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The famous English designer advises how to decorate the interior in our northern latitudes, where there is not enough warmth and light.
How to decorate the interior
Nina Campbell
Decorator, designer, head of the Nina Campbell Furniture bureau. She started her career at the famous Colefax & Fowler, but very soon started her own business. Nina Campbell’s interiors have embodied the spirit and style of an English home for over 30 years. In addition to interiors, twice a year, under its own brand, it produces a collection of furniture, textiles, gift wrapping and home fragrances. For Osborn and Little, he creates a collection of wallpapers, fabrics and tapes twice a year. Winner of the American Fashion Award in the category “Most Outstanding Designer of the Year”, the Timeless Design Award from the Royal Oak Foundation. Honorary Doctor of Middlesex University. Mother of three children and author of three books.
Nina is sure: the secret of her success lies in the fact that when she decorates someone’s house, she leaves her own ambitions at the door and listens carefully to the desires and tastes of her clients. Works strictly within the allotted budget. She does not get distracted by details and does not start selecting individual items, for example, carpets or sofas, until she understands what her design setting is: goals, priorities, constraints. He knows how and loves to mix classics and modernity, because this is the only way to create a timeless interior. But most importantly, Nina Campbell knows how to ask questions very concretely and answer them very concretely. Try it and you will use this scheme.
Tip 1. Before changing the interior, ask yourself a few questions
- How many people will live in the house?
- Are there children and old people among them?
- Will they rest and work here / just relax / throw noisy parties here?
- What furniture or heirlooms do you want to keep / update / throw away?
- What are your storage requirements? (Don’t forget the utility cabinet with vacuum cleaner, stepladder, suitcases, and Christmas decorations.)
- Do you have a favorite historical period that you would like to recreate? (This shouldn’t limit anyone, but it can be a great help.)
- Do you have a favorite style, color or subject that you would like to use in the interior?
Tip 2. Questions to each room
- The purpose of the room? Who exactly will live in it?
- Will it be used only during the day, only in the evening, or around the clock?
- What rooms does it adjoin?
- What parts of it can be seen when the door is open?
- Do planning problems need to be solved?
- Do architectural elements need to be changed?
- Is there enough natural light in the room?
- What kind of view does the window offer?
- Do you need a lot of artificial light? (Remember that electrical wires are laid much earlier than finishing.)
- Do I need to take into account in the project an existing item (for example, inherited)?
“I never sacrifice comfort for aesthetics. And I try to bring at least a bit of irony to every room. “
Tip 3. Do not be afraid to combine incongruous
I don’t like rooms that look like showrooms. The interior should have a slight “curvature”. Eclecticism is much more fun than strict historical style. If you feel that it is yours, then it is acceptable. The only thing I can’t come to terms with is dirty or broken things. The unkempt bed is terrible. Going to sleep in a bed unmade in the morning is completely unacceptable for me.
Tip 4. Don’t overdo it with and white
Your northern latitudes lack warmth and light. But painting all the rooms through one with red and white paints is not the best way out. The red interior will be more reminiscent of a bloody blockbuster. One red room is enough. It can be a hallway or a study. As for the lack of light, I am sure that such rooms cannot be saved with white paint. To somehow liven up the space, it is better to use saturated colors. If the trees outside the window are bare for most of the year, hang red and orange … They let in light, painting everything around in warm colors, so even in winter it seems that the summer sun is shining into the rooms.
Tip 5. Change the interior with minimal effort will help the right accessories
I pick up , braid, lampshades and other home accessories in the same way as I would choose shoes or a purse for a suit. The right shoes can completely change your look – and vice versa, if you are wearing the wrong shoes, you will feel old-fashioned even in a very beautiful dress. Pay more attention to home accessories, do not keep faded pillows with you if it is long time to throw them away. If you are very fond of some bright fabric, then think about whether it can be used in small interior items, such as pillows or armchairs, where it will look less intrusive than, say, on sofas or as curtains. Another advantage of accessories is that they are easy to change.
From June 1 to July 1, 2008, in the Ekoestate Pavlovskaya Sloboda settlement near Moscow, it was possible to examine in every detail the house designed by the English decorator Nina Campbell. Of course, we took the opportunity to show you this interior.
Opposites are drawn to each other: old and new, traditional and folk, East and West.
Wallpaper pattern and porcelain figurines echo and complement each other. Such compositions enrich the interior.
It’s good when the living room has an overhead light, floor lamps, and sconces. Each sofa and chair should have its own light source.
There must be a dominant in the living room. For example, a fireplace. The family often gathers in this room, which is why it is customary to keep family relics here. I have these chairs inherited from my father. As a child, I loved to climb on them with my feet. If there is a high window in the room, do not cover it with a lambrequin.
Mirrors are very refreshing, but you need to be careful with them. It is better to divide them into parts with frames.
A guest bedroom or bathroom is the perfect springboard for decorating experiments. Very bright colors and extravagant shapes can be used here.
A guest bedroom or bathroom is the perfect springboard for decorating experiments. Very bright colors and extravagant shapes can be used here.
Stairs are the perfect place for a home art gallery. Overhead spotlights look bad on stairs. Better to use a bottom light.
Red is also great for hallways and is associated with a warm welcome.
The jade Buddha became the starting point for creating this interior. The wood panels are finished in glossy green paint that matches the black and white marble floor. It is very important to give a “powerful charge” of energy in the hallway.
Nina Campbell: “I don’t like rooms that look like showrooms. The interior should have a slight “curvature”. Eclecticism is much more fun than strict historical style ”.