Chris and Amie wanted a cool and contemporary style but without the look being too clinical, their home is a red brick terrace after all, not a city apartment. Within the house remained some of the original features including two painted but potentially gorgeous cast iron fire surrounds upstairs. Amie was especially keen on keeping these period features so I’d decided to restore them to their former glory. The black / deep charcoal colour which the the fireplaces would be returned to was a colour I wanted to repeat throughout the design scheme.
So. That was deep grey, high gloss white and also a pale grey which had featured on the couples’ ‘likes’ as well as several natural timbers in shades varying from walnut to ash. With the white gloss units it was possible to have a timber floor and timber work surfaces but I felt this was too rustic and also slightly impractical to have timber on a kitchen floor. With the black accent colour in mind I opted for a deep grey slate with a textured finish and random pattern for the flooring in the kitchen, which Chris could then follow through into the hall and utility. But I still needed something to make the scheme POP!
On the wall behind the old kitchen sink were some very dirty and cracked tiles but it’s strange sometimes where inspiration comes from. The rich orangey yellow colour made me think of some amber glass lights I’d seen at a design show and also narrowed the focus of timber choice down to oak which, as well as looking fab with the chosen scheme, would be both affordable and easy to get hold of.
From these choices quickly evolved all the other design decisions like paint colours for walls, floor styles, bathroom tiles, sanitary ware, wall tiles, even the wallpaper!
For a homeowner or DIYer, making up mood boards in this way ensures that your interior design remains cohesive. Not only do you as the decision maker have a reference point for your scheme but the boards will also establish the aesthetics for anyone else working on your project – builders, decorators, etc. Make your decisions and then stick to them!!
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