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When Life Gives You Lemons


Lemon yellows, lime greens and oranges are staple colour palettes used in my fabric collections and spaces I design. We all need some brightness in our lives at the moment, so what better time to share some of our favourite citrus themed schemes.

This striking scheme at Ham Yard Hotel is a triumphant showcase for my ‘One Way’ fabric for Christopher Farr Cloth, used here in ‘Lemon’ on the walls and curtains. The large scale is what I love most about this print.

The simple vertical design adds height to the space and its white ground is a perfect crisp backdrop. We’ve used a combination of Samuel & Son’s Italian leather piping in ‘Butterfield’ and ‘Chartreuse’ as sharp acidic accents of colour on the upholstery and cushions to complement the rest of the scheme, a fail-safe addition for layering texture and creating depth.

In this bright room at Covent Garden Hotel, we’ve used Fanny Shorter’s Margo ‘Lemon’ fabric on the headboard as the focal point of this sunny scheme, complemented again by my ‘One Way’ fabric as curtains. We’ve chosen a sharp plain yellow fabric to make up the outside quarter edge of these bed cushions, which is a great trick for balancing colour in a scheme. The mirrors opposite the window are also a great addition for reflecting light, making this room feel bigger and brighter.

At Haymarket Hotel in Room 6, we have used a combination of my ‘Inside Out’ fabrics in ‘Orange’ and ‘Lemon’ on the walls and bed cushions. I love playing with scale so for the curtains we’ve used a combination of ‘One Way’ as the main fabric with ‘Small Way’ as the leading edge in the same colourway, separated by an orange leather pipe detail.

In the Library at Number Sixteen, fresh yellows and greens anchor this scheme with each piece of furniture, picking out a colour in Korla’s geometric Lemon Grove fabric lining the walls. The desk lamp, pendant flexes and side table, all in a vibrant yellow are extra details that make this room pop.

I love the flashes of lime green in this geometric fabric by Edit Textiles used on the headboard and bed cushions of Room 804 at Crosby Street Hotel. This bright colour has a tendency to overwhelm if used in large quantities, but here it feels perfectly balanced against the fresh blue linen walls and the less acidic shade of green on the upholstery.

‘Live It Up’ is a favourite weave from my most recent collection with Christopher Farr Cloth. It comes in four striking colourways but ‘Lime’ is a personal favourite. The combination of orange, pink, grey and lime is unusual but it is effortlessly easy to use. You’ll be seeing lots of this in future schemes!

In Room 701 at Crosby Street Hotel, we’ve used Jim Thompson’s playful Garden Party in ‘Orangerie’ on the headboard. I was immediately drawn to the painterly quality of this joyous design, which inspired us to create a scaled up orange motif applique in wool for the bed cushions.

In Apartment 22 at One Denman Place, we’ve used this same fabric, showing the design is equally effective on a smaller scale.

This post would not be complete without mentioning our giant orange juicer at Ham Yard Hotel in our much-loved Dive Bar. The orange leather bar stools and bespoke De Gournay Rick Rack wallpaper add a real sense of fun to the space.

We look forward to welcoming you back for a zingy cocktail in the not too distant future!

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