Dressed to Thrill (A case study)

by Ana McCreath

While there is something luxurious in well-appointed interiors, the appeal of a relaxed, lived-in room can be quite a thrill for the soul! Such homes and spaces have the magic to make us feel at ease, and where furnishings are simply allowed to take the patina of cherished wear.

I was reminded of this in a house we recently finished. During the final stages of dressing the sitting room, we put together a collection of cushions for the sofas. We were very aware that this is a room to be enjoyed by children and adults, so it needed to be happy, sturdy and sophisticated at the same time.

The rooms we completed leading up to the sitting room have aquas and pinks, and reds and golds. So, to give the sitting room its own personality, we chose cushions in a palette of cerulean, teal and lime-green. Also a cheerful play on colours for our blue English light! The wool fabrics used together with a colourful textured weave were chosen to mirror the house’s sleek modern architecture. It also gave a young and funky edge to our ‘happy story’ of squishy cushions. Now, the sitting room is so cheerful, the cushions beckon you to come and flop down on the sofa!

How wonderful that a humble set of cushions, deliberately considered, can have such magic to make hearts sing!