Here it is guys: our Drawing Room reveal! This is the grandest room in the house with the highest ceilings and most ornate cornicing. It was added in the Victorian era (so, a little later than the rest of the house) and it was used to welcome and impress guests. My biggest thing about this room is that I wanted it to be used; I didn’t want to design a whole room that was never enjoyed by anyone so I also made this where my Study is!
Edward Bulmer came to the house and helped me choose the wall colour- I wanted something bright but also warm so we chose Brick which I adore and re-created a ceiling rose that was originally in the room. It has a hint of terracotta which is picked up elsewhere in the room. The flooring by contrast is quite dark; we found original floorboards when we ripped up the carpets (so exciting!) so these were polished and I wanted a bit of layering in this room so we’ve got sisal with a printed rug from OKA over the top. The rug picks up the earthy tones in the paint and also has tones of peach and brown in it- it was the last one in the shop and I’m so glad I got it.
The other dominant colour in the room is blue. Our blue sofas are from Sofa Workshop and we went for velvet for that sightly luxurious feel. With the UK climate, a Drawing Room has to be cosy in the winter and bright in the summer so it was important to be to make sure we could use it all year round and I chose my colours accordingly. The cane chairs came with us from LA (where I found the pair for $250 at a flea market) and I had them re-upholstered in a fabric called Jaisalmer from Lisa Fine Textiles. We found that lots of our LA furniture didn’t work in this house as the styles are just so different but any we did bring with us found a home in this room, including the leather tufted ottoman from Restoration Hardware which actually looks quite English!
The room has various side tables and smaller pieces of furniture, nearly all of which was picked up at antique markets on in second hand shops. The cocktail trolley (which is always full and makes me want a cocktail every time I come in here) was found at a vintage market in London (Portobello or Old Spitalfields are winners if you’re looking for something similar) and the paintings were mostly found in similar places, all very inexpensively. The antique barometer on the wall was left to us by the previous owner who received it from the owners before them so I love keeping it where it lives- a little bit of history that stays with the house. The lamps on the table behind the sofa are from India Jane and I added contrasting shades from OKA and Susan Deliss who makes the most beautiful pieces out of silk saris.
My bureau was found in Petworth and the supplier kindly hung on to it for me as I totally fell in love with it; it remains my favourite piece of furniture I’ve ever bought. My desk chair was re-upholstered with a fabric I found in Paris years ago and I had come cushions made out of the extra materials to draw the colours together. I’m a firm believer in love at first sight when it comes to interiors and design- if you see something you love and you know you’ll love it forever, buy it. Even if you don’t have a home for it yet, you’ll find one. That’s exactly what happened with the Paris fabric and now I work here every day and it always makes me smile. My desk lamp and marbled shade are from Pooky and the carafe is from Petra Palumbo; you can see more about how much I love my home office here.
We added an antique mirror above the original fireplace so it looks as true to era but the room is also filled with books, family photos, coffee table books and bits and bobs that we’ve collected over the years. So there it is: our Drawing room revealed! I love this room so much and it’s such a good entertaining space. Anyone for a martini?
