28-02-2025
How to bring timeless British interior design trends into your home
The joy of British decorating is that it cannot be summed up in just one style. The various types of British home run the gamut from dinky stone cottage to rambling country pile; modern city penthouse to classic Victorian terrace via 1930s semi; and the styles in which they might be decorated are equally as eclectic. As Phaidon publishes a new interior design bible, we look at the British rooms featured within its pages, and the decorating styles they espouse.
Modern botanical
Ben Pentreath, the King's designer of choice, is known for creating timeless, layered rooms that are full of interest and detail, but never overwhelm. Floral prints are a recurring theme in his work: 'Floral patterns have enduring appeal because they so beautifully relate a room to the nature that abounds just beyond the windows or doors,' he says.
Here, at a cottage on the Cornish coast that he decorated for a family, he has brought in a blend of patterns and colours that feel both classical and fresh. In the guest bedroom, a Chesterfield sofa covered in a Robert Kime suzani print has been teamed with a willow-motif wallpaper and floral curtains by Morris & Co, whose designs he favours because 'the balance of scale, leaf, form, and repeat is essentially serene'. A dark wood antique side table completes the look.
Idea to steal: Counterbalance a floral or botanical scheme with a monochrome artwork: here, a set of William Kentridge engravings has been hung against the Morris wallpaper, striking a note of modern contrast.
Floral maximalism
It takes a certain confidence to mix several different floral prints successfully, as the textile designer Nathalie Farman-Farma has done at her family home, a Georgian townhouse in London. In the main bedroom, several different patterns have been used on the walls and the bed, yet the overall effect is calming, thanks to the designer's clever choices, and the symmetry of the pictures hung above the bed.
Idea to steal: When mixing prints, choose one to use as the starting point: here, colours from the floral fabric on the headboard have been picked out in the burgundy-and-white wallpaper, and the blue-and-white bedspread.
Matchy-matchy
In the dining room of the same house, Farman-Farma lined the walls and the windows in the same, punchy print – a toile by the French brand Braquenié – so that when the curtains are drawn in the evening, the room is enveloped in the pattern. She has hung mirrors and framed fabric samples on top of the wallpaper – again, symmetry comes into play with their arrangement – and antique bobbin chairs add a playful touch. The round dining table encourages conviviality and conversation, and makes the best use of space in the square-shaped room.
Idea to steal: Farman-Farma chose a rich, rusty red paint for the fire surrounding and the panelling on the lower part of the wall, which matches the colour of the largest flowers in the print on the wallpaper and curtains. Picking out one shade from a patterned wallpaper in this way, to use on skirting boards and window frames, helps to tie the decor of a room together.
Monochrome
Decorating in a monochrome palette needn't result in a bland, boring room, as long as you pay attention to texture. This living room in a London house was previously painted white, which made it feel 'cold, dark and slightly unloved', according to designer Clare Gaskin, who coated it in a deep navy blue. The fireplace, the panelling on the lower part of the wall and the cornice are painted in Dock Blue by Little Greene, and a matching seagrass wallcovering by Thibaut has been applied above the dado rail. 'The layering of textures played well with the natural and artificial light in the room,' she says. The colour has also been used on furniture and furnishings, including the footstool and cushions, to enhance the cosy feel of the room.
Idea to steal: Metallic accents, as in the drinks trolley, floor lamp and side table here, help to lift a dark and moody monochrome scheme. Deep-coloured walls are also an excellent foil for fresh greenery, which pops against the navy blue in this room.
Timeless with a twist
A smattering of antiques is essential to the work of designer Henriette von Stockhausen. 'Antiques tell a story, providing a lived-in look that many country houses achieve naturally as they're handed from one generation to the next,' she says. 'Here they help the room feel settled and lived-in, despite the fact that it's been newly created.'
The room in question is a bedroom in a Georgian country house in Wiltshire, and its decorative jumping-off point was the antique suzani covering the headboard of the bespoke four-poster bed. 'I pulled all the other colours, accents and general feeling for the room from there,' says von Stockhausen. Other key pieces include a Gustavian-style chest of drawers painted blue, a chinoiserie writing desk and an Italian-style armoire: the mix of antiques from different periods prevents the room from looking stuffy or overly traditional.
Idea to steal: While not every bedroom can accommodate a four-poster of this size, the cosseting effect of the deep blue interior of the canopy here could be recreated on a smaller scale with a simple mini canopy above the bed – see interior designer Beata Heuman's bedroom for inspiration.
Rustic farmhouse
When model and writer Saffron Aldridge found this early twentieth century Hebridean farmhouse, her aim was to revive it from its formerly ruinous state, without losing its original character. She teamed up with designer Scarlett Supple (the pair have since formed the design practice Aldridge & Supple) to work on the renovation, which involved rebuilding the fireplace wall in the sitting room. The sandstone used for the wall was left raw, giving it an aged look, heightened by the limewash walls and wooden floors. 'To soften these materials, we used a mixture of textiles, layering heavy weaves, wool and textured linens to create a cosy and warm feeling,' says Supple.
Key to the comfortable look is the mix of rough and smooth surfaces – for example, the contrast between the well-worn coffee table and the sleek, wool-covered sofa and leather armchair.
Idea to steal: In a high-ceilinged room, an oversized accessory works wonders: the table lamp on the side table acts as a stylish punctuation mark.
Tailored
Men's suiting was partly the inspiration for this home by interior designer Natalia Miyar – a very chic version of a modern bachelor pad. Her client's art collection also provided visual cues, for example in the palette, which is mainly cream, warmed by accents of soft brown and blue. The mix of textures adds richness: from the bouclé sofas, leather chairs and fumed-wood coffee table to the rugged vases and cosy wool throw. 'A space should appeal to all the senses,' she says. 'When each item has its own texture, it creates something tactile and one-of-a-kind when combined. Even the scent of natural materials can be evocative.'
Idea to steal: Most rooms can take a black accent or two, particularly one with off-white walls, as here. The black side tables, picture frames and candlesticks contrast with the softer colours and bring a little energy and edge.
Organic modern
One might think the modernist look is all straight lines and sharp corners, but not so in the library of this London apartment by architect Sally Mackereth. While the envelope of the room – its 1960s aluminium-framed windows and double-height bookshelves – introduces a clean-lined verticality, the organic forms of the furniture act as a pleasing counterpoint. The curved sofa is Verner Panton's Cloverleaf design from 1969, while the yellow sofa is the Relax model by Florence Knoll, from the 1950s; the animal-print cushions add a dash of playful pattern.
Idea to steal: The bookshelves here are a lesson in effective arrangement: books are displayed in different ways – some standing, some stacked – and interspersed with the odd lamp, picture or sculpture for visual interest.
Moody
An 'in the gloaming' vibe was the mood designer Faye Toogood wanted to create in this London bedroom. The polished-plaster walls and oak parquet floors are drenched in a palette of dusky hues that changes with the light, creating an atmosphere dedicated to promoting sleep. The bespoke tapestry above the bed, by craftsman Philip Sanderson, completes the textural palette.
