WARM & MOODY LIVING SPACES FOR A LEURA WEATHERBOARD RETREAT
Stepping into the living spaces of this Leura Weatherboard, you immediately feel comforted by the darker tones paired with carefully designed bespoke furniture. Texture and warmth add a sense of decadence and grandeur to the spaces thanks to a range of beautiful textiles and furnishings thoughtfully selected by Thornton & Blake Interior Designer, Fiona Harding.
Each space flows into the next in this intimate cottage, therefore selecting a cohesive paint palette was imperative, to ensure spaces flowed visually. The results were striking, as Fiona bravely paired together rich darker tones contrasted with light, cleverly highlighting elegant features of the older style property. With the lightness of Porters ‘Irish Linen’, light pours through the central hallway, a space which would normally be quite dark. The loungeroom walls a stark contrast with Porters ‘Riverstone’ creating a cosy room of retreat, perfect for enjoying movies at any time of day or night. Moving into the dining space and kitchen, Fiona specified the mid-tone ‘Old Stone Wall’, which offers a lighter, productive space for cooking and enjoying meals, or even a dinner party.
When you enter the loungeroom a large pendant lantern crafted from aged iron and mercury glass by Bloomingdales hangs from the ceiling, spilling a soft light into this cosy and intimate room. A custom Molmic ‘Montana’ sofa is reminiscent of yesteryear, covered in a textural bronze upholstery with Casamance velvet piping in a flat seaweed tone, enhancing the curved lines of this beautifully crafted piece. Parallel to the sofa, another custom Molmic piece adds further warmth, this time the ‘Dimple’ ottoman with custom legs is covered with the same Casamance velvet textile as used for the piping of the Montana Sofa. Finished with custom cushions in Tobacco and a contrasting Lunaria embroidered cushion for interest, the visual artistry of the textiles enhance the inviting space.
For the windows, sheer curtains provide privacy and dappled light from the outside. Heavy ‘linen look’ drapes crafted from a Mokum poly-blend textile, ensure full light block out, durability as well as thermal control for the original timber sash windows.
The space was finished with an Armadillo hand knotted fine jute blend rug in cumin. A Bloomingdales floor lamp, in aged iron, bridges the style between the floor lamp and the ceiling light. A slimline console at the entry is set with another Bloomindales light, this time a stunning alabaster and brass table lamp positioned beneath an aged wall mirror.
Moving into the kitchen and dining space, two oversized and very striking 8 arm contemporary style chandeliers crafted from black iron hang from the ceiling. Contrasting against the white of the ceiling and mid-tone walls, they are reminiscent of the darkness of the adjoining spaces, being the lounge room and darker kitchen cabinetry, bridging each of the spaces together with perfection.
Once again, the interplay of textiles adds interest and warmth to this intimate space. A ‘Ridley’ Armchair covered in linen look textile, with custom stripe cushion is paired with a marble side table in complimentary tones at the entry to the room.
For the dining space, Fiona custom designed the dining chairs, using a pairing of textiles to add movement and interest. By using a Charles Parsons print for the back of the chairs, the shaped backs feature against the darkness of James Dunlop keystone used for the front of the chairs. Finished with feature studs, the dining chairs pair beautifully with the parquetry dining table. Beneath the dining table, a custom Oriental Belgium sisal rug with custom linen border ensures quality and thoughtfulness are at the forefront of this stunning Interior Design.
Finally, the windows are finished with a custom Roman blind, a style selected to allow space to move around the dining table. The subtly printed textile is reminiscent of the escarpments which can be viewed from nearby.
Interior Design: Fiona Harding, Thornton & Blake
Curtains & Blinds: Thornton & Blake
Photography: Silversalt Photography