Normally, toilet decor goes like this: plush mats, upgraded taps, and marble counters. Rest room artwork, if one particular so chooses, sits earlier mentioned a bathroom, leaving the required appliance as just that–a want. For Kohler’s 150th anniversary, however, the organization is questioning this lengthy-time idea by offering a toilet product that is not just a humble need to have, but a standalone piece that commands admiration.
Named the “Numi 2.” the rest room design resembles a Tesla much more than it does a typical porcelain throne (and skyrockets to nearly $10,000). It is modern, outfitted with sharp, cubicle traces with a marginally reflective again-close that replaces the normally significant tank. But, you will find additional than just aesthetics that appear with this new product. It presents ambient coloured lighting, a constructed-in speaker styler, and an computerized open and close perform. In inside designer Allison Paladino‘s the latest Kips Bay Palm Beach front showroom presentation, the spaceship of a rest room included technological pomp to her if not serene primary bathroom.
For Kohler’s 150th anniversary, photographer Douglas Friedman shot the Numi 2.. design in Marfa, Texas.
Douglas Friedman
But, this product follows in the footsteps of Kohler’s lengthy legacy of turning the bathroom into what some people may well take into consideration a operate of art. To assistance with the launch, Kohler enlisted photographer Douglas Friedman to immortalize the toilet model in the same way as they did for their “Toilet in the Road” ad in 1981.
“I was intrigued by how the Numi seems to be like an art item. Its strange and placing and you really don’t know what it is at first. It’s a beautiful factor. The way the light hits it, the texture of the sort. It has movement and daily life,” Friedman tells Town & Country.
In the earlier ad, Kohler’s crimson San Raphael model sits in the middle of a barren highway in Marfa, Texas. Only a very long-winding vacant highway, idyllic mountains, and a trim design donning a reflective gown are depicted in the ad.
Just over 40 many years later on, Friedman and Kohler return to Marfa, Texas, to attain the very same mission: portray the royal flush as artwork. In a comparable vogue to the 1981 marketing campaign, Friedman sets Numi 2.. in the center of a road in the town also dubbed as the mecca for minimalism begun by artist Donald Judd. While, there are a number of evident distinctions. The former marketing campaign was shot in broad daylight, while Friedman’s is shot at sunset to more exemplify Numi 2..’s ambient lighting feature.
The authentic Kohler 1981, Kohler’s “Toilet in the Road” ad propelled the business to new horizons by portraying a toilet as a do the job of artwork.
Courtesy of Kohler
“The only area at any time deemed was Marfa, Texas. It’s just so awkwardly stunning,” Friedman claims. “We had been all so energized by currently being there — it was so inspiring to carry the crew there, interact the community talent and harness the electricity of Marfa, the household of minimalist artwork.”
The result is spectacular and ought to enchantment to those intrigued in technological know-how, household layout, or anything that may well lead to a person to a double take. Some might say it is really a superfluous home edition or a fancy waste bucket. Other people, could simply call it modern day artwork.
Decorating with plates may at first sound a bit… stuffy. A fussy approach to wall decor favored by grandmothers the world over. But as the long-lasting grandmillennial trend has proven, there’s a lot to be learned from grannies when it comes to style and interior design. Frills and fuss have been at the heart of so many interior design trends over the last few months, so it’s hardly surprising we are seeing a surge in taking the best china out of the cupboards and onto the walls.
And we are here for this unexpected interior design trend. There are ways of doing it that can make it look really chic, modern even. And when done right it can add a ton of cool character and interesting texture to any style of space (not just kitchens and dining rooms). Plus, ceramics are far cheaper than an art collection but can be just of much of a focal point and fill a blank wall space with personality.
How to decorate with plates
We spoke we some of our favorite designers who are longstanding believers in decorating with plates, getting their advice on the best ways, and best spaces to experiment with your dishes.
1. Use ceramics to bring texture to a display
(Image credit: Lindsay Brown)
What we love about decorating with plates is that they are such an affordable way to add some color, pattern, and texture into your home. Far cheaper than starting an art collection, plates can be picked up at antique shops, thrift stores, or online marketplaces like eBay often for very little.
This quirky dining room space was designed by Avery Cox (opens in new tab), a fellow advocate in ceramic decor. And her style just proves how paired with the right vivid colors and interesting shapes, a display of plates (even in something as trad as a Welsh dresser) needn’t feel old-fashioned.
‘We love to decorate with ceramics because it adds another dimension and opportunity for material, color, and pattern to every room. My advice is to group like pieces of 3 or more so that you are getting good visual impact. We like to hang them on a wall stacked, above a doorway, or in a diamond or circle formation above a buffet. For using them on flat surfaces, we love to use stands to prop them up if on shelves, or place on top of a stack of books as a place to drop keys, store matches, etc,’ suggests Avery.
2. Hang plates somewhere unexpected
(Image credit: Elizabeth Hay)
Plates as bathroom wall decor is something we are seeing a lot of. And it makes sense, right? Unlike prints, plates cope with the potentially damp and humid conditions of a bathroom. Plus, the unexpectedness of a plate in a bathroom adds a charming quirk that again feels decidedly modern, rather than twee.
Designer Elizabeth Hay (opens in new tab) often uses plates in her deliciously detail-rich spaces, using them to add even more pattern and tactility into rooms. ‘Plates are a great decorative item to hang in a bathroom because they don’t get damaged by steam rising up from a hot bath. I found these in an auction and bought them specifically to fit with the tiles,’ explains Elizabeth.
3. Take a more modern rustic approach
(Image credit: Laura Pankonien)
Plates come in all shapes and sizes, and for a less… grannyish approach decorate with woven plates instead of traditional ceramic. You’ll instantly add a boho edge that’s always around in some form in interior design trends. Plus, they are great for adding real texture to more practical rooms that have a lot of clean lines and hard surfaces, like kitchens and dining rooms. They look fabulous as an alternative headboard idea too.
In this space, designer Laura Pankonien (opens in new tab) used woven baskets to soften the contemporary style. ‘I love to hang plates on a wall in place of art in a kitchen or dining space. An eclectic mix of Spode china or the bold texture of woven baskets will bring new life to the space!’ she explains. ‘And in a bookshelf, we love to layer in an antique plate on a wooden stand, it adds a different texture to a wall full of books.’
4. Bring plates into a gallery wall
(Image credit: Neptune)
Gallery walls are always on trend, they just take different forms. We are definitely over the print-only approach, and more about bringing in more 3D pieces or bulkier frames that are going to add way more interest.
‘The simple fact that plates are, generally, round makes them the perfect partner for frames prints and artwork. Gallery walls are very popular as a way to display a large and eclectic collection of art and plates can add a sense of freedom from all those straight lines,’ says Simon Temprell, Interior Designer at Neptune (opens in new tab).
‘The most ‘accidental’ gallery walls are often very carefully considered, as there is an art to arranging art and accessories. Try covering a wall with lots of different plates in a monochromatic color palette. The different shapes, sizes, and decoration unified by the fact they are all in similar tones. Depending on the formality of your room, you could follow a more symmetrical pattern, especially if you have a vintage set.’
‘And for a more contemporary approach you might consider arranging plates in color blocks or an ombre progression so that your colors go from dark to light. The most characterful plate displays are made up of mismatched pieces that were picked up at different times and tell of places you have visited, people you have known. There’s always room for just one more!’ adds Simon.
5. Fake the look with wallpaper
(Image credit: Mary Neumann Photography)
If a wall of plates is not a realistic option for your space (they can be high-maintenance in terms of dusting and cleaning and dominate in terms of what else you can add to a wall), consider recreating the look with wallpaper to add that interest and vintage-chic vibes.
‘This client loves historic patterns, chinoiserie, porcelain blue willow plates, and everything navy and white! Her powder room is no exception. We used this absolutely fabulous Libertine for Schumacher wallpaper to really make a visual impact in this often-utilized hall bathroom. The client’s husband had installed the wainscoting himself, so that was off limits, but we really went for it with the wallpaper and lacquered the ceiling navy. The result is classic elegance, and the walls and ceiling are always a conversation piece!’ explains Jennifer Walter, founder of Folding Chair Design (opens in new tab).
6. Give a traditional display a modern twist
(Image credit: Paul Massey)
Dresser shelves are the traditional way to display plates, however, that doesn’t mean it can’t work in a more contemporary setting. This was the home of designer Susie Atkinson (opens in new tab)the whole place is a lesson in mixing old and new, an hommage to her eclectic collections and the kitchen/dining room is the perfect example of this coming together of so many different styles.
The antique shelving gives a traditional feel, but the plates themselves are a real mix of styles, shapes and eras. And this same mix is going on throughout the room – the bold striped rug, rattan pendant, and clean lines of the dining chairs balance the antique pieces.
‘We all seem to have a few inherited plates hidden in a drawer knocking around. We use them to bring color to a room as it saves on having to buy expensive art as they can be displayed in a decorative way. I either display them hung on a chimney breast, in an arc or pattern. Or otherwise on a plate stand. It makes a nice change from artwork. We sometimes frame plates in a Perspex box or simple painted frame to give them a more contemporary feel and a new lease of life,’ explains designer Susie Atkinson.
7. Preserve your plates in Perspex
(Image credit: Simon Brown/Firmdale Hotels)
As Susie mentioned, displaying plates in Perspex does give a decidedly contemporary feel. It sounds a bit museum-esque until you see it in situ – the dining space of The Whitby Hotel, designed by Kit Kemp (opens in new tab) demonstrates how it can work.
‘A way we would suggest you use the plates would be to create a plate feature wall. This can be done by hanging a group of plates on one wall to create a focal point in a room. The starting point could be the color palette, shape, style, or Century. At The Whitby Hotel, we created a collection of plates acquired on eBay – a great source – each displayed in a Perspex box. The Perspex box contains the shape in a balanced manner and makes the feature look contemporary,’ explains Kit.
‘When decorating with plates, it’s important to consider their position on the wall as this will affect how they are viewed and how they interact with other elements in the room. For example, hanging plates at eye-level will naturally draw attention to them and make them much more of a focal point. In contrast, hanging plates higher on the wall will make them a less prominent part of the scheme, allowing other items to take center stage,’ she adds.
8. Layer up patterns and prints
(Image credit: Elizabeth Hay)
Much like bathrooms, plates can add unexpected decor to a bedroom too. Ceramics add some solidness to all those soft slubby textures, and again just a nice alternative to a gallery wall. And plates are great for layering patterns, as can be seen in this bedroom designed by Elizabeth Hay. Often a way to make traditional patterns feel modern is to just go all out with them, layering them up and playing with different sizes and scales
‘These are pink luster ware,’ explains Elizabeth. ‘I always do the scheme with fabrics first and then at the end, I add in the decorative items. So the cushions were a part of the scheme and then I found the plates to go with them.’
9. Turn your bulkier serveware into a display
(Image credit: Jenn Verrier Photography)
‘The thoughtful process of displaying plates, serving dishes in a variety of shapes and sizes can be daunting. However, we love this process of mixing and matching. We gather all potential pieces on a table, and start to layer the dishes into a space, adding other accessories and textural pieces as needed. The result is satisfyingly organized and functional!’ explains Jennifer Walter.
‘This dining room is fully functional. The kitchen of the home does not provide ample space for the storage of serving dishes and seasonal place settings. We opted for open dark wood and leather shelving units from Four Hands for a handsome display of the overage items.’
10. Make a single plate standout
(Image credit: Elizabeth Hay)
We’ve seen a lot of plates in groups, however, a stand-alone plate can make just as much of a statement. A large dish above a stove or on a chimney breast in a dining room, or as seen here a small quirky plate used to create an unusual focal point around a bedside table.
‘This is a simple plate from Partnership Edition which I found to go with the blue bobbin bed and the contrast binding on the lampshade. Often a single plate can work just as well as a set,’ explains Elizabeth Hay.
When Ga Phillips was dreaming up a kitchen for her new property, she quickly realized what she didn’t want.
“I redid our kitchen two or three decades in the past,” she states. “It was beautiful, but I did it all in white. For this new kitchen, I selected the colour palette. I needed warm tones and a large amount of contrast and just went from there.”
She and her husband, Bob, labored with Costa Homebuilders in Elizabeth Borough to design and style their sleek-and-modern-day place in Peters, which judges named Finest New Kitchen area this calendar year.
The modern day place functions chocolate-brown cupboards flanked by a quartzite backsplash and countertop, chrome fixtures, stainless-steel appliances and a 10-foot-by-4.5-foot, quartzite-and-wood island.
Placing the design aside is the summary chrome light fixture that floats higher than the kitchen island.
“People are fearful of lights,” Phillips suggests. “I view the light fixture as the earrings on best of a beautiful outfit that is the first thing your eyes are drawn to. The trick is to get the scale appropriate. I’ve seen so several folks with lovely kitchens and they have this rinky-dink, out-of-area light. I feel it cheapens the house.
“I wished anything clean up and modern but not occupied. I think we bought there.”
Our Greatest of Style judges agree.
“I believed the wooden tones included a whole lot of heat to the composition,” claims choose Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture in Cleveland.
“I believe this is clean and basic but even now a truly sturdy, effectively-intended kitchen,” provides decide Katie Savakis, a task designer at Vocon, which has workplaces in New York City and Cleveland.
Anthony Ferrare, sales supervisor with Costa Homebuilders, notes the enterprise worked carefully with their customers to meet their requires.
“Their kitchen is seamlessly integrated concerning the entry from the garage and rolls into the good area,” he suggests. “It genuinely is the central hub of the property, the heart.”
Costa also partnered with Canonsburg General Woodcrafting to locate Phillips’ preferred shade of brown for the cupboards.
“The wooden is essentially cherry, but we experienced them sealed with the true colour I required so they aren’t pulling the red out,” Phillips explains.
Ferrare notes the property was built for a family members with slicing-edge taste. “They experienced a vision and came to us, and we assisted them make it materialize,” he suggests.
When planning her new household with Costa, Phillips states she budgeted extra for the kitchen to add custom characteristics these types of as a designed-in Bosch coffee maker, an underneath-the-counter ice maker and a Sub-Zero beverage cooler positioned near the back again doorway for straightforward obtain when entertaining.
“They authorized us to be as associated as we required to be,” she says.
Sellers
Architectural Structure: Costa Homebuilders Interior Design: Ga and Bob Phillips Basic Contractor: Costa Homebuilders Cabinetry: Canonsburg Common Woodcrafting Countertops: Primo Marble & Granite
In a common property, a rest room crafted for two would sport aspect-by-facet vanities on a person wall, a tub and shower on the other.
But there is nothing standard about the personalized household architect Justin Cipriani designed for attorney Jacques Moye on Cliff Road in the Hill District. Although the household unquestionably isn’t short on distinctive and unexpected style and design times — the deep blue cupboards in the kitchen area, the blood-crimson damask wallpaper in the speakeasy, the 60 ft of cantilevered glass that opens the property like a diorama — the rest room proved to be a standout.
Judges crowned it Finest New Bathroom in this year’s Greatest of Design and style competitors. Judges Stephanie Schill, of Cleveland-centered Schill Architecture, and Katie Savakis, a challenge designer at Vocon’s Cleveland business, the two admired the bathroom’s two-way, gas fireplace — which they say provides an earthy, organic and natural element to the normally contemporary key suite.
“It’s like nothing at all I have made before,” provides Cipriani.
Moye experienced a precise vision for a lavatory constructed for two with little visual separation. It felt like anything of a layout riddle, but Cipriani, who owns Pittsburgh-centered Cipriani Studios, was up to the problem.
He responded with a two-sided room that has separate entrances, sinks, dressing areas and even flooring but is joined in the middle by a beautiful, glass-enclosed damp room that allows its users to see obviously to the other aspect.
Moye phone calls the effect “intimately unbiased,” and it is an apt description.
The soaked room’s oversized black tub is large adequate for two. The shower has two glass doors that open to a sunken pebbled flooring and a few shower heads — which includes a waterfall. When that 1 is on, and organic light-weight is flowing by the transom windows, Moye states he feels like he’s “bathing in the Backyard of Eden.”
The space’s most influenced aspect though is a two-way fire, framed by ledgestone minimize stone veneer, that connects the bathroom to the bedroom and is located at just the proper height for the individual luxuriating in the shower and the particular person lounging on the bed to lock eyes.
“I like what that implies about the few who life there,” Cipriani says. “It’s endearing what it claims about becoming a few in this residence.”
Vendors
Architectural Design and style: Cipriani Studios Interior Style: Cipriani Studios/ Owner/ Typical Contractor Basic Contractor: Shape Enhancement Group Doors and Hardware: 84 Lumber Framing: Consolidated Residence (A&O Builders) Tile Installer: Creese Administration HVAC: D&M Mechanical Plumbing: Drummond Brothers Plumbing Shower Door and Bathroom Mirrors: Rex Glass + Mirror Co. Exterior Glass Railing: Emerald Artwork Glass Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson Enterprises Asphalt: Eternally Paving. Stonework: Gossard Masonry Railings: Groll Decorative Iron Works Drywall and Insulation: J.G. Drywall Co., Inc. Excavation: Jeff Helbig Design Inside Portray: Kevin Kemmler Painting Siding: Lezzer Lumber Organization Fireplaces: MAD Layout United states Retaining Wall: Precast Ways Landscaping, Concrete, and Footers: Orban Contracting & Landscaping Cupboards and Counter tops: Sims-Lohman Waterproofing: T-n-D of Pittsburgh Tile Supplier: The Tile Store Sauna Provider: Heat Timber Saunas Electrical: Werner Electrical Companies Roofing: William T. Robshaw Contractor
Each individual calendar year delivers some thing new in inside design and style tendencies, and when it may well be costly to update furniture, wall artwork, and appliances if you plan to renovate your abode, this is what is in and out.
Biophilic Style
Biophilic style is all about human connection and interaction with nature. Biologist Edward O. Wilson pioneered this development in the 1980s, and 2023 brings it back again thanks to a want for mental and psychological effectively-becoming. Interiors and gardens turn into oases of green, adorned with exotic vegetation and perennials, to build relaxing and restorative nooks that sense like stepping into mother nature. The trend will convey shades of environmentally friendly almost everywhere, from furnishings to wall art and decor accents. Residing walls are in once more – possibly indoors or on constructing facades. A strong emphasis on all-natural, eco-welcoming resources is also part of the biophilic structure trend.
Use a good deal of plants to make a link with mother nature as portion of the biophilic structure pattern of 2023.
Earth Tones
Considering the fact that biophilic design is the defining pattern of 2023, no speculate that earth tones are also in: they have comforting, calming effects and are impressed by mother nature. Assume browns, colored grays, greens, and delicate blues. Subtle pinks and peach hues are also trendy this yr.
Viva Magenta
The Pantone color of 2023 is Viva Magenta 18-1750. It will make for a innovative, vivid, and daring accent to elevate the earth tones that will dominate inside style and design developments this calendar year. According to Pantone, “it is a shade rooted in character descending from the red family members and expressive of a new sign of energy. Viva Magenta is courageous and fearless, and a pulsating shade whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, producing a new narrative.”
Pantone shade of 2023 is Viva Magenta 18-1750
Metallic Accents
Silver and copper accents make a comeback much too. Moreover metallic lights fixtures, you can also adorn your dwelling with iron espresso or facet tables, window sills, and many others. But, of training course, silver and copper are not the only stars of the yr: brass, stainless steel, nickel, and aluminum insert creative, eye-catching accents and a moreover of sophistication to every interior.
Accent Partitions
You could use the biophilic style and design pattern to generate a plant wall making use of hanging crops like Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum), Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), English Ivy (Hedera helix), or String of Nickels (Dischidia nummularia). These crops, on the other hand, are purely attractive and serve no other goal. A purely natural accent wall employing herbs will provide a dual purpose: decor and nourishment. Of system, you can always use the herbs in your kitchen and appreciate their fragrance and air-purifying houses in your bedroom or living place.
In addition to residing accent walls, you can use monochromatic wallpaper with special textures to completely transform the house. Wood accent partitions are stylish in 2023, but you should really choose suited wooden and patterns.
Modernism and Brutalism
Modernism and brutalism are the layout designs that will make a comeback in 2023. Modernist curves incorporate a pleasurable movement to interiors: contemplate rounded home furnishings, arched doorways, sconces, and other decor accents to improve each individual area with elegance and sophistication.
On the other hand, brutalism delivers unfinished concrete into inside layout, almost everywhere from accent walls to other textured surfaces (which includes floors) in kitchens and atriums, bathrooms, doing work areas, bedrooms, and living rooms. Brutalism may well use unfinished elements and tactile materials, making tough angles – geometric highlights and substantial home windows, for case in point – but utilized right, it can build attractive spaces comprehensive of harmony.
Significant classic objects deliver a profound purpose to their house owners and incorporate a contact of sophistication to the inside style traits of the calendar year.
Vintage Objects
Tastefully restored vintage household furniture always stays in type. On the other hand, vintage home furniture must be eye-catching, irrespective of whether painted in neutral tones or brilliant colors. It need to harmonize with the room’s color palette and improve the place relatively than currently being out of position. Upcycling may not be a new trend, but it will continue on in 2023 as folks concentrate on recycling to make a favourable contribution to the setting.
For kitchens, think about handmade ceramics and art pottery, and to increase accents to living rooms, bedrooms, and other places, classic sculptures or vases will do. On the other hand, all these vintage objects ought to be significant to their owners – contemplate heirlooms and souvenirs with a tale and profound function.
What is Out in Inside Structure Trends This Calendar year
Everything overwhelmingly hectic, like boho types so well known with Instagrammers previous year, is out—the trend of 2023 inclines toward minimalistic-stylish for mental wellness. Long gone are the many toss pillows and patch quilts. A lot less is additional in 2023.
Mihaela Lica Butler is senior husband or wife at Pamil Visions PR. She is a widely cited authority on public relations concerns, with an expertise of more than 20 several years in on-line PR, advertising and marketing, and Search engine optimization.She covers startups, on-line marketing, social media, Web optimization, and other subjects of curiosity for Realty Biz Information.
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As part of our interview series, My Happy Home, we sit down with Michelle Ogundehin to find out about her favourite room in her home — as well as the joy that her garden provides her with, particularly during the spring months.
Many of you might know Michelle Ogundehin, former Editor-In-Chief of Elle Decoration UK, as the head judge on BBC’s Interior Design Masters – with the new series returning on 7th March. She’s the author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, and you may have also spotted her providing invaluable advice and expertise on everything from Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs: House of the Year to The Great Interior Design Challenge.
Michelle currently lives in Brighton with her son and regularly shares interiors inspiration plus her top tips for designing on her Instagram, as well as why a better home often equates to better health.
What makes you happiest at home?
MO: Silence – and texture. I think a home should comfort and console. So to snuggle yourself into a corner and feel different textures is just kind of a joy to me.
Tell us about your childhood home
MO: My childhood home is of no consequence whatsoever. My parents were far too busy trying to survive than to have anything to do with interiors. So, I have no back story of parents flicking through World of Interiors or anything like that. Where the bug came from, I have no idea.
When you get home, what is the first thing you like to do?
MO: It would be to put everything away because I do like a sense of order. I mean, my home is not brutally tidy but I do abide by ‘everything in its place and a place for everything’. So, coats, scarves, shoes, they’ve all got to come off and go away, or school bags and all that sort of stuff. Then it would be to make a pot of tea.
Michelle and host Alan Carr with the 2023 batch of contestants on Interior Design Masters series 4.
Banijay UK
Which room do you spend most of your time in? How did you decorate this space?
MO: Because I mostly work from home it’s probably the room that I’m in right now – it’s kind of my study or office. I suppose it’s decorated for concentration.
Behind me there are two shelves filled with bits. I love things. I’m not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination but I do think things should be contained so they’re not everywhere. They are sort of creative things, however they are behind me, so when I’m sitting and writing I can concentrate. I’ve actually got a large map in front of me and a window looking out towards my outdoor space.
Describe the view outside your bedroom window?
MO: Green. Just green. I plant a lot of greenery as opposed to flowers and there’s a beautiful tree, I don’t know what it’s called, but it has the most gorgeous scented flowers on it and I’ve hung all the bird feeders in it. I call it my sparrow cafe because the house sparrows nest in the eaves of my house so I always hear them squabbling and talking – it’s glorious. It’s also the same view that I see from my study because that’s the room underneath it. I do love that.
What is the best decorating advice you have ever received?
MO: I’m not sure who specifically may have said this to me but whatever that thing is that you want to try – just go for it!
One that always surprises me is when people say go bigger than you think, with anything. I know that has come up quite a lot in the show, you kind of see something and go, why is that so tiny? Go with a big statement – sometimes even in a small room, a really big oversized pot actually works. It feels completely counter-intuitive but I think that would probably be something.
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What is the best home bargain you’ve ever snapped up?
MO: I very rarely snap anything up. I haven’t bought any furniture for years because I don’t have room for it and I don’t have the need for it. One of the things that I’m always doing is clearing and getting rid of stuff, but I absolutely love the things that I have.
I suppose I did manage to get my sofas that I absolutely love. They are the Robin Day Forum sofas, when they were sold in Habitat. I managed to get one of those in the sale but it was hardly a snapping up thing – it was because I’d always loved it and I’d always thought ‘oooh, I think I should have two’.
I’m a very slow burner, I like to have a long think. It’s more about having a kind of palette of materials that I stick to – often when you snap something up, you veer from that. It can look gorgeous in the shop and then you bring it home and discover that it doesn’t work. I would always counsel people to take their time and have a think.
What is your most treasured possession at home? Why is it so special?
MO: I’m literally doing a ‘less is now’ challenge and I’ve been sharing it on Instagram. There’s a coffee pot that I’ve had in a cupboard forever. It used to belong to my parents, it’s a real sixties shape. It’s a beautiful piece of design but I don’t drink coffee at all so it’s just been in the cupboard forever. And so I said that I was going to get rid of it, but because it is a beautiful piece of design, I was having a little bit of a wobble, and my inbox just went crazy with people saying, ‘Keep the coffee pot! Keep the coffee pot! Use it as a vase. Plant a plant in it. Use it for something else.’ And I was really like, ‘no – it needs to be used for coffee.’ It needs to go to someone who will actually value it and treasure it because I’m not.
I’m quite unattached to a lot of possessions in that way, truthfully because I think anything only has the value that you wish to ascribe to it. The things that I would really treasure will have no value to anyone else. They’ll be like a drawing that my son did or we’ve got this red rubber duck – it’s like a Manchester United rubber duck. It used to belong to my dad who very sadly passed away about four or five years ago but he gave it to my son and we love that stupid red duck.
I always think that when clearing, for example, you need to look at everything and ask yourself, if this was lost or broken or stolen, would you care? Would you care enough to replace it? Or would you cry over this loss? Because, if not, most things you realise is just stuff. I don’t really hold much sentimentality for too many things.
What would we find in your bedside table?
MO: Books, a pencil and hand cream. I do try to put hand cream on before I go to bed because my hands get very dry.
What would top your list for the worst decor trend?
MO: Probably any trend, really. I think the time for trends is over. We’ve got bigger things to concentrate on like sustainability and renewable resources and things like that, so any trend that someone buys into regardless of whether they like it is anathema to me.
Are you green-fingered?
MO: I think that I would describe myself as an intuitive gardener, which means that I don’t really know what I’m doing. I try and some things work and some don’t. I’ve had gardens where suddenly everything looks lovely and then there’s just patches of earth because I’ve not quite understood that thing about the timings of different things coming up at different times.
But I’m loving having a garden. It was one of the newer additions to my home and I find it so intensely therapeutic and relaxing and a joy to do. It is just so glorious at the moment – I love this time of year where spring is starting and it feels so optimistic. You’ve got little shoots coming through and I planted loads of bulbs last year, so I’m waiting to see what I’ve planted and whether they all come up.
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If you could have a snoop around anyone’s house, whose would it be and why?
MO: People don’t invite me round because they’re scared of me passing judgement and I don’t ever want to judge someone’s home. Because that’s the thing, your home is your space. It is your personal and private space. I mean, designers put theirs on display and I know this is ironic – since I edited Elle Decoration for years and was always persuading people to share their homes – but I’m not really interested in seeing any celebrity’s home. Just because they’re a celebrity doesn’t mean they have any taste. That makes me seem like I’m very not curious, but I did enjoy seeing Gwyneth Paltrow’s home [in Architectural Digest], actually.
• Interior Design Masters series 4 premieres on Tuesday 7th March 2023 at 8pm on BBC One.
