Recently, I listened to a podcast called: “Why is British Style Back?” featuring interior designers Penny Morrison and Sue Jones. Part of the discussion that I found intriguing was the differences between how British and American people decorate. In short, Americans are hyper-focused on form – the way things look at the expense of comfort and function. British people decorate for comfort above all and then aim to make things lovely.
Penny Morrison observes: “I think a lot of times Americans decorate as though it’s been done for a photograph. And if you take a photograph of your own room you’ll immediately see how untidy it is, but if you’re in the room it doesn’t look like that”.
This photograph taken with my cell phone isn’t the best quality photo. There are books stacked beside the loveseat, a coaster on the windowsill, and the neck of Matt’s guitar poking up behind the loveseat. These things show that this room is lived in and enjoyed! The message is: “Come in, curl up on the sofa, read a book, sip some tea, or play a few songs ~ and we do! I must agree with Penny Morrison’s advice: a comfy sofa is something Matt and I enjoy every single day. When I was looking for a sofa to replace Matt’s sofa it took fourteen months to find just the right one. During that time we made the best of a really ugly sofa!
“When I’m decorating for someone, the first thing I’ll say if you haven’t got a very large budget, the most important thing to have is incredibly well made, good quality, comfortable and really deep sofas, and fantastically comfortable beds.” Penny Morrison
This common sense approach is brilliant focusing your mind and budget on getting the most important things right. This concept of comfort and function over appearances is exactly what many homeowners discovered when stationed at home through the lockdown during Covid. Many people discovered they weren’t comfortable in their homes, nor did their homes serve them well. The effect of this discovery is still causing ripples today as many people continue to work from home for all or a portion of their day. Having a comfortable, well-arranged home has become a greater priority for Americans and thus the resurgence in the popularity of the English country house style.
The house is for the people, not Instagram. Your house is to live in, not just to look at.
So if you are shifting gears to create a comfortable, useable home where should you focus your attention and spend your decorating dollars? According to Penny Morrison: “I’d rather see a bare bedroom with a really comfortable bed and lovely linen sheets on a concrete floor with crude pots as bedside tables. The key comfort comes from those things.”
Not only do the English people focus on comfort, but they also value a little “patina” on their things.
Sue Jones, owner of OKA a British-designed furniture and accessories company, says: “Don’t be too precious, save your best for every day. Don’t just bring it out because it’s a special occasion, use everything you’ve got, and get pleasure, and let it wear out a bit. There’s nothing worse than a brand-new leather chair. The British look upon age, and marks, and slight deterioration as an asset.” Sue Jones
This idea of choosing and even preferring things a bit worn has many perks. First of all, marks and wear are an easy way of making someone feel comfortable using something. In other words patina gives permission. Next, sometimes slight deterioration of something can mean a reduced price. Worn things can cost less. I don’t know how many times I’ve bought something off of Marketplace that was a bit worn for a much more comfortable price than a new version. As long as the structure is sound furniture can either be mended, or reupholstered. This is another reason to “buy well, buy slowly” as interior designer Rita Konig advises.
I hope you’ve enjoyed tossing around ideas for different approaches to putting a home together. Until next time,
Take care,
Rachel