Sophie Robinson is to interior design what Craig Revel-Horwood is to dance. She is sassy, colourful and frank but always tongue-in-cheek.
She’s always the most colourful contributor on The Great British Interior Design Challenge; not that she needs the gig. Sophie is a whirlwind of a woman describing herself as a stylist, journalist, designer, presenter, blogger, entrepreneur, mum and self-confessed ‘cushion hugger’.
Phew.
Sophie is also ‘bonkers’ about colour. Her many thousands of completed projects often include vibrant, striking, in-your-face colour including the unforgettable canary yellow sofa in an otherwise monochrome room.
If you are thinking about styling a room with a few quirky vintage curios, Sophie’s is the go-to blog for inspiration. She’s direct with her advice and fearless with her styling. If anyone can teach us mere mortals how to express individuality in our homes without upsetting the neighbours, Sophie can.
Her blog features lots of how-to tips and one of the most compelling features was entitled ’13 interior design crimes and how to avoid them.’
Based on Sophie’s tips; Jolly Volley suggests some fixes and how to legitimately add a vintage twist.
Design Crime number 1: Tasteful interiors
The whole point of styling with vintage pieces – be one industrial lead pipe light or a 100 medicine jars – is to express your quirky side. Sophie implores designers to bravely ‘express creativity and celebrate design’ and thus avoid Pinterest Porn. Sophie believes it is better to make your visitors feel outraged rather than bored. The room above is all Laura Ashley and falls into what Sophie calls ‘matchy matchy’.
If you simply replicate this look it will be nice, but forgettable.
How to fix; Take the room above and add a splash of wild colour. Paint that fireplace and get some of the same accent colour in the soft furnishings.
Vintage twist Add old family photos in perspex frames above the fireplace, ditch the tiny table for an over-sized footstool in vintage fabric (velvet or linen) and replace the safe grey sofa with an antique leather chesterfield.
Design Crime number 2: Beige
Sophie urges amateur designers to avoid falling into the ‘beige and bland’ trap.
Your desire to be tasteful and elegant could lead to a soulless hotel boutique bedroom feel. Yes, it’s all very calm and soothing but come on – you are king or queen of vintage; beige is not your shade of choice…
How to fix; Create a gallery of pictures above the bed, a monochrome mat on the floor, statement wallpaper above the bed and trade beige curtains for something with a pattern/texture.
Vintage twist; A tailor’s dummy, an old ladder, colour themed books, shutters, vintage throws or faux furs, antique mirrors and a French chandelier. Any items in strong accent colours.
Design crime number 3: Neglected hallways
You have a great home but the hall is a place where the kid’s stuff comes to die. It is full of coats, shoes, dog leads and toys. Sophie says; “I am astounded by how unloved our front porches and hallways are.”
How to fix: Follow Sophie’s advice and (a) get some systems in place ie: all coats returned to bedrooms or buy/build a storage cabinet. (b) build an outside shed for any bins (c) paint in a happy, eye-popping colour.
Vintage twist; Add an old bench for shoes, a coat rack, a Turkish runner (a carpet not an athlete), painted shelves and an antique mirror. It’s an ideal place to display vintage finds including hats, bags, storage trunks/boxes and umbrellas.
Design crime number 4: Clutter
Here’s the Sophie Robinson task of the day. Look at all the items in your key rooms and ask yourself ‘Is it useful, is it pretty?’. If not, put it away or remove to the nearest charity shop/municipal tip
How to fix: Rotate. Put most of stuff into storage and only display a bit at a time. After a few weeks, put away – and bring out (buy) some more.
Vintage twist; Buy a big housemaid’s cupboard for your junk. Put up some shelves or invest in old baskets/suitcases – all perfect for storing unsightly bits and bobs.
Design crime number 5: Ma-hoo-sive TV’s
‘Interior designers have always grappled with this far from perfect problem’. Sophie says.
A TV as a gaping black hole spoiling the loveliest of rooms; small wonder most interiors magazine feature TV-less homes. Sophie admits this gadget ‘ain’t going anywhere’ and urges a bit of clever concealment.
How to fix: Sophie adds the photograph on her site to illustrate the magician’s trick of distracting the eye with some artwork combined with the equally amazing sleight of hand concealment (fixing to a dark wall). If this is all too Dynamo; buy a TV cabinet.
Vintage twist; TVs are somehow made for slim-line G-plan-style cabinets.
Design Crime number 6: Yellow bedrooms
While Sophie finds yellow ‘perky and positive, uplifting and activating’ even she admit it’s a shade to swerve in the bedroom. It is not relaxing and it is, says our guru, very unflattering to the skin.
How to fix: In the boudoir go nude. In every which way.
Vintage twist: Old books (reversed), blush velvet throws, muted abstract artwork over a Victorian bed.
Design crime number 7: The feature wall of fear
Sophie is speaking to all those timorous wee beasties who put a bold wallpaper or paint shade on just one wall because they are too scared to go the whole hog.
How to fix: ‘Go for it,’ implores Sophie. ‘Paper the whole room or paint the whole space in a bold, pulse quickening deep colour. Or god darn it why not paper the ceiling too while you’re at it!’
Vintage twist; Wood panelling or exposed brick. Or explore some of the wonderful nostalgic wallpaper like the ‘For the Love of Rose’ wallpaper by Vanessa Arbuthnott wallpaper (left) which tells the story of the couple who live in the shepherd’s hut surrounded by chickens…sweet.
Design crime number 8: The lonely pendant light
Sophie has in mind the ‘Billy No Mates’ light hanging in the centre of a room; casting unflattering shadows.
How to fix: Lower the light and fix it over a feature like an antique dining table or bed. Add friends – the wall-light gang.
Vintage twist: The vintage scene is awash with places to buy vintage, industrial and period lighting. Just make sure to get it PAT tested.
Design crime number 9: Messy bookshelves
The ‘criminal’ bookcase (left) is mine. I can practically hear Sophie saying ‘Are you ever going to read that?’ when she sees my extensive collection of children’s books. Stock-take woman, stock-take!”
How to fix: Sophie would urge people like me to have a ‘little’ library nook. The bookshelves featured have been tastefully ‘curated’ by Sophie.
Vintage twist: Break up the books and add junk shops finds like toys, vases, bottles and photo’ frames to the shelves.
Design crime number 10: Short curtains
Her advice is Never EVER.
How to fix: Floor-length is the only way to go. If your window is over a radiator and you don’t want to lose heat; try adding a matching blind. Do not copy Sophie’s mum and simply ‘tuck them up over the top of the rad’.’
Vintage twist; Scour junk shops, auction lists and flea markets for vintage curtains.
Design crime number 11: Titchy rugs
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie is okay in beachwear but not rugs. Follow the strict instructions of Sophie Robinson and avoid small. You can apply the ‘Follow the ‘bigger the better rule’,’ she says. ‘A large rug that fits under two-thirds of the bed really anchors the room. In the living room a rug should be large enough for the front feet of the sofa to sit on ideally and in the dining room get all the chairs over it. Otherwise you’re just creating a desert island’
How to fix; Buy a bigger rug.
Vintage twist; Buy a bigger vintage rug.
Design Crime number 12: The catalogue look
A close cousin of the tasteful interior. It’s a terrible crime which you commit when you buy all your home interiors from one store and – worse – from the same collection. Even down to the matching vase.
How to fix; Mix modern and vintage, industrial and rustic style and step AWAY from the three piece suite.
Vintages twist: This is where the salvage hunter and flea market-eer comes into his/her own. If catalogues are all about selling a homogenised ‘look’, vintage pieces are bespoke, one-of-a-kind items. Even if you do buy a massive bell-jar you can fill with a mini-museum of your own curios like the works of art for sale on Etsy shop Come Day Go Day.
Design crime 13: Pictures hung too high
Sophie believes art is always worth the investment – be it modern or traditional. A gallery wall is a feature you can constantly re-arrange and change. There’s just one rule. Do not hang a picture too high on the wall as it will become as ‘lost and lonely’ as that pendant lamp we criticised earlier.
How to fix; Surround your lovely but lonely picture with a few more pieces of art-work or photos.
Vintage twist; It’s not just art you can hang on the wall. Try printer’s blocks, old letters, industrial salvage and driftwood finds. You can also frame ANYTHING from ballet shoes to your granny’s favourite spoon collection.
To read the full article and more just like it visit Sophie’s Blog.
Read an interview on her style on Amara Interior Blog Awards.
