The Design Column – January/February 2009

When we move into a new home, we want to make sure we make our mark in terms of design and style. No matter who we are.

I was reading an interesting article in the New York Times recently. It concerned one of the first choices that will face Barack Obama when he becomes the 44th President of the United States on 20 January: what colour shall I paint the walls?

For the ‘most powerful man in the world’ that’s one decision he’ll quickly find out is not down to him. Decorating the White House will be Michelle Obama’s job, though she’ll get a lot of help and advice. Whether she likes it or not. She will chair the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, a board of appointees that will include her decorator, the White House curator, as well as art historians, furniture and decorative art experts and other advisers on historic preservation. Whilst the White House will be home to the Obama family for four, possibly eight, years, they are unable to change any element of the public rooms without the approval of this Committee. The first family do have a completely personal decision on changing the décor of their private quarters (on the second and third floors of the building) and the famous Oval Office

From the moment the outgoing President and his family leave the White House for the last time, about 10.45am, there are approximately five hours before the new President and his family move in. In that time a small army of movers and assistants will ensure that when the new First Family arrives, all their boxes have been opened, packed and stored away. Washington commentators and the press corps will be watching their first interior design moves with interest in what, today, has become a public relations minefield

Despite the media attention, or intrusion, that the Obama family will now experience, it’s refreshing to realise that they will be going through exactly the same emotions, challenges and aspirations that we all face when we move into a new house: how do we make it feel the perfect home for us. There are simple and quick ways to add life to rooms by adding a little of your personality.

Expressing your personal style through decoration is all about taking the things that inspire you – places, people, natural environments, for example – and translating that into your new rooms. TV programmes, magazine articles and design showrooms are all great places to draw further inspiration however you need to take into account the context in which something you like, or a look you want to replicate, will appear in your home.

The use of colour is one way that you can dramatically change the feeling and atmosphere in your new home. Colour can add instant interest and vitality, or help create a soothing, calm ambience. Bold colours can look great in a scheme, but equally you may want to just paint, or wallpaper, a feature wall. In rooms with more muted colour schemes, use bold colours in fabrics for pillows, window coverings, throws and rugs to generate interest and warmth.

Once the décor has been decided, the room then needs to be furnished. Too many times, people tend to fill up their new home with the furniture and items they already have. When I bought my first flat whilst working in the City, my design instincts were certainly not as honed as they are today, and I remember that period as a time where I set about filling the space with stuff, rather than take a longer term overview of the look and feel I wanted to achieve. Many people accumulate furniture the same way over their lifetime; they buy what they need (often as cheaply as possible) or buy things they like, irrespective of how they fit in to the current home and, sometimes, even if they will fit at all!

Continue too long in that vein however and you will find that 10, 15 or 20 years down the road, you suddenly realise you’ve accumulated a mish-mash of furniture and accessories that no longer meet your functional or aesthetic requirements. When furnishing a new room or home, planning is vital. Think about what you do at home and how you use your space. That will give you a great steer on the furniture you need. If you work regularly at home, think about where that will take place, either as part of a room or as a dedicated study, and provide the appropriate desking, seating, workspace, technology and storage. If you like reading, make sure you create a comfortable, soft furnished area that is conducive to creating the relaxing environment where you can lose yourself in the pages of your favourite novelist.

I’m a great believer in buying little and of the best quality you can afford, rather than buying lots and as cheaply as possible. Large pieces of furniture with simple lines bring presence and elegance to a space. A beautifully designed and manufactured sofa can form the centrepiece of a living space and provide all the comfort, elegance and timeless style you’ll need for years to come. I also firmly believe you should resist the urge to settle for something that’s not quite right. Only buy what you love. If you really love a piece of furniture, save up and buy it when you can afford it. That might mean that you only make one or two major purchases a year, but by doing so over time you will have an absolutely fabulous collection of furniture that will help you create a beautiful home. Otherwise, as I found to my cost in my early days in the City, you may end up looking at something every day and thinking, “what on earth did I buy that for?”