Melissa Penfold on creating wonder and surprise in our homes

The following is an extract from Melissa Penfold’s new interiors book, Natural Living by Design. In it, the style commentator turns her attention from the basics of interior decorating to demonstrating what a powerful force design can be in boosting our physical and emotional wellbeing.

Awe is often associated with dramatic, over-the-top events or displays, when in fact it is experienced everywhere in everyday life, from viewing a beautiful sunset or a
rainbow to waking to birdsong in the morning, gazing at a starlit night through a skylight, even soaking in a luxurious bath.

(Photo credit: Simon Brown) In the Sydney house that designer and Olympian Ann-Maree Kerry and Hancock Architects converted from a nineteenth-century shop, the double-height, atrium-like living/dining room is a model of awe-inspiring design. It is framed by solid, reclaimed-oak ceiling beams salvaged from the Sydney Fish Market wharves that absorb sound and inject character. The floors are reclaimed Belgian oak by Enoak, the curtains are pure Italian linen with a laundered finish by Solis Products. The walls are finished in natural clay plaster with a custom French wash by Porter’s Paints. The sofas, coffee table, dining chairs, and the Fulcrum Grand Round chandelier are all from RH. The custom steel-framed glass doors are by All Metal Projects and make the most of the landscape. The custom steel balustrade is by Mascot Wrought Iron.

We all want our homes to uplift and enthral us, to be a place of refuge from, and an antidote to, an uneasy world. Perhaps the best way to create a sense of joy, surprise, and, yes, awe in our interiors is to personalise them, making them uniquely our own. When you adapt your home to reflect you and suit your needs, it will thrill you daily and make you feel happier and more empowered.

(Photo credit: Paul Massey Condé Nast Publications Ltd) Working with Stedman Blower Architects on a major restoration of a country house in South East England, interior designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay increased the awe factor of this staircase by covering the walls in Iksel Decorative Arts’ D-Rajput Fantasy wallpaper. The rug is from Tim Page Carpets.

(Photo credit: Guido Taroni) Within weeks of moving into his Milan apartment, designer Nicolò Castellini Baldissera transformed the bland rooms from lo squallidone (the grand squalor) to trompe l’oeil. It was simply a matter of personalizing the space with objects that make you marvel, like showstopping marbleized urns, huge green finials, zebra prints, and gilt chandeliers, rather than making any structural change.

Sometimes, the architecture of a home itself is breathtakingly awe-inspiring, such as a double-height living room with a vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows. But such homes are beyond the reach of most. All of us, however, can create a sense of wonder and surprise in our homes.

Do not underestimate the power of wit and fun to help the spirit take flight. Go ahead and embrace the playfulness of an actual or trompe l’oeil tented ceiling, striped walls, or cheerful colours, none of which entails major renovation.

(Photo credit: Simon Upton/Interior Archive) Fashion designer Giorgio Armani has never liked to hang art on his walls, as evidenced in the grand living area of his country home, a short distance from Milan, where a trio of impressive, gilt-framed mirrors dominate one wall and the objets d’art arranged on the low, Asian-influenced tables are a mix of the precious and the sentimental.

(Photo credit: Simon Brown) This sitting room in the Warren Street Hotel, situated in the trendy Tribeca neighbourhood of New York City, exudes the vibrant colours, riotous mix of patterns, and sense of fun that is the trademark of London designer Kit Kemp and her daughters Minnie and Willow—the visionaries behind Firmdale Hotels along with Kit’s husband, Tim.

Never forget the emotive power of colour. Different colours affect us differently. Neutral shades can soothe our souls, cool colours like blue and green can aid mental focus, while yellow and red are more energising and can stimulate the brain and boost creativity.

Your colour choices are a low-cost way of calibrating the mood of your rooms, from calm and serene for bedrooms and baths to uplifting and joyous for kitchens and living areas. Playing with colour and scale, introducing humour and the unexpected, and bringing the outdoors in are all ways to fill your home with awe.

Natural Living by Design by Melissa Penfold is out now, RRP $69.99, published by Vendome Press.

Buy a signed copy