Decorator index
The London designer whose work embraces her love of colour, gardens and sustainable style
Nicola Harding shares her design tips
Who is she? Growing up in a military family, Nicola Harding lived in a series of ‘identikit houses with standard-issue furniture’, so was sensitive to the subtle touches that make a home from an early age. ‘It was fascinating to me how you could walk into one family’s house and feel a sense of warmth, whereas another might be sterile,’ she recalls. Visits to her godfather’s home, which was filled with designs and textiles he’d collected, was another catalyst for her love of interiors. Harding studied theology at Edinburgh University and then completed a diploma in garden design at KLC in London. The latter formed the basis of her eponymous studio, which she set up in 2008, after five years working with renowned landscape designer Arne Maynard. ‘I thought I’d tag interiors onto my business as there was a recession and gardens tend to fall off people’s budgets,’ she explains. Decorating gradually became her main focus, but always with an eye on the link between indoors and out. What’s her style? Colourful and comfortable, with a nod to classic English country house style and a focus on antiques and sustainability. ‘I love 1930s and 1950s candy shades and use a lot of confident colour,’ she says. ‘I’m interested in it as an emotional or nostalgic trigger, something that can subconsciously take people back to a certain point in their lives. Most importantly, though, I aim to create a sense of home and that’s about comfort, nature and a feeling of being welcome.’ She cites London decorator Robert Kime as an inspiration (‘his projects feel like they have evolved organically and been there forever’), and frequently finds herself taking on clients’ gardens as well as their properties. ‘When I’m designing, I’m always thinking about what you can see outside. I hate it when you’re looking out at parked cars, so I’ll organise the garden to be symbiotic with the house, rerouting the drive to take cars out of sight if need be.’
What are her recent projects? They include The Mitre, a boutique hotel on the banks of the River Thames opposite Hampton Court, set in a Grade II-listed inn dating back to 1665. ‘We wanted to strike a balance between drawing out its history and bringing it into the present day, while adding a sense of fun,’ says Harding of the design, which was inspired by regattas and Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. ‘There’s lots of colour and stripes, and a tented ceiling in one of the restaurants that resembles a beach parasol.’ The studio has also designed Everington House, a large family home in Berkshire that represents a ‘polished, tailored’ take on the country home. ‘We used lots of antique finds, mixing them with high-street pieces and bespoke, artisan-made designs,’ explains Harding. ‘The idea was to create a sense of the property having grown over time.’
What is she currently working on? A Victorian villa on the Thames that exemplifies her determination to get the maximum use out of every room. ‘We’re turning a walk-through corridor into a library, with chocolate-brown lacquered walls and a huge library table,’ she reveals. She’s also decorating new Knightsbridge hotel The Beaverbrook Town House, sister property to its namesake in Surrey, which is scheduled to open later this year. ‘It will have a turquoise lacquered bar with tiles and stained-glass details.’ She says: ‘My dream house would be something bonkers and English eccentric, with a dynamic energy from things slightly clashing. There’s a kind of alchemy to what works in an interior.’ nicolaharding.com
‘I AIM TO CREATE A SENSE OF HOME…
A FEELING OF BEING WELCOME’