EXPERT ADVICE

Elicyon’s tips for creating modern opulence

1 We like to incorporate bespoke pieces into our projects, especially storage designed for a client’s individual collections – books, jewellery or even drinks. They should celebrate

your interests. Visit a fair that showcases bespoke makers, such as London Craft Week and the Brighton Craft Fair, or request advice

from the Society of Designer Craftsmen.

2 I go on a different material journey for every project, but at the moment I particularly enjoy working with timber. We recently used petrified wall cladding to add warm burnt-orange tones to a cigar room. Impactful materials like this are a great way to add richness to walls and ceilings – think beyond paint and try leather,

suede or hand-painted flowers on canvas.

3 So much of selecting patterns and textures is

about their sheen and how they reflect light within a space. I like to take samples to a property and see how they work before making a choice. 4 Your art collection should tell the story of who you are and what you love. Don’t limit yourself to drawings and paintings – explore sculpture and ceramics, too. I enjoy using art to draw the eye across a space or to manipulate proportion and symmetry, such as placing a sculpture on a plinth

at one end of a room or corridor.