Spring has arrived to lift all our spirits. The fresh light coming through the windows really makes colours sing. I wanted to reflect that change of season when designing room 302 at The Soho Hotel.
I have used a plain terracotta linen on the walls. This is such a wonderful, rich fabric that really alters the light in the room.
One of my favourite countries is Columbia, the art and design is thrilling and I often draw inspiration from artists such as Fernando Botero and architect Octavio Mendoza, who built Casa Terracotta.
Situated in Villa De Leyva in the Boyaca region of Columbia, Casa Terracotta has taken the architect 14 years to build. It is possibly the largest piece of pottery of all time.
The inside is airy, with colourful tile mosaics adding vibrant pops of colour to the baked earthy walls.
Octavio Mendoza sculpted this 4,500 square foot house entirely from terracotta clay, using no other materials to support the two story structure.
Terracotta means ‘baked earth’ in Italian. European Architects began using it in the 1800s and an interesting example of an ornate use of the material can be seen on the façade of the Natural History Museum in London – just opposite the design studio.
We used a beautiful tweed fabric on the sofa, which sits below a bold printed canvas. The large scale St Frank ‘Ecru Cactus Silk’ fabric has been upholstered on the armchair and used for the curtains. The two marble Vaughan side lights are decorated with silk covered lampshades.
I have used a graphic textile as the main fabric on the headboard. The bold and earthy colours complement the terracotta walls. The cushions are in a ‘thyme’ coloured geometric print, we hope this combination of pattern and texture transports you on a Columbian adventure.
We have framed a collection of my fabric designs for Christopher Farr Cloth in simple white frames. Framing wrapping paper or fabric cut offs is a simple and affordable way to add interest to a room.
The seating area is brought together by one of my rug designs for Anthropologie. The design is inspired by Indian bridal rugs. Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue…all over the world different cultures perform a variety of ceremonial weddings.
In India, an age-old tradition is the weaving of hand crafted rugs as part of a woman’s dowry.
Each bridal rug or dhurrie is handmade with unique patterns representing the weaver’s own personal history, along with spiritual motifs like animals and flowers or important dates that hold a personal meaning to the newlyweds.
I hope this fun, eclectic interior will take you on a trip around the world and spark your imagination all from The Soho Hotel!