Fine & FILIGREE
White lends itself like no other shade to delicate, dainty patterning – it’s the perfect palette to work with if you want more sense of detail without going too frilly or fanciful. With no overt colour to distract you, white lets you highlight your furnishing scheme with decorative elements such as lace and embroidery, elegant wrought iron and carved wooden fretwork. Bedrooms can be dressed with graceful four-posters or Swedish-style, Gustavian-inspired carved bedframes, painted in whites, creams or palest silver-grey.
1 INSTALL A SIMPLE STOVE IN AN OFF-WHITE OR PALE GREY, WHICH IS VISUALLY LIGHTER THAN A HEAVY BLACK. THE SUBTLE PATTERN ON THE COUNTRY LIVING BEMBRIDGE BY CHARNWOOD ALSO ADDS DECORATION, £1,410 WITH STAND (SHOWN IN ALMOND).
2 CHOOSE PAINTERLY ARTWORK OF TREES AND FLOWERS IN SOFT TONES WITH A LOOSE STYLE THAT HELPS TO INTRODUCE TEXTURE. THIS BLOSSOM-PRINTED CANVAS (153CM X 122CM) WORKS PERFECTLY, £225, COX & COX.
3 HANG A CHANDELIER IN THE SITTING ROOM. THE SPACE WILL SHIMMER UNDER THE REFRACTED LIGHT FROM THE CLEAR CRYSTAL DROPLETS, WHILE CUT-METAL SHAPES – AS SEEN ON THIS ANTIQUE-STYLE DESIGN, £580 FROM COX & COX – WILL CAST PRETTY PATTERNS.
4 USE A DECORATIVE SPLASHBACK IN A KITCHEN, WHICH FEATURES SILHOUETTES OF PLANTS AND FOLIAGE SUCH AS THIS MEADOW DESIGN IN PEBBLE, FROM £175, COUNTRY LIVING COLLECTION AT SPLASHBACK. PANELS OF ETCHED GLASS OR PATTERNED FILM ARE ALSO EFFECTIVE WHEN USED AT A WINDOW.
5 DISPLAY ITEMS WITH THEIR OWN NATURAL FILIGREE SUCH AS FERNS, DRIED FLOWERS, GRASSES AND SEED HEADS.
6 FIT LAMPS WITH PRETTY SHADES – EMBROIDERED, LACE OR SIMPLE ‘OUTLINE’ PATTERNS WILL ILLUMINATE AGAINST A PLAIN BACKGROUND. THIS SHADE BY HELEN ROUND HAS A WHITE FLORAL PRINT ON NATURAL LINEN, FROM £55.
7 KEEP THE BATHROOM PLAIN AND SIMPLE: ENJOY THE SHAPE CREATED BY THE ELEGANT SWEEP OF A ROLLTOP FREESTANDING BATH AGAINST PLAIN TILES OR FLOORBOARDS.