Designing in urban and rural homes
In our opinion, homes need to be just that - homes. They should be enclaves of calm and charm away from the bustle of daily life. Independent of your geography, whether you live in the countryside or the city, your home should strike a balance between reflecting your passions and personality and encouraging you to relax and decompress. In the wake of the pandemic, slightly more rural locations have not only become more appealing but also more of a tangible reality for many. For some, this could be a full-time move to greener pastures; for others, it could be a second home for weekends and holidays with family and friends. When it comes to designing this property, it's essential not to fall into cliches associated with country-core, like chintz wallpaper and landscape oil paintings (although both are welcome if that’s your cup of tea). In a similar way, decorating a city pad shouldn’t necessitate sleek edges and a monochrome palette. It’s all about creating a space, or spaces, that feel unique and serve the purpose of a home, whatever that means to you.
This month, instead of making stylistic suggestions for your city pied a terre or your country house, we’re looking at practical ways to make any home comfortable and beautiful, noting just a couple of nuances when it comes to designing in these different contexts. As we always say, don’t be scared of pattern and colour, reuse furniture in new ways or rooms, create moments of joy as you move through the house with art and accessories and apply these principles to any and every home. But, there are some worthwhile design principles to bear in mind when approaching rural and urban design from practical perspectives.
Space
Generally speaking, properties in the countryside will be more spacious with more generously proportioned rooms than city homes, which require some more intelligent space-saving hacks. Any great room, however big or small, will demonstrate the practical use of space, and this functionality contributes to its beauty. Much of this comes down to scale. In beautiful rooms, furniture, rugs and accessories will be the correct scale, lending a more refined aesthetic to spaces of any size or shape. While in city homes it makes sense to conserve space, scaling-up in these larger country homes is just as important. Using the same scale furniture, lamps, rugs and even cushions that you would in a London flat will make a country home’s high ceilings and grander scale look empty and unconsidered. So, go for larger lamp bases, broader rugs and double up on sofas or armchairs; fill the length of a room with a dining table and the width of a wall with a large piece of art (oil landscape or otherwise…)! It’s all about space-filling, making a room, a stairwell or a hallway look welcoming, warm and homely with furniture and accessories of appropriate sizes for the scale of the architecture.
In city homes, it pays to get more creative to give the illusion of more space or to create space that wasn’t there before. This clever use of space could come in the form of bespoke shelving to make excellent use of a smaller room, adding storage and display areas for a tidy but characterful feel in a city home. It could also be the reappropriation of ‘dead space’ under a staircase or in the eaves of a room, adding useful and attractive design accents to smaller city apartments. To add to the perceived space of a room, use mirrors over fireplaces or elsewhere at eye-level and make sure your window dressing is light and simple to bring in as much natural light as possible.
Character
Some are lucky enough to have a home (or homes) with spades of character such as architectural detailing like coving or moulding, or even secret passages and concealed cupboards. While older country properties are laden with original tiles fireplaces, hidden staircases and jib doors, many urban new build properties lack character. Of course, living in an old city like London, Edinburgh, Paris or Rome bears many an opportunity to invest in an urban home with centuries of charming historical architectural qualities, but the reality is that many are living in white box-style, modern buildings. While they are architecturally impressive, sound and often designed with sustainable principles in mind, they don’t pack quite the same punch compared to a more effortlessly characterful space.
In this case, decorating an urban home requires some careful character-adding techniques, while designing in a country home should work towards character-enhancing. In a converted barn with gorgeous, long beams, why not paint the surrounding walls or ceiling in a contrasting colour to the wood to bring out its qualities? In a Georgian manor house, opt for a carpet with a large-scale pattern repeat to revel in the sheer size of the hallway or a drawing room. Equally, in a city apartment, use paint to create the suggestion of panelling, or use art to create a visual discourse between the rooms, adding personality and personal style.
