ATIA AZMI'S BOLD APPROACH TO DECORATING IS A HOMAGE TO COLOUR AND PATTERN

Admiring Atia Azmi’s décor throughout her stunning southeast London home, it’s hard to believe she hasn’t got a background in the arts. “Apart from studying textiles at school,” the doctor, crafter and lifestyle blogger tells us.

- COLETTE EARLEY

“Although, I have always been interested in the arts and enjoyed sewing and dressmaking since being a teenager. Over the years I have taken courses in dressmaking and other craft skills.” It’s her natural flair for style and interiors, as well as her daring approach when it comes to colour, that has transformed her home into such a stunning work of art.

Atia grew up in Stockport, Cheshire, and moved to London after university, where she settled and now lives with her husband and three children. Her beautiful home is a wonderland full of colour and prints, clashing together to create a vibe that would be hard to emulate if you haven’t just ‘got the eye for it’. “I like to use lots of colour in my interiors, and I think this is partly due to seeing these hues in beautiful saris and clothes when growing up,” she tells us. “I also like to find traditional products to use in my home, using techniques such as kantha stitching and block printing.”

Describing her decorating style as “eclectic and vibrant”, Atia uses bold prints and pops of brights alongside neutrals to make the colour a bit more “easy to live with”. “I prefer this style because it feels more relaxed and informal,” she says. “Colour makes me feel positive and happy, so it makes sense to include these in my schemes.” This is true, down to the eye-catching yellow cast iron radiators in the living room. “They always get lots of positive comments,” says Atia. And although she enjoys integrating neutrals into the space, she usually can’t resist going back to her colourful roots – most recently swapping out a charcoal rug she previously had in the living room for a pink vintage Moroccan style with bright touches of orange and green. “It really cheers up the room compared to the last one,” she says.