Meet The Interior Designer: Laura Stephens

The brief for this project was to completely redesign three rooms: one reception room to create a beautiful adult space which linked to the conservatory and garden, and to turn another reception room into a playroom/library. It was to be chic but whimsical and fun. And finally to redecorate a little downstairs WC. My client loved antiques, colour and traditional décor and had a clear vision for what she wanted but really trusted me entirely to realise it. 

The playroom was inspired by the 1940s and the Orient Express. I wanted to deliver beautiful details, upholstery and joinery inspired by that age. The Cole & Son wallpaper on the walls adds the perfect note of whimsy to the room, which has a really magical feel.

I had so much fun with the colour scheme for this project. I knew I wanted to use red and blue for the playroom but in a grown-up way. The joinery is painted in Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball and Sudbury Yellow (Farrow & Ball) in the freize serves to break it up. I added striped red blinds to bring a more child-like feel to the scheme.
 

One of the loveliest pieces of furniture is the little Ikea kitchen which my client expertly upcycled, painting it Sudbury Yellow and adding the little gingham curtain. We sourced little bobbin chairs which are so full of character and the perfect height for children. The joinery was wrapped about the whole room and encompasses the piano space and also contains storage for toys.

The little WC was a total joy to design. The wallpaper is House of Hackney and we pulled out the coral pink for the woodwork and back of the door. I added a mini chequerboard mosaic on the floor for contrast. I think it feels like something from Alice in Wonderland

For the adult reception we added panelling to the lower half of the adult reception room and a leafy pretty wallpaper from Colefax & Fowler, which links the room with the outdoor conservatory.  The reception room furnitue is almost all antique and sourced from Vinterior, decorative collective and eBay. We used my client’s quirky side lamps and added bespoke animal print shades to inject an element of edge and fun. 

This client wanted me to create a beautiful family home and to help introduce character to a her contemporary home. She knew exactly what she loved and had such enthusiasm for fabrics and colour; I can truly say that she inspired me on this project - we made for a great team. 

She inherited the panelling in the hallway and loved, but it was a dark brown colour. The whole space was sanded back, re-stained and beautiful lighting added. We designed a bespoke storage bench for shoes with beautiful cushions and a stunning Julian Chichester mirror plus glamourous lighting from Tigermoth.

One of my favourite elements of the project is the landing. The client has young children and wanted a space on her generous landing to be devoted to books and reading stories. I designed the window seat to be feminine and elegant and deep enough to snuggle into and floor to ceiling joinery to hold books. The client shared my love of beautiful fabrics and trims and gave me carte blanche to really go for it with the cushions.

Luckily, this client adored colour and was up for painted ceilings, and bringing in colour and pattern wherever possible. It was a joy to do the cloakroom with green ceiling, Lewis & Wood wallpaper and clashing printed wall light shades by Rosie de Ruig. 

I have two favourite pieces in this project, both in the client’s dayroom – a space to call her own where she could relax, write and escape too. I designed the most playful daybed and the headboard and piping and cushions give a feminine and whimsical feel to the space. We sourced the beautiful Gustavian bureau from Georgina Lacey antiques and had it painted a bespoke shade inside to match the green of the leaf in the wallpaper which came from Christopher Farr.

Finally, a bathroom was updated by adding beautiful scroll leaf wallpaper from Common Room; a sweet Swedish blind with ribbons and polka dot linen and shall wall lights from Jim Lawrence.

The brief for this project to was to inject some colour and pattern into the kitchen and to breathe new life into a study and guest room. We wanted the study to feel suitably masculine but to add colour and warmth. 

I love the mix of materials in this space. The study desk and chair are antique. We added grass cloth wallpaper to bring in texture and colour. I wanted to add this beautiful soft plum colour to the joinery and we picked up on it on the upholstery of the ottoman which transforms into a fabulous double bed.

The existing guestroom was bland and needed a focal point so I designed this scalloped headboard to provide a focal point. I love the stud detailing and yellow piping.  The yellow is picked up elsewhere in the form of the fabulous Orchard Taylor lamp and Alfred Newall bobble mirror. We added prints from Antoinette Poisson and upholstered an antique chair in ‘Wilde’, a favourite animal cut velvet fabric by Colefax and Fowler. The room feels super pretty layered with several small but co-ordinating prints and also really serene.

The kitchen needed a little softening in terms or materials and colour so we added some lovely Fermoie lampshades, pretty blinds and these stunning upholstered bar stools in my signature scallop.

Visit LauraStephens.co.uk

Photography by Chris Snook