Ready For A Home Refresh This Spring?
Architect-Approved Advice From @houseabovetheriver
With elegant period features and large windows that frame a charming woodland-like garden, this 1860s Northumberland townhouse was ‘love at first sight’ for architect Alison Elliott @houseabovetheriver. Be inspired by her take on a seasonal refresh, from embracing nature to choosing paint undertones and how to tap into the curved interiors trend.
How do you ‘spring-ify’ your home?
The easiest way is to do it very literally – rooms are instantly enhanced when there are living plants or vases of colourful flowers dotted around, especially cut spring blossoms. I often move plants around the house so that I can benefit from them in new spaces at different times.
Paint is probably one of the most effective ways of brightening a room; remember to choose appropriate tones that suit its orientation. For example, north-facing rooms bring out cooler tones so you should choose something with a yellow undertone to balance it out and make the room feel warmer. If you have dark floors, a light-coloured rug will help bounce light around the room. Adding a little bit of colour through accessories like cushions, throws and wall art is always a great way to bring life to spaces.
What’s the number one rule you swear by when designing a room?
A careful lighting plan is always a good idea. Making sure you have sockets in the right places for lamps and adding wall lights on dimmer switches is a great way to give you control over the level of lighting in the room as the seasons begin changing.
What are your renovation no-nos?
Sometimes the first thought people have when it comes to renovating or decorating is what the room will look like and I have been guilty of this too. But how a space functions is by far the most important thing. A big no-no is building your layouts around certain pieces of furniture because as we all learn, even though we may love something right now, this can easily change.
Do you have a favourite colour palette this season?
Warm, bright tones – off-whites and plaster pink hues always provide the perfect backdrop for brighter accents. I like to have lots of paintings and prints around my home to add extra texture.
I’m quite tentative about patterns because some can feel dated very quickly, but there are timeless ones such as checks, stripes and florals.