We love working with people who love La Redoute as much as we do, and are delighted to present The House of La Redoute – a project we worked on with author Kate Watson-Smyth, whose popular blog, mad about_the_house, is a must – read for anyone who loves good design.
We invited Kate to create three rooms, a challenge she embraced in her inimitable style. She wanted to create joyful spaces that perfectly encapsulate the way we all live today, as we have become used to multi tasking and as we look forward to welcoming guests indoors again.
Here, Kate shares her inspiration for her rooms.
Sitting Room
I wanted to create a versatile sitting room, a space to live, work and play for all generations. Interestingly, I was able to include a delicious velvet sofas for the first time. As we all know La Redoute is a French company with everything designed in house in France, but now there is a new collection, So'Home, a curation of products chosen by the UK team which includes sofas and armchairs as well as lamps, rugs and accessories that complement the collection.
I chose to style this room around this fabulous burnt orange sofa which is both firm and comfortable and, shows you how you can be brave when it comes to colour.
This sofa isn't online yet , so this is a sneak peak, but it will be coming in the Autumn priced at £1,194 and covered in "clever" velvet that resists stains so keep an eye out for that.
In the meantime there are these.
With plain white walls, I added this thick cream Berber style rug layered with a flatter orange and pink one and lots of neutral cushions in differing patterns and textures to really make the sofa stand out. This lets the sofa be a statement in its own right.
The pale pink linen curtains look gorgeous with the orange and if you use strong colours in a tonal palette you can create a softly luxurious look that is both bold and relaxing. Imagine changing the cushions for all shades of pink and orange, even a drop of red. And note the orange band on the 70s style lamp.
However, if you prefer a stronger, more high energy feel then try mixing the orange with its opposite on the colour wheel. Paint the walls in any shade of blue from teal to duck egg and stack a pile of jewel colours cushions on the sofa. Rich Persian style rugs or heavily patterned ones will complete the look.
Turns out an orange sofa can be much more versatile than you might think.
Of course, no room styling for 2021 would be complete without a WFH space and I made sure that was a feature in each room. Here, the narrow console table with a shelf means you can store a laptop and notebook underneath when not needed but access them quickly when you have work to do.
There is space for a lamp (this So’Home 70s style one works beautifully in both RAH (relax at home) and WFH and the narrow bookshelves, would work to store work items at the bottom, with decorative pieces and plants on show at the top.The narrow frame and minimal style means the light will pass through so they can also be used as room dividers if you want to break up an open plan space.
Bedroom
The next room I styled was the bedroom and, have long been a fan of La Redoute textiles from rugs and towels to cushions, throws and bedding so this was enormous fun.
The preferred look for bedrooms has been hotel chic– crisp white sheets and a clean minimal look for some years, but, the pendulum is swinging back the other way to a modern, maximalist look, and now it’s about cosy warm layering with lots of mixed prints.
I mixed and matched three sets of bedding to create this look but you can see how the pillow cases, with their delicate floral pattern and pink and white stripe edging would work on their own. Add in a patterned throw - this one is so light and a plain blanket and you’re all set.
Once again, I added a work space, this time in the form of a dressing table but one with a drawer so you can store the laptop out of sight and mind overnight and replace it with mirror and make up when needed. The painted red chair is part of a pair and also comes in dark green which leads us to the dining room.
Dining Room
I have been slightly obsessed with the idea of dark green bistro chairs ever since visiting the home of Skye McAlpine for a podcasting house tour. When I found these (which also come in a deep red) I knew they would have to form the centrepeice of my dining room.
Now that the world is opening up again, we can think about welcoming friends and family and it was a treat to create a room where six people can sit and eat together or to work at a large table. And once again the sideboard – this is a great piece – can store both plate and printer and other bits and pieces that you don’t want on display all the time.
Whether you are entertaining friends or eating en fanille, elevate an everyday dinner with beautiful linen napkins, gorgeous leather napkin rings, and elegant glassware. This will make eating at home feel special, and, of course, as we welcome guests back into the home, they will also make a good impression and add a fresh feel to the summer table.
I have really enjoyed creating these looks and hope you love them as much as I do.
Discover more of our tips for styling a happy house here.
