Making Your History Part Of Your Future Home

Your home is a reflection of you and your family’s personality, and most importantly, what has led you to where you are now. Very often, the creative motivation for the redesign of a space will be driven by special items collected during a family’s life so far, be they mementos or cherished treasures passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps you were gifted a marvellous sideboard for your wedding present, or your grandmother left you an antique piano. Each of these pieces has a place in your heart, so must have a place in your home.

When looking at a new design for a home, we, as interior designers, must always start with these hero pieces. You may have prepared a moodboard, full to the brim with new, iconic, modern pieces, but you also have an Edwardian sideboard which must take centre stages, so how can these pieces and your style must-haves work together?

Recently, I had the great honour of working with a client who had inherited a beautiful, one-of-a-kind Persian rug. Her parents had bought it early in their marriage and she had recently inherited on her father’s death, so it held a lot of emotional value and was one of the cornerstones of her childhood. The client wanted the rug to be front and centre in the living room’s new design scheme, which both embraced the past but also worked for the young family.

We utilised the tones in the rug, soft pinks and blues, to create the thread of a theme which was maintained throughout the space. With the addition of a West Elm embossed drum side table, cushions from OKA and a DAR Lighting Bombazine pendant light, the space became the ultimate personal haven and homage to her family story.

Another client began his design journey with his father’s wing backed chair. The piece, which now hold prides of place in the living room, became the anchor for the scheme, creating a comfortable yet warm space, ideal for entertaining. A very interesting project, we not only used the chair as a creative impetus, but also the client’s distinctive Juke Box, the ultimate accessory for friendly gatherings and family get-togethers.

In another project, our client embraced the combination of heritage pieces with a burst of modern colour and design as their inspiration for their new dining room. The family used an Edwardian sideboard to bring structure to the space, with a wistful piece of preowned art, seamlessly tying in the bright navy and yellow tones.

Be it a piece of furniture, a photo or even a work of art, it is so important to ensure your home reflects your life and what gives it meaning, a job we take great pride in. We utilise our expertise in colour, pattern, texture, lighting and space to ensure your new interiors stay true to your personality and make you smile for years to come, just like your all-important heirlooms.