Achieving a Titanic Interior: get the look for 2012

With 2012 marking a century since the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, many eyes are looking fondly back through design archives, looking to re-acquire the magic of Titanic. The White star Line giant was constructed primarily in the shipyards of Belfast, Ireland and housed some of the most spectacular interiors in history. Itself taking influences from many design eras including Jacobean, Louis XVI, Louis XV, Georgian and Queen Anne, the Titanic style is now becoming a hot trend for Interiors of 2012. Though achieving the magnificence of Titanic to a smaller budget and within the limitations of a family home may seem somewhat daunting, it is none the less achievable.

The key to taking inspiration from historical influences is not to create a replica of the style, but to take flavours of the era and fuse these with more contemporary elements. To cover your 8ft x 10ft dining room in wall to wall, floor to ceiling mahogany panelling with hand carved detailing in homage to the first class smoking room would not work. But taking the principles of the colour palette, displaying a print from the era or opting for a titanic inspired lighting theme may be more successful.

As always, I’m looking at bringing a little Titanic glory into the bedroom design. For anybody who has seen the 1997 blockbuster of the ships sinking, you may remember the labyrinth of rooms which Rose and Hal occupied on the maiden voyage. I think the film portrays a fairly accurate example of first class accommodation and its worth examining for inspiration.

Though many of Titanic’s rooms were panelled to recreate opulent stately home-style décor, this is not really practical for modern home design as most homes don’t have rooms of the correct dimensions to allow this to work. But achieving a panelled look can be easily achieved by applying MDF panels and dado detailing to a single wall. Rather than dominating the space in a Mahogany stain, opt for a more neutral colour like Taupe or Stone. This way, you are adding architectural detailing without distracting from other elements. Keep it simple and make the panelling proportionate to the room, with simplistic moulding rather than an over embellished cornice.

Wallpaper was a real luxury of the early 20^th century and some designs are being revampted for the modern market. Little Greene have some reproduction wallpaper prints which have been tweaked but are heavily based on original designs. The 1915 Marlborough design is a few years late for Titanic but certainly contains the right elements. Alternatively, the Rococco design by Cole & Son would work perfectly. Again, I prefer the muted greys, taupe and cream designs where the pattern design is subtle as I find the design is more impressive when subdued.

Lighting is another key element – spotlights & halogens are a no go on this one – instead look for creating a more intimate lighting scheme to create a quiet romantic air. For a contemporary take, use low hung pendant lighting for bedside illumination rather than table lamps, keeping your nightstand free and uncluttered.

Finally onto the Furniture and accessories: I think that if you have kept with a fairly neutral colour scheme up to now, opting for richer furniture and bold colours will pay off to complete the titanic vibe. Don’t be afraid to mix styles – the more dramatic the better. Graham & Green have lots of gorgeous pieces which take inspiration from early 20^th Century design. If you’re after detailed dark wood items, Stokers are also a good place to look for Bedsteads and Nightstands with a huge selection to choose from. In Accessories and staging, I love the idea of having three staggered mirrors like these Lucille Mirrors – they’re decorative and have an eclectic vibe and I can imagine being dolled up in full Dinner Attire and using these to get the full 360 of an outfit.

So there you go – Titanic style in bite sized pieces. Here is my take on using titanic influence within bedroom design, hope you like!

M x

Get the Look: An Abercrombie & Fitch Inspired Bedroom

Owing to the popularity of my Hollister Bedroom post, I have decided to also put a quick “how to” for their ever-so-similar competitor store, Abercrombie & Fitch. I might point out, this is not a like-for-like copy of their Store decoration but rather an inspired piece – simply using Abercrombie and Fitch as a bouncing off point: if you’re keen on the shops and the style they sell, you might like this style too. So, on with the scheme:

I think a nice deep blue wall colour is appropriate to create that Aladdin’s cave feel, something like Hague Blue by farrow and ball could do the trick. I’ve used this colour in a bedroom before and it’s delicious – rich and deep, yet mellow in tone. Marry this with Vivienne Westwood’s tartan wallpaper by Cole & Son, in homage to a lumberjack style shirt.

The Furniture could be a real eclectic range:

• A slatted modern type bed like the Zanzibar bed by Willis & Gambier
• A rustic Armoire, antique or replica
• Rather than two matching bedsides, how about a drawer chest to one side, with tall legs elevating it from the floor for variation
• Tan leather armchair, like the Hugo from Graham & Green
• This compilation rug by The Rug Company pulls inspiration from many styles, for an almost flea market mixture of patterns and colour but with a luxurious feel under foot.
• To go for the store look, why not integrate an open clothes rail to show off some of your favourite and most worn garments.

Now, something which all the American youth stores remind me of is Taxidermy – though of course I don’t recommend you mount a real stags' head above your bed. However, there are lots of ways to represent this within your interior. There are loads of taxidermy inspired pieces on the market at the moment and Graham & Green have some of the best, including these Rhino Wall Lights.

Moooi (That’s Danish for Beautiful, with an extra “o” to make it Very Beautiful didn’t you know) launched the Rabbit lamp a while back and would make an excellent bedside light. In fact, Next have done a copycat design available for 1/10^th of the price, a snip at £35 and a nice feature piece. Finish the scheme with wood: wood venetians and wood floor, either a walnut or cherry for best effect.

Moving House: a New Beginning

Finally, the reason I started a blog is almost upon us: the contracts have been exchanged and we’re now awaiting confirmation of the moving-in date. AND I’M SO EXCITED! Partly because its bigger than our current abode, partly because it’ll be our very own home rather than a rented house, but mostly because I can finally get my teeth into refurbishing the damn place to my liking (something very frustrating about renting).

So, is it a complete fixer upper I hear you ask? Erm, no, not exactly. In fact, we’ve been very lucky in finding a place which is good enough to move straight into (high priority with a little baby in tow) but it’s not going to feature in any home-design magazines anytime soon. The current owners are in their late 60’s, so that should give you a good idea of the décor. And guess what? I’ve already drawn up the whole house in sketchup and have gone through at least 5 different designs and layouts for each room already. Did I mention I’m fickle? Yup, I get fed up of styles/colours/patterns very quickly, so really need to be happy with something before I make the plunge and decorate.

So here you are, as I’m sure you’re desperate to take a peek, a few teasers of the house. To preserve the current occupiers privacy, I am just showing the fixed decoration elements which I will be replacing on a rolling programme.

Living room

A nice size with extension at the back, solid wood floor in Oak and currently a feature wallpaper around the chimney breast. A basic electric fire and mantle will be remaining.

Kitchen

Not my favourite space: It’s long and thin and the unit doors are a Beech vinyl, with a red granite-effect laminate worktop. Tiles are beige and carcasses are white so a facelift will be the cheapest solution in here. The oven is staying but all other appliances must be acquired.

Master Bedroom

I quite like this space: it’s got duel aspect windows so the room will bet both the morning and evening sunlight. A floral wallpaper currently dominates the space but all other walls remain white. No quirky features apart from the new ensuite which has pebble flooring (!)

Other rooms…                                                                                          

My main concern is the Hallway which is the first impression people will get when they enter the house, so this really needs to represent the style running throughout: All rooms lead off from this so it needs to compliment without appearing cluttered or themed. It’s ultimately going to set the trend for all the rooms so I want it to be fairly neutral and tasteful.  Also, the Nursery is a must do. The little’un will be staying in our room for a few more months until she sleeps right through the night, so it would be best to tackle this first. Also, I’ve not even thought about the gardens – as we’re looking at and Autumn/Winter move, its not really a concern until Spring but there are a few things which we’ll need to do as general maintenance eg. Protecting the Decking.

Stay tuned for the Refurbishment posts. I intend to keep a record of the improvements and will be including useful hints and tips alongside a few tutorials on home-made elements. Oooh, can't wait!

The K factor: Kelly Hoppen

I read today that Kelly Hoppen is starring in new interior design programme, Superior Interiors, on Channel 5 starting on Tuesday evening. I confess, I was a tiny bit disappointed at first, as it means the Kelly Hoppen brand will truly be accessible to the masses, and therefore loses a little of her exclusivity. On the other hand, I was super excited as it means we'll really get chance to see how she pulls schemes together and how well she can budget-manage. I'm in two minds as to whether I'll watch it as the great british bake off is on the other side… we'll see. Anyway, as I'm sure much of it will feature on the show, I've had a browse through her collections and have selected my personal favourites. As you know, I tend to focus on Bedroom design so have opted for items with this in mind.

Hoppen's bedrooms…

Here are a couple of her bedroom designs shown on her website. I love her simplicity and adore the colour palette – you just know that this will still be a knockout interior scheme in 10 years' time which people are still trying the replicate.
Hoppen uses quite a unique headboard in one room, and unfortunately this isn't included in her ranges. However, I think the Ameilia Bed from High Fashion Home is maybe a nice alternative, though you may need to break open your Piggy Bank for this one.

Her Wallpaper range in exclusive to Graham & Brown and perfectly represents her brand, using black, taupe, grey and beige as her primary palette. She has also included a deeper than deep purple shade which is just beautiful. I particularly like the Tattoo design, available in four colour-ways at just £30 a roll. I'm seriously contemplating this now for our master bedroom.

Hoppen also has her own paint range, but I've not personally used it and as you may have figured out by now, I'm rather addicted to Farrow and Ball paint; it applies wonderfully for a supreme finish. The muted tones of Farrow & Ball complement Hoppen's much loved Taupe, in particular Elephant's Breath, so I'd be more inclined to select a colour from F&B. They also have a slightly broader colour range. I do intend to try some Kelly Hoppen paint and if it matches F&B in quality, I'll happily revise the above comments J

Now, two items I REALLY, REALLY LOVE are these chairs which Hoppen has designed with Barker & Stonehouse. The first armchair reminds me of a classic mid-20^th century chair by T.H. Robsjohn. It's upholstered in a taupe/grey leather with beautiful detailing. The second is the dining chair, upholstered in a linen blend with simplicity in form and decoration. Either would be suitable for a bedroom chair, as they are interesting enough to stand alone without dictating a style to the other furniture or fittings.

Onto soft furnishings, hot on my wish list are these gorgeous Button cushions and this beautiful bedspread from QVC.
So what about the pieces which Hoppen doesn't have yet in her range? (namely bedsides, wardrobes, flooring). Well, the old staple Hemnes range from ikea would be appropriate for a lower budget scheme if you tried to replicate Hoppen's style at Home. Or www.Andsotobed.co.uk for some more unique-looking furniture in dark wood. Kelly tends to stick with angular designs, so even Dwell could be used for a more contemporary look. The key aspect is to go for something quite simple but with nice detailing: if it's a simple shape, maybe the veneer could be turned, or the finish could be mock-marble to make it that little bit special.

I'm surprised Hoppen hasn't yet struck up an alliance with The Rug Company to create her own complimenting range, as rugs do feature heavily in her schemes (please do it Kelly!) so until that happens, I think the Stepevi deep pile collections could work equally well in a Hoppen inspired interior. Be warned, they are pricey but no rug I've come across remotely compares in quality or design.

Do you have a favourite from the Brand? And more importantly, will you be watching the Great British Bake Off or Superior Interiors?

Copycat Design: Connaught Hotel, London

The Connaught Hotel in London's Mayfair is a particularly prestigious Hotel. Tastefully decorated without appearing dated, the Connaught's style is almost like Audrey Hepburn; no matter how many years past, she will always be stylish and fashionable without succumbing to the minute-fashion which adorns our high street. The Connaught has a distinct style which draws from various eras without committing to a particular one – its selective and mellow, opting to explore texture, depth and detail rather than using pattern and colour.

Though much of the Connaught's bedroom Furniture has been handcrafted by Afghanistan Artisans bespoke to each space, there are similar available to purchase off the peg, though unfortunately not at a price for every purse.

Top Scheme Items:

• Bed: The London Bed Company
• Bedsides: And So To Bed
• Wallpaper: Designers Guild, Ernani Opal & Ecru
• Armchair: Designers Guild
• Cushions: John Lewis
• Bedspread/Throw: John Lewis
• Floor Lamp: John Lewis
• Curtains: Debenhams Montgomery range

I love the Headboard used at the Connaught, and simply could not find a close match anywhere, but think that the Vermont bed by Frank Hudson is just as beautiful. I think the Hotel style overall is quite masculine, with dark wood tones, tailored drapes and wallpaper reminiscent of an Italian Business Suit – lush! – with delicate feminine touches in the floral arrangements and dainty lighting.

Cost to achieve? I'd allow for at least £10k in your budget to really go to town and replicate this in your own home, but again, stealing the colour palette and keeping minimal with cute tailored details will achieve a similar result. Happy Decorating!

Inspiring Designs: Brooke Giannetti

On a recent evening, whilst I was researching a particular Hotel Bedroom scheme i'm in the process of disecting, I came across a wonderful blog, Velvet and Linen, an Interior and Architecture blog by LA designer Brooke Giannetti. As I scrolled through some of her links, I came across One Kings Lane Tastemaker Sale, and happily mentally spent my next two years earnings on  some of the amazing pieces on offer.

The Blueberry River Drop Front Desk is on sale at $1,799 and unfortunately, a fair bit out opf my price range, and the Oil Painting was marked at $749 but is sold out - but I think a price which isn't too bad for an original piece of artwork. A real investment. Though I'm not able to hop across the Atlantic and melt a credit card to purchase these beautiful pieces, I am tempted to modify my own bureau more vibrantly and maybe home make things of a similar ilk...

Additonally, Brooke showed these AWESOME table lamps below, which I desperately want. I'm a huge fan of the Jeeves and Wooster lampshades and these are just as quirky. Though I am fairly certain they will not be available on our highstreet anytime soon, I'm going to try and make my own version of these at some point for certain!

If you've not come across Brooke before, I strongly recommend chacking out her website and some of her designs - I especially like some of her bedroom designs and she really lets rooms talk to one another throughout her schemes. I'm feeling particuarly inspired by her at the moment :D

2012 Style Predictions

It is often said that the Interior Design world and fashion are closely linked, and I don't doubt it for a second. You only have to take a walk down your local high street to see boutiques and fashion stores updating their displays to tie in with the latest seasonal offerings. In fact, the Interior world is usually just a few months behind the Catwalk, meaning the colours and themes displayed around September are more than likely to appear within 9 months on the Interior circuit.

Looking at yesterday's catwalk of the latest Valentino wares, and indeed many of the fashion shows of the last few months, I've compiled my predictions for 2012. It's pretty clear that floor sweeping dresses and 1930's influences will be hot on the high street this season, but how will this translate for the home?

Colour Palette:

Dove Tale, Vert De Terre, Cooking Apple, Matchstick, Rectory Red, Railings – all available colours by Farrow & Ball

Textures:

Lots of sensuous textures shown in some dramatic dresses; for the home, look to introduce rich velvets alongside flowing sheer voiles.

Key Pieces:

Statement furniture should be feminine – nursing chairs in statement Reds, with emphasis on intricate details in the turned legs or buttoning.

Feature Prints:

There are few florals shown on the Catwalk, instead focusing more on Animalistic prints, Art Nouveau organic swirls with the sysmetry of Art Deco: a real homage to the early part of the 20^Th Century. In the year celebrating 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic, don't be surprised to see some form of nautical sea liner influences too.

Any predictions you'd like to share?