My sister always laughs at me when I mention that I read magazines for my job, but pouring over this visual stimuli is an important part of what I do (I know it’s tough, but someone has to do it!!). I am always on the lookout for design gems to inspire and excite me.
And this is exactly what happened the other week when I stumbled upon images of Gemma Ahern’s Leigh-on-Sea apartment. Although it may be old news for some of you, I was so blown away by the interiors that I just had to share them with you, as this is a look that is so up my street right now.
I wouldn’t automatically go for a colour palette this dark, but the dark, almost funereal colour paint (Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball), used on both the floors and walls, adds a dramatic, lead-grey backdrop to the scheme, which is then lifted by adding bright splashes of colour, like the living room’s neon pink lacquered table and a butterscotch-yellow print by textile designer Lucienne Day.
Quirky elements add a sense of humour and interest to the space. The bookshelf print wallpaper lends a cosy boutique hotel feel.
I love the way Gemma has mixed aesthetics here, hanging a designer chandelier made of recycled glass over a window seat piled with homely cushions.
Chunky floating shelves add an inexpensive touch of glamour. The mix of upscale designer pieces with salvaged vintage finds is also key to this eclectic look, and helps to create a personal narrative of life.
Hallways can be boring, transitional spaces. However this hallway is anything but dull, with its mix and match pictures and objects which create a real statement!
Even the bedroom is filled with pizazz with its over-sized Barbie-esq pink wardrobe door handles and the bus roll signage.
As Gemma Ahern says, “One or two really wild pieces make everything come together”.
Whether you like this style or not, I hope that you will agree that this space oozes character from every crevice, and that I just love!
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
Henry Ward Beecher
Images 1, 3, 5 and 6 by Jonathan Player for The New York Times. Images 2, 4 and 7 by Graham Atkins Hughes and featured on Design Sponge.
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