Trend Spotlight: Outrageous Homes
Nicola Smith @thesmithinterior, shares the inspiration behind her eclectic decor and her favourite vintage finds.
We've really enjoyed working with Nicola when she was redecorating her home. Nicola opted for the Brass Beckett, which carries the aura of grandeur and luxury to add drama and Victorian charm to her guest bedroom.
Q1. What inspires your home decor style?
I love pattern and colour, I think it’s been drip fed to me over the course of my life. When I was very young my Mum decorated our London home with William Morris prints, then we moved to Hong Kong where I was surrounded by bright, joyful colours and lots of gold (it was the 80’s!). Travelling later as an adult has always opened my eyes to new patterns and ways of putting schemes together, sometimes from unexpected places, a garden, a temple, the tiles on a street.
Q2. What are your three must-have home accessories?
Lamps, several in each room to enable you to change the mood and feel of the space.
Cushions, see above! I thin they are one of the easiest ways of introducing texture and colour into your rooms, and are relatively cheap to switch up when you fancy a change.
Rugs, similar to cushions (albeit not so cheap), they add another layer of pattern, colour and texture. They can be a real talking point and add a dimension of luxury.
Q3. What's been your favourite renovation project so far?
Probably our main bedroom suite, we knocked two bedrooms into one big one, incorporation an ensuite and the crib room which we also knocked a doorway through to create a dressing room. Sourcing the décor for this room was fun, I’d had an old Chinese lacquered screen for years that is black with beautiful figures in turquoise and pink-this became my starting point.
Q4. What's been your favourite vintage find?
An old floor standing birdcage in a Chinoiserie style that was on eBay. It’s giant and the decoration on it is stunning.
Q5. Your one tip to anyone embarking on a home renovation project right now?
Everything will be alright in the end. You might have to make compromises but try to stick to your main goals. There is so much choice out there now, go for quality and colours, patterns, items that you really LOVE so you don’t get bored of them.
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