I’ve been in the throes of wedding planning the past couple months, and by throes I just mean the very basic, surface level aspects of a wedding. The only parts I truly care about – the dress and the party venue. Everything else is just details that overwhelm me so I push them, naturally, to the side until I cannot ignore them any longer…as I’ve explained already, I am not a good decorator, I am not good at planning, I am who I am and that is someone with a lot of ideas and no clue how to execute. There, I said it!
But something I’ve been thinking about lately, whether it’s spurred on by getting married, getting older, or just my multiple Grand Designs binge sessions, is planning out and decorating my dream house. I love researching for my Instagram page, but lately I’ve been saving down more practical reference imagery. I’ve even created a folder called, ‘Actual House Inspiration’, ignoring the fact that I’m nowhere near having an Actual House. (The woman who helped me try on dresses at Vivienne Westwood the other week told me that someone came in to try on dresses even though she wasn’t engaged yet. This is where I’m at on my journey to home ownership).
So, without further ado, here are the 6 things I absolutely, positively, must have in my Actual House.
1. Copper tub
Did you know copper tubs are actually healthy for you? I took my first bath in a copper tub last summer and I came out of it feeling incredibly rejuvenated and raved about it non-stop until a friend informed me that it actually has health benefits like encouraging muscle relaxation and increased blood flow (this is because copper is a better conductor of heat, meaning your bath will retain heat much better than other materials). But the best benefit – it is resistant to bacteria growth and easier to clean. What’s not to love?
I kind of hate the look of them, so I would go with an encased platform copper tub, like the tinned-copper example above. And this image brings me very nicely to the next must-have…
2. Lacquer details
I have suddenly become very obsessed with anything shiny. After a visit to Erno Goldfinger’s 2 Willow Road in Hampstead, London, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the use of lacquered paint in the doorways. What a nice mechanism to signify entering and exiting a new space! Especially if you don’t have the luxury of a bigger space and long hallways.
3. Fully matching room
I blame My Fair Lady for this. If I have a guest bedroom, I think I would do something similar – I don’t think you could live in something like this day in and day out, but it’d be so fun to tap into it. Fully wallpapered walls and ceiling, matching bedspread or pillowcases, matching curtains…a luxurious dream.
4. Monochromatic room
And if a floral bomb is maybe too much for you, opt for a monochromatic room – I’m obsessed with this periwinkle monochrome look. Don’t forget the ceiling!
5. Cheetah print
I struggle with this one, as obviously it’s loud, overbearing and feels like it would stand out massively against the rest of my hypothetical Actual House – psyche! It makes me want it even more. But one thing with cheetah print – you need to go as bold as it deserves, it won’t work if you do a timid hint or nod to it here or there. I would treat it as a neutral, and experiment with it in a smaller room, like a dressing room carpeted in cheetah print, or a cheetah print powder room. Carlo Mollino uses cheetah print so nicely (wee what I mean about it being a neutral?), as does our queen Cher.
6. Mixed materials
There’s just something very nice about different materials and textures not being too same-same or matchy-matchy. Wood and chrome/metal/steel is such a good combo.
Until next time,
Isabelle
aka Dreamspaces