EXPERT ADVICE

Charles Zana’s tips on creating refined interiors

1 Always choose colours for a project in situ, so you can work with the light and the views. Greys don’t look the same in London as they do in Provence! Painting the walls and ceilings

in the same colour can create a total atmosphere – especially in period buildings

with mouldings and cornices.

2 You need to understand a building in its historical context. I’ve worked on a lot of projects in historic buildings, but I don’t like pastiche or kitsch. I prefer ‘light’ renovations that reveal the passage of time and leave

room for contemporary interventions.

3 Favour simple, monolithic pieces of furniture in natural materials. My palette of favourite finishes includes travertine, which carries the

history of the world within it, and tinted Lebanese cedarwood. Contrasting these raw materials with curved lines produces elegant

results that are aesthetically timeless.

4 With art, you should collect for the love of the objects, not for the display. This way, the works will find their place naturally in your home. I like genuine collections with a strong

vision, rather than a little bit of everything.