‘I like to use bold colours and patterns, and mix up old buys with new pieces’
We bought a run-down flat in a converted Georgian townhouse and we’ve turned it into a beautiful modern apartment. Our main aim was to give it a cohesive feel throughout, so it was essential to design it with an eye on the entire look.
Five rooms into two can go.
Our whole five-room flat fits into what used to be the original house’s drawing room and living room before it was turned into apartments. During the original Sixties conversion, the drawing room had been left untouched. It still had high ceilings, ornate cornicing, a marble fireplace and working shutters, while behind it there were two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a hallway in what was a morning room.
A period conversion has its own particular challenges.
Our mission was to update and modernise it without making major structural changes. It was important to get the nuts and bolts stuff right. We replaced the electrics and plumbing throughout the flat, and in doing so stripped each room back to its bare bones. This gave us the blank canvas on which to decorate from scratch, safe in the knowledge that all the services were in perfect working order.
Sometimes a little bit of expert advice can help.
Due to the scale of the main room, we asked an interior-designer friend for some help to source fixtures to complement the grandeur of the building in a contemporary and edgy way.
Certain colours and materials will maximise the light.
For us, good lighting was key. We enhanced the available natural light by using pale-grey woodwork and glass architectural features, such as the stair banister.
Having a design hero can be a great source of inspiration.
My company, The Interior Collection, sells furnishings to designers around Scotland, so I’m surrounded by inspiration. We’re big fans of the work of interior designer, David Hicks. We used his love of symmetry, colour and pattern as a jumping-off point.