Following on from the ‘Design Date Webinar’ that I took part in last week for Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour about collaborations (CLICK HERE), let’s discuss what gives a room interest.

When designing a room, there should always be a continuous flow throughout the scheme. The colour tones should run smoothly together and the scale of patterns should vary, growing larger or smaller depending on the size of the furniture.

Although this is all very true, we like to push the boundaries of creativity by adding an unexpected piece of furniture which stands out from the rest. Often, the most unlikely combinations end up working the best!

Introducing a change of direction in a colour scheme tends to benefit the interior by adding character. In this bold blue bedroom at Ham Yard Hotel, we added an unexpected ottoman upholstered in an antique fabric to add a pop of interest to the scheme.

In the library at The Soho Hotel, we added two wing chairs upholstered in antique tapestries. The chairs give the calm and serene reading room a splash of vibrance.

One of my favourite examples of ‘the odd one out’ was at our pop up for Andrew Martin. Orange tones dominate this space with my ‘Friendly Folk’ fabric in Melon Orange lining the walls. On the headboard, I used the reverse colourway which works together beautifully.

When everything looks so harmonious together, I couldn’t help myself but to add in something unexpected. In this case I added a punch of blue. We upholstered an old chest in my navy ‘Over the Moon’ fabric. The chest pops against the orange tones making a bold and beautiful statement.

When designing a dining room, I like to use a different chair at each end of the table to create an interesting contrast. We upholstered this curvaceous, balloon backed chair in a bright alternative fabric, called ‘Eve’ by Raoul, which is mirrored on the opposite end of the table.

In our screening room at The Soho Hotel, there are rows of comfortable reclining armchairs. The majority of the chairs are covered in a brown, black and white cowhide which has a striking dappled effect. We added unexpected splashes of colour to the room by upholstering eight out of the 45 chairs in a bright red leather. We love creating playful surprises for our guests; it will always make a space more memorable.

Every living space should have details to capture the imagination and enchant.