The owner’s references provided a starting point highlighting Japanese influences, old-world materials and rich, saturated color. It was a brief that suited Heidi’s instincts well, and she began to envision the answer to her question: a mix of antique and vintage pieces, a sophisticated color palette, interestingly textured materials and judicious use of bold patterns. Restraint was key: ‘It can’t be a maximalist house,’ notes Heidi. ‘It doesn’t have the architecture to support it.’
Heidi’s approach was to use plenty of pattern, but to balance rich spaces with calm, quiet spaces nearby. Large-scale, painterly patterns are one of the attractive elements of the home – often used on walls instead of furniture and textiles to enhance their impact – they stop dominating the interior. The entrance hall sets the tone with Långelid von Brömssen’s botanical ‘Toromiro’ wallpaper, and the dining room continues the idea with classically elegant chinoiserie paper. The living room between them acts as a punctuation mark, a quiet break between rich patterns. ‘It feels like a breath of fresh air,’ says Heidi.
The kitchen is perhaps the most striking display of Heidi’s ability to create drama in unexpected ways. Relatively small and boxy, the room seemed particularly promising at first, but Heidi’s decision to commit to rich patterns on the upper walls was transformative, and even more so with hand-painted tiles rather than wallpaper. Commission for the kitchen from Wales-based artist Freyja LeeDiscovered by Heidi on Instagram, these tiles now serve as the centerpiece for the home. Heidi admits, ‘The customer was initially drawn to it. ‘It was literally the one thing she wasn’t sure about. And now I think it’s everyone’s favourite.’
A loose motif can be a brilliant way to make a home feel cohesive, and Heidi has carried the botanical theme into other rooms, creating a jewel box from the downstairs loo with another Chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper, while soft landscape murals add atmosphere to the bedroom, and delicate leaves around the bathroom wall. Varied in scale and intensity, these patterns create subtle threads throughout the home, while allowing for the distinct mood of each space. The more public rooms of the entry hall, dining room, and kitchen are dramatic and confident, but the master bedroom, by contrast, has a delightfully relaxed feel, with a misty mural inspired by the trees and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. It has an immersive effect, but its muted palette makes it perfect for the quiet mood of the bedroom.
