THE BRIT LOOK

We delve into the detail of classic English style with Ros Byam Shaw’s new book which explores the design language and the beauty of imperfection

- JO BAILEY

PERFECT IMPERFECTION

It was an Italian designer, Renzo Mongiardino, who said that the secret of decorating was to ‘mix the high with the low’, for example using wicker chairs in a room hung with valuable works of art. This idea has been embraced by all of the greats, from Elsie de Wolfe and Madeleine Castaing to David Hicks. If you can put together a selection of different pieces – a Georgian mirror over a 1950s sideboard, say, with a modern vase spotted in a charity shop, finding echoes in their colours, lines or proportions – you will create the surprise of unexpected contrasts. This is the decorating equivalent of an outfit that mixes vintage, designer and high street. It requires a good eye and certain aesthetic courage. If you get it right, it should seem effortless.

THE KITCHEN