Interiors

Penny Morrison combined colour and comfort to create the perfect entertaining space at her home

Preparing to entertain and club fenders

Aroom should tell a story about you, rather than looking as if you’ve done it in a day,’ says interior designer Penny morrison. Her preferred method is to find pieces at antique fairs, shops and country sales: ‘Then, I look for a space for them. When you put things together eclectically, it layers a room and creates interest and character.’

This inviting sitting room in the regency home in the Welsh borders she shares with her art-dealer husband, Guy, is testament to Penny’s spontaneity. ‘The more you throw things together, the more they work.’

What unites the room is a sense of comfort, as evidenced by the two down-filled armchairs. ‘Sofas and armchairs should be really deep and really soft. You can always add more cushions, but if it’s too upright, you can’t make it feel deeper.’

The focal point of the room is the fireplace, a salvaged find chosen to replace a ‘hideous’ Edwardian design. The walls are painted in Arsenic by Farrow & Ball (01202 876141; www. farrow-ball.com). ‘We love rooms with walls covered in pictures and the colour shows them up really well.’

Antique pieces are combined with slipper chairs from Penny’s own furniture collection and a club fender to create plenty of room for a large crowd; the curtains are in Arabella and the armchairs in Blue Stripe, both linens from her fabric ranges.

The plain cushions are made from Turkish tea towels sewn onto vintage linen and the hand-embroidered cushions are in fabric from Vaughan (www.vaughandesigns.com; 020– 7349 4600). Antique rugs finish the room. ‘I love pops of colour—they make a room feel friendly.’ Amelia Thorpe Penny Morrison (020–7384 2975; www.pennymorrison.com)