Feeling gloomy? Oh, do lighten up...
As the clocks go back, you might want your home to feel cosy. But the experts have other ideas. Jessica Doyle reports
As the clocks go back this weekend and evenings start at 4.30pm, the temptation might be to hunker down and surround ourselves with cosy textures and tones. But how about taking the opposite approach, and combating the darkness with brightness and sunshine style?
La-based interior designer Ohara Davies-gaetano, winner of this year’s Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year award, is well versed in this look – an aesthetic she deploys in the beachfront homes she designs for her Californian clients.
Yet, although these homes are blessed with the sort of year-round natural light that makes any interior look good, Davies-gaetano – who is from New York and lived in London before moving to California – insists that hers is a style that translates well to more northern climes, whatever the time of year. The key, as ever, is in the palette of colours and materials that are used – and white walls aren’t necessarily the answer.
“In rooms where you want to maintain a feeling of brightness, opt for a light colour on the walls, but also a type of paint or plaster that has a bit of depth to it,” she advises, “not just a flat emulsion, but a lime-based milk paint or plaster, which has more depth. Although the walls are light and neutral, that depth gives a moodiness that changes with the daylight.”
Pale woods such as French oak, washed linen fabrics, natural stone and woven wicker or cane furniture can all help to alleviate dark days in winter. According to Davies-gaetano, it’s all about balance. “Pair dark or natural wood patinas with some pieces that have a more reflective surface or reflective quality, so there’s a balance in tonality,” she says. Mirrors, too, are key as “with only a small amount of daylight, you have to pull that in, and reflect the outdoors”.
Balance also extends to lighting, she explains. “Try not to rely on recessed lighting and use decorative fixtures instead: chandeliers, wall lights, table and floor lamps. I like to balance out overhead lighting with lamps; it’s much more evocative and interesting, especially if you’re designing a room that can be relatively dark.”
For interior and hotel designer Kit Kemp, a former winner of the Andrew Martin award, the way to bring light and positivity into a home is through colour and pattern. As well as her eight Firmdale hotels in London and two in New York, Kemp has designed a holiday house in Barbados, and it was the Caribbean-chic aesthetic developed there that inspired an installation she created in the Turnell & Gigon fabric showroom for this year’s London Design Festival, mixing texture and print in a harmonious riot of holiday glamour.
The palette she used was mainly soft coral and turquoise, with accents of yellow and green: a combination that produces an uplifting, fresh atmosphere. Her advice is to be brave when using pattern: “Instead of just having a colourful print on your cushion, cover a chair in one, and have cushions in a plain colour with a contrast piping,” she suggests.
And colour-mixing doesn’t have to stop with the upholstery. “Paint shelving in your room a bright contrasting colour to the walls; when the shelves are filled with books or objects, the colours of the shelving becomes less scary and more of a talking point,” says Kemp. “Finding an old sideboard or cupboard and painting it in a fun colour, but leaving the top a natural wood or black, can be very satisfying. Place a colourful bowl filled with fruit on the top to make it stand out more.”
The sitting room might be the obvious place to make a statement, but don’t forget the entrance to your home: a dreary hall can leave a lasting impression. Kemp recommends wallpaper for its brightening effect. Her new collection for Andrew Martin, launched in September, includes Wychwood, a tapestry-inspired design based on British countryside motifs. “It would look great in a hall in the Provençal Yellow colourway, with a soft grey paint below and a narrow trim in navy blue to add elegance at dado height,” says Kemp.
‘With only a small amount of daylight, you have to reflect the outdoors’
Lamps are also key to Kemp’s aesthetic: she suggests placing a floor or table lamp in each corner of a room. “The room will appear bigger and brighter,” she explains.
The mix of patterns that is key to Kemp’s style might come from an English tradition of decorating, but her meld of palettes and materials means the overall effect is far lighter and brighter than the classic country house look. She advises only using one large print in a room, which can be mixed with smaller, subtler prints, to help keep everything fresh. As with the Californian look, light woods and wicker furniture, plus interesting lighting, such as beaded chandeliers, add to the ambience.
“Colour can work in all seasons,” she says, and this style of decorating means “there is always something new to find in a room, like a little adventure. It should reveal itself, like opening a well-loved book.” Surely that, in itself – whether you go for calm Californian neutrals or a mix of cheerful prints – is the recipe for an interior to help beat the winter blues.