With the school holidays underway in Scotland and no more school runs (ever!) I'm looking forward to a time of increased productivity as I can escape to the studio, my happy place, for longer hours.
As always we are working on various diverse projects and I thought l'd tell you about a few things we have going on.
Kirkcudbright
Over the last year l've been so blessed to work on a gorgeous country house near Kirkcudbright with really a brilliant client. While the house was already absolutely beautifully decorated, the master bedroom suite was feeling dated so that has been our main focus.
I visited with a random selection of books but it wasn't until the client came to the studio to browse and spotted this stunning floral by Osborne & Little that we suddenly had our direction.
The colours in this fabric are so interesting, pretty, but also peaceful creating a happy sanctuary. The room was originally very square so we built in these two wardrobes to create a more interesting shaped space, creating a window alcove.
We've had so much fun designing pieces to add to this project and currently have several bespoke furniture pieces going through. These pieces will be added to our furniture collection and available for you to purchase for your own home.
Here is the CAD drawing for one of them - a chest of drawers with silk lined front and top. Can't wait to see it!
New furniture collection items
Developed originally for Kirkcudbright, now available as part of the permanent furniture collection. This ottoman is a floating piece, light enough to manoeuvre wherever the conversation may flow. A robust piece that adapts to any interior design scheme weather for your living room or bedroom, expertly constructed and upholstered by our team in the Pentland Hills, seen here in this gorgeous fabric by Osborne and Little, but do contact us for a consultation to select your fabric.
It has storage space too!
The Newbattle bench I designed years ago for an Edinburgh house will be reimagined for Kirkcudbright and while shape will be the same, the size and fabric will be totally different.
Look out for this in our furniture collection.
Drumsheugh
A project that we have coming to completion this summer is on Drumsheugh Gardens in Edinburgh's West End. Aside from a small garden table, four chairs and a couple of footstools the enormous Georgian style drawing room was empty. The room has some of the highest ceilings I have come across...anywhere and the most incredible cornicing. On the edge of the West End, the street was built in the mid Victorian era but was built in the Georgian style to sit as an extension of the Georgian west New Town. It is now separate flats but at one time would have been a whole house. Incredible to imagine the wealth and lifestyle of the original inhabitants.
With the client keen to use vintage pieces we have been rummaging in antique shops, sheds and barns and scouring auction houses for interesting pieces to create an eclectic but comfortable space for all the family and many extended friends to enjoy. I think my greatest find was the huge 12 seater regency style dining table. I really struck lucky with this find!
*Image below before chair upholstery.
And here they are after upholstery.
The most interesting thing about this project was that the client did not want it to look 'interior designed' and did not want anything matching but nevertheless for everything to work together.
As a designer it's always great to be thrown these challenges and is what I love about my job. It's ended up a space that every time I walk in I feel both lifted and relaxed and this is what I'm aiming for in all my work.
We look forward to sharing final images from the space with you as soon as we get there.
Make It Your Own Series
The other exciting thing I'll tell you about is that we now have online a selection of the finest pieces from The Chairwoman Upholstery. These items have been collected by Patricia and Colin over the years so we are delighted to be able to make them accessible to you, our clients. The prices include restoration and reupholstery so all you need to do is choose and buy your fabric (which of course I can help with) and then they will be delivered to you all beautiful and as good as the day they were originally made. Also please ask it you would like more photos, sizes or even to see in person.
Click the image below to learn more:
Introducing Kirsty
We're so excited to welcome Kirsty to the team! As a budding Interior Designer, she's bringing a great burst of energy and enthusiasm. Kirsty's already been a huge help in keeping projects moving along smoothly, jumping into admin tasks, and connecting with clients—she's quickly becoming an invaluable part of the crew.
Summer Coastal Breeze Palette
Finally here is a sneak peek of a mood board we've been working on. Tone and texture was our guiding force for the direction of this palette with cool hues and beige tones intermingling to create a sandy oceanic interior.
Thank you for reading!
We'll be sharing these conversational newsletters quarterly and hope you enjoy them when they come!
Have a wonderful summer!