT; FORSA BEDSIDE LAMP BY IKEA.
“She has introduced visual interest, physical warmth and sensory comfort” that you don’t see often and looks very modern. It is made in Afghanistan by a charity supporting local people, crafts and maintaining the tradition of rug-making in that part of the world. ‘Craft is incredibly important to my design ethos. I think with manufacturing becoming more and more mass market and machine-led, it is the handmade and bespoke that are truly special and desirable. I feel fortunate to work with many small-scale British and international craftspeople in my work and it feels valuable to be supporting these artisans,’ says Georgia. In the flat, Georgia’s
bold rugs ground the pieces of furniture and also add sound insulation, warmth and tactility. ‘Most of all they add supporting pattern in a room without feeling overwhelming, so that I can relax,’ she says. ‘My favourite spot is sitting on the sofa looking out of the huge south-facing windows and watching the sky change through the day.’ The generous dusky pink two-seater sofa is sprinkled with cushions, including a red one in mohair woven by Georgia at art school. Behind it, sliding panel doors that close off the dining room display two prints of vases bought at the Maeght gallery in Paris. A Christian Astuguevieille ‘Afridans’ stool from Holly Hunt London playfully channels sunnier climes and a terracotta painted niche displays a portrait by a family friend David Champion. The larger portrait, by Georgia’s brother Jesse Collett, is given space to breathe and pops on the painted wall in a colour Georgia refers to as ‘cement’ and visually ties the room’s palette together. Around the corner, in the kitchen– dining room, tiles and cabinets have been restored to match the originals. The 1960s dining table bought on eBay
and chairs re-covered in new fabric look as if they’ve always been there. In the main bedroom Georgia’s own framed monoprint designs based on botanical drawings traverse the wall behind the bed, while there is a colourful crochet throw ‘by my boyfriend David’s mother’, a pillow by Tibor on the bed, and fabric from her personal collection draped over the headboard. The silk rug, one of her own designs called ‘Ink Stripe’, evolved from an abstract felt-tip artwork she created inspired by American quilts. The landscape painting on the bedside table was found at a house clearance sale. Georgia shops everywhere, incorporating things that she likes with named and more expensive pieces. She confidently acknowledges the flat’s history through her choice of contemporary furniture and accessories and layers of luxurious rugs, while whimsical pieces reflect her professional interests. ‘British designers have an irreverent attitude to rules and are inherently creative thinkers,’ she says. ‘This has a lot to do with the fantastic art school tradition and the way young designers are taught to follow their instinct and develop a voice.’ This designer’s style comes through sensitivity to materials, colour, proportion, symmetry and the property itself, creating an interior that is modern and stylish. In Georgia’s words: ‘be confident, adventurous and trust your instinct. Don’t take your home too seriously.’ A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N
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