LEVEL BEST
A daring palette and eclectic treasures have pushed the boundaries of Saffron Hodgson’s basement flat
Fresh from their Indian honeymoon, these newlyweds wanted to recreate an exotic ambience in their basement apartment in Edinburgh
Newly married in 2017, Saffron Hodgson and her husband Nick, visited Rajasthan for their honeymoon. ‘I love to travel and have been to a lot of places but we were totally blown away by the beauty of the scenery and the colourful saris and the fabrics there. We did an amazing tour of the palaces and I came home determined to inject the spirit of this trip into our home,’ Saffron explains.
When they bought their Edinburgh flat, the ‘bones’ of it were all in place, which meant that Saffron could focus on the decor. Being a basement, the period features are not as grand as you might find on the upper levels of a Victorian terrace. ‘We sacrificed the more generous proportions available in a property on a higher floor for a garden,’ says Saffron, but the simplicity suited her. She knew she wanted to create
a colourful backdrop for her beloved finds and collections. ‘When I travel, I find I absorb colours and ideas, and bring home a sense of the place,’ she adds.
Memories of the couple’s travels were certainly on Saffron’s mind when it came to decorating the sitting room. ‘I wanted to create the feel of a Parisian apartment,’ she explains. ‘I’m a keen collector and my mum is an artist so my home also serves as a personal gallery.’ Artworks and souvenirs from a variety of exotic destinations line the walls, and Saffron was also given some family heirlooms as wedding presents from relatives, so has added some beautiful antique furniture into the mix. She has managed to successfully layer her most treasured possessions with furniture bought from high street stores, resulting in a wonderfully eclectic tapestry-like display of colour and pattern.
The conservatory links the apartment to the outside. ‘I adore nature, and the two of us spend all our time in there during winter and summer. Thanks to the underfloor heating it’s never too chilly,’ says Saffron.
Plants, animals and birds have provided a great source of inspiration for Saffron throughout her life. ‘I studied textiles and I’ve always loved printing, and I often looked to my parents’ garden for ideas – it’s just full of flowers, and now having a garden of my own, my interest is stronger than ever,’ says Saffron, who launched her own range of fabrics called Crocus Design. You can find Saffron on Instagram @saffronhodgsoninteriors. Her style is bold and colourful. ‘I like playing with scale: oversizing is a very effective trick,’ she says. ‘Despite the fact that our apartment is relatively modest, I have deliberately avoided choosing small furniture. Big lamps are a favourite guilty pleasure of mine.’
That classical influence is everywhere to be seen. The symmetry and vivid displays of art and antiques, along with the clever use of pattern have elevated this basement apartment to a whole new level.