Live Breathe Decor

I mentioned in a previous post that my lovely friend Carolyn is building a new house. A year or two ago we re-decorated her bedroom in pistachio green and raspberry, but now it’s time for a bigger and more exciting project! She is knocking down her old cottage and rebuilding and wants her new home to be sophisticated and a bit glamorous. She’s just finalising the plans and so it’s time to start thinking about the interiors!

Being a natural bossy boots, I have suggested she starts with glossy dark floorboards (not the white tiles you see in lots of new builds – white tiles in a living room eek!!), and a colour palette that’s ‘grown up’ and a little bit feminine: dusky purple, green and turquoise with hints of gold and silver. She might even let me put a hint of pink in. These are the pics I’ve sent her today for some (very initial) inspiration and to show the colours I have in mind.

A dusky grey/blue living room, with a touch of black that makes this room sophisticated. There’s a bit of glamour in the glass coffee table and mirrored side table, and the elegant lines of this type of look will suit Carolyn’s aesthetic. I like the small scale of this arrangement, and that will suit her new house. She also has a great collection of black and white photography with black frames that would look fabulous paired with a couple of black timber-framed chairs.

house beautiful

 When we were out shopping awhile ago Carolyn and I spotted this distressed turquoise-painted chest of drawers topped with a matching tall turquoise mirror. It was a divine pairing and Carolyn loved it. We agreed that the new house needs a little ’entry’ area to house something like it. The turquoise study above reminds me of the colour and the type of look that would really suit her. Below are the original pics taken in the shop:

I think the chandelier (above my head in the right of the reflection – can you see it?) would look great somewhere in her house too – maybe above the bath.

Here’s some more living room inspiration:  

david kaplan

 Not too sure about a pink sofa but the pale blue/purple palette in this living room is nice.

elizabeth bailey in traditional home

Love this bedroom! It’s luxurious and just feminine enough without being too girly. The best thing is the detail: the grey/blue satin of the bed canopy is lined with a pink chevron, and the dark grey/blue sofa is trimmed with subtle pink and nailheads.

tobi fairley

 This is a great way for a small dining area to make an impact and be defined in an open-plan living area: a round table and a statement light fitting like this amazing turquoise chandelier.

vallone via the lennoxx

elle decor

 Purple toile blinds in an otherwise black-and-white scheme for a study (above).

molly sims' home in in style

 Okay, so this chandelier might be a little too much (above), but what I really like about this study/library is the greyish purple walls and bookshelves. Stay tuned for more happenings on this exciting project! x