How to decorate your Island home – inside & out!

Whether you’re looking to redesign your existing home, decorate a holiday house or needing to update your home, we have spent some time looking into fresh interior design ideas for houses on the Isle of Wight. For people who want to embrace Island life but not go too nautical; we think we have found some winning ideas.

Just because the house is next to or near the sea doesn’t mean one has to automatically find fish-patterned prints and boats for your shelves. Playing on references to the coast and the sea can be done with a sophisticated edge. I have spoken to two of the UKs top interior designers to get their tips. From their wealth of experience and knowledge of what’s out there these nuggets of advice will really help. And with their own experiences helping home owners with houses near the sea, it is good to know that they think its great to reference the water and surrounding area with plenty of ideas to keep it chic!

With first class, elegant and stylish ideas from designers who really know what’s best, we think these pearls of wisdom will really stand the test of time.

Award winning Salvesen Graham are one of the UK’s favourite interior designers and H&G Top 100. They have recently completed a stunning stately home in Cornwall. So they know a thing or two about period properties and how to bring them into the 21st century. Their Cornish project is near the sea and in an area that is synonymous with marine life so they know how to inject some playful
but chic references to the sea and the coast.

I then spoke to Saskia Blyth from Blyth Collinson Interiors who has very recently completed a gorgeous, 18th Century home on the coast in Kent. She was given the opportunity to be playful with the coastal inspiration and found some really lovely ideas; whilst all the while retaining chic schemes with the use of colour.

So what would you do to update a room in an Island home?
The wall colours are the first port of call – these have huge impact and low cost. Choosing the right colours can be daunting so it is definitely worth speaking to the experts at places like Farrow & Ball or a good local decorator.
Also giving some of your favourite pieces of furniture a fresh lick of paint – be bold and choose beautiful greens and blues.
Adding lovely accessories is a speedy way to bring about some new colours and patterns: this can be table cloths, or cushions or reframing art, etc.

How do you enhance and style your dining spaces, either indoors or outside?
Comfortable seating and a beautifully dressed table. Remember a jug or vase of flowers on your garden table. Beautifully patterned linen and colourful murano glasses.
Share with us two chic pieces for a coastal home.
Cashmere blankets for guests to sit outside with even when the sun goes behind the clouds. Also something from Linda Fenwick who creates stunning chic pieces using shells to decorate.
They are a wonderful way to reference the sea without being too obvious. I asked Mary Graham what she would do if she were asked to help decorate a period house on the Isle of Wight: Add some colour and pattern.
A nautical themed home can feel flat and quite two dimensional, and actually rather cold on a chilly day.
By introducing some multi-coloured textiles like an antique suzani, a paisley throw, or a gathered lampshade you’re immediately adding interest and paving the way to introducing lots more colours into the room.

What would you suggest to make an entertaining space feel cosy and stylish?
We love to use rugs outdoors and our scallop rug with Jennifer Manners is available in her repurposed fibre, which is made from recycled plastic bottles meaning not only is it a sustainable choice but it’s also an incredibly practical solution for coastal
living. Plenty of blankets and cushions are also essential for cosy outdoor entertaining. So often being outside feels hard and uncomfortable but it doesn’t have to. There are fantastic weatherproof fabrics on the market now, but our preference tends to be
to use your favourite indoor cushions and just remember to bring them back in at the end of the night!

And finally any chic coastal products?
If you’re committed to the nautical theme then our navy blue or off-white bamboo lamp would add a touch of sophistication to a classic coastal interior: Keeping with the theme of bamboo, the chic salad servers from Rebecca Udall would enhance any alfresco meal!

Alison Barrington-Wells
Spence Willard Design Services