Lively, warm, harmonious: this once-unloved room is now a reflection of the family who live here
“Colour really is alchemy, a series of magic spells for transforming the atmosphere of a space.” So believes Nicola Harding, the mastermind behind this eclectic living room in an Arts & Crafts house in Oxfordshire. “We used combinations here to bring out warmth as well as a little bit of drama.”
The property had been added to unsympathetically over the years, producing a confusing warren of rooms with no cohesive style. “My main job was to make the various spaces work for the whole family and to give each area its own identity,” the interior designer explains. “I build such affection for the people I work with; it comes from getting to understand them enough to create their home. The owners of this house are a family with a tremendous flair for fun and an appetite for design – and their home needed to reflect that.”
Colour and expertly layered textures have completely transformed this space. Two Pure & Original paints provided a base: a dusky grey-pink (Old Romance) was chosen for the walls, and a brownish-pink (Rose Dust) coats the ceiling. “Pale pink is one of my favourite colours to live with,” says Nicola. “It works in any light level, any time of day, any time of the year. It’s got enough intensity to make a room feel lively and dynamic, but in a restful way. The darker ceiling really frames the space. The warm are a way of adding another layer of drama and interest, and extending colour to them helps to elongate the walls.”
The cute circular window is new. “There were several doors into this room, which made it feel too much like a corridor and meant there were no cosy corners to tuck yourself away in. I shut off one door and replaced it with a window seat and this round window looking out over the garden. It worked beautifully and is now a favourite spot.”
The large window next to it has wonderful curtains (pink corduroy with a lime velvet trim and a lime-and-oatmeal striped lining). Its canopied, enclosed feel is an invitation to slow down and relax. An antique bobbin chair and a round table lit by a lowslung pendant complete this charming corner.
“The most effective way to alter the feel of a space is to play with lighting,” advises Nicola. “Rather than have a single source for the whole room, we installed multiple lights at different heights to create a layered, magical and inviting atmosphere.”
In the main seating area, the sofas are positioned to encourage conversation and a striped daybed offers a lounging spot with uninterrupted views of the garden. “I enjoy bringing seating close together – it creates a wonderfully convivial effect. Here, the seating is topped with a joyful mix of colours expressed through embroidered cushions, a playful jumble of woven striped fabrics of different widths, and vintage textiles on a pair of slipper chairs.”
She recommends creating multiple seating areas within a room, so people can enjoy different activities alongside each other: “I like to combine soft seating with some table seating – I always seem to have a list to write or the urge to play cards with whoever will give me their time. There is something very comforting about being close to someone without needing to be doing the same thing, or being in precisely the same space.”
This project appears in Nicola Harding’s new book, Homing Instinct (£47.50, Rizzoli)
