The Great Indoors podcast S3 Episode 2 – Show notes
Hello and welcome to the 2nd episode in the third series of The Great Indoors Podcast and a big fat thank you to DFS for their continued support and to our producer Kate Taylor. You can listen to the full podcast here.
In todays episode Kate and I talk about my newly decorated living room and in particular the storage. Now when you start obsessing over fitted storage you know you’ve reached a certain age in life! Well Kate has a hearty rummage and goes through all my cupboards and even starts judging me by the books I own. But one thing we agree on is how lovely the soft shade of pink is looking, which is called Sea Pink by Sanderson.
We in invested in a joiner for built-in storage which is actually 30% more efficient and with the open shelving it allows me to show off my design books (ahem) photos and the odd prop. Then there is the much needed hidden storage with door fronts underneath, hiding a multitude of board games, lego and the Christmas china but still no handles! But I am lusting over some leather loop handles from Dowsing & Reynolds, so, like everything else in my home, watch this space. Thanks to Kate’s observation re the long counter running the length of the walls with space under the window, it’s just crying to be a window seat – any opportunity to add more colour and pattern can only be a good thing.
Next big thing to tackle – my big grey sofa has to go. My favourite fabric so far is Magnolia in cream/blue by GP&J Baker, despite being a design that has stood the test of time, I fell like it was made for me, not only do I love a bit chintz, but it features all MY colours. I’m also loving the deckchair style striped fabric by Ottoline De Vries for cushions – picking up the colours in the chintz. I have the confidence to use the Magnolia on an investment piece like a sofa as all the colours are my kinda colour palette so I know I won’t get bored with it.
The beautiful Magnolia in cream/blue by GP&J Baker
Where to start when designing a room
- The key point for me is to find a fabric or a colour family that go together that you really love. My hallway is dramatic and makes a statement whereas I wanted the living room to have a light and airy feel whilst still having some warmth which why I chose the fabulous Sea Pink by Sanderson, plus pink looks amazing in the evening light!
- You’ll notice that yellow is a connecting colour throughout my house – not a wall colour I might add – but it’s dotted all over. Once you’ve found your colour palette things will start to jump out at you and finding a fabric that you love is a great starting point as you can then use those colours throughout the house.
- My top tip is to choose five core colours or three if you’re not as colour loving as me and you will find designing the space will become a breeze as things will just pop out at you.
- Don’t think of a room in isolation – think about the house as a whole and how it will flow and connect, although rooms should still feel individual.
The rule of the rug
Firstly, we both agreed that you can never buy a rug that is too big but you can definitely buy one that’s too small. It should cover the whole area in an open plan space or the front legs of the furniture should be on it. In my living room, my bargain antique eBay rug is large enough for the front legs of the two sofas to sit on it as well a footstool, creating a cosy seating zone.
Kate’s lovely layered look
If you’re looking for a large rug, and like Kate couldn’t find the right one, layering several rugs will do the job nicely, as long as they are thin enough so you don’t get unsightly lumps and bumps.
Some top tips…
- Layering doesn’t have to be strictly limited to one type of rug however, you can combine a modern design like everyone’s favourite black & white Stockholm number by Ikea with a vintage rug. Or you could go for plains to create a colour blocking effect.
- Rugs are soft and cosy underfoot over a hardwood floor, like my engineered wood parquet floor by Quickstep, but if you have underfloor heating and a thick rug, one thing to bear in mind is to not set the temperature too high as the rug acts like a duvet, keeping the heat in and it can de-laminate your floor.
- Rugs have their practicalities but from a design point of view, they are the perfect way to add pattern and colour. As Kate pointed out the majority of people do not have a patterned sofa or large investment piece so if you have a plain sofa adding a vibrant rug will add interest and colour but you can also change it seasonally or if you just get bored.
- If you have a large room or in a rental space where you can’t change the flooring, buy a large piece of carpet and get it hemmed, as Kate did, you can even hem it in a contrasting colour.
- Alternative Flooring does a fabulous range patterned carpet, but if the thought of wall to wall patterned carpet scares you, they offer a great collection of rugs and borders.
- Rugs on carpet? Kate answered with a flat NO but with one exception – in a rental property if you can’t live the carpet there, get one large enough to lay on top. For me, I totally allow them over seagrass as I have in the bedrooms as it’s not the most comfortable thing to walk on!
My gift to me from Marrakech was this Berber rug, on the Seagrass Herringbone by Alternative Flooring
Our first interview – Trinny Woodall shares her secret to choosing the right bathroom
Fashion stylist and beauty entrepreneur, Trinny first rose to fame by styling the nation on the hit show, What not to Wear and a regular slot on ITV’s This Morning. Her more recent venture, Trinny London has truly put her on the map.
Kate and I felt rather less glamorous than Trinny in her sequins but look at us bathed in the east facing light! No filter required. Can you spot producer Kate in the back ground!
Recorded in one of Instagram’s most famous bathrooms, Trinny showed us her very organised space which is all thanks to Muji and their acryclic storage boxes, allowing her to have her own filing system. When she does her live feeds on Instagram people will ask questions and she needs to be able to answer quickly, hence the clear boxes.
Up close and personal with the storage boxes
This is her ‘work’ bathroom, her own personal bathroom is much bigger and still houses some Muji boxes with other products on shelves, a right-hand cupboard for products she’s using and a left-hand cupboard for things she’s testing – now that’s organised!
It seems that Trinny is the queen of organisation, she is in the process of culling and re-arranging her very large wardrobe – eleven cupboards to be exact! I think this is a great tip, she has freestanding rails in front of the wardrobe to place clothes she’s debating on getting rid of to see if she think she’ll use it within the next month – acting as a halfway house until it’s time to lose it. The money from the clothes she sells will be her budget for buying clothes for the year – that’s her intention.
Her last two homes had narrow hallways so she spent the money to mirror the whole of the wall next to the staircase which immediately bounced light from any direction and instantly creates a sense of space. In her previous living rooms, she loves a fireplace – who doesn’t! and has had a mirror cut to fit inside the alcoves making the room appear twice as big.
Lighting is key to Trinny and she loves natural light, especially when applying make-up as you’ll be seen in natural light after all – her live videos are done without any special lighting or filters. Her top tip for bathrooms is it must be East facing, as it gives the best light – it’s been a deal breaker for her when viewing houses.
Trinny loves a mirrored surface. Here is the great indooes team in full reflection inside Trinnys wall to ceiling hallway mirror. Can you spot the socket!
Trinny’s house is all about really interesting wall space with a minimalist vibe (her partner’s influence) and she’s got used to it, following a life of clutter of trinkets from her travels. She loves looking round a home with memories, although that was a different phase in her life and she loves that phases and tastes can evolve. Her home has always been her pride & joy, although now her pride & joy is her daughter and Trinny London
Lastly, we couldn’t leave without asking Trinny what her design crime is: Too matchy matchy – we’re talking curtains matching the bedspread etc etc. However, she can live it if it’s full on – my kinda girl – as she has done in her chalet in the mountains.
So it just leaves me to say a huge thank you to Trinny Woodall for being our first interviewee, DFS for sponsoring the series, our producer Kate Taylor and of course my co-host Mad About the House. And thankyou to my interiors editor Luisa Ferdenzi-Rouse for compiling these notes. See you in 2 weeks time!
