THIS LIFE Wendy Morrison

Colour is king in the splendidly eclectic home of this talented rug designer

- Karola Woll

Every colour under the sun is welcome in the home of Wendy Morrison – every colour, that is, bar one. There is no place for magnolia amid the peacock blues, hot pinks and sultry oranges that sing out in a wild profusion of patterns on almost every surface of her rambling Georgian farmhouse. To step from the grey drizzle of Dunbar into this oasis of the exotic feels almost too much of an overload for the senses. But then it’s not us she has to please, but herself and her family, and Morrison couldn’t be happier with the home she has created here on the east coast.

It’s no surprise to discover that this graduate of the Scottish College of Textiles has a background in fashion; she spent the early part of her career designing clothes for several big brands. These days, however, she is much better known for her rugs – although that word hardly does justice to these sublime creations in silk and wool. They are works of art in their own right, and would look as at home on the wall as they do on the floor.

Morrison’s flair for putting together unlikely combinations is in evidence in every room. In less skilful hands, this could be a mishmash of clashing tones, but it’s clear that composing boldly colourful patterns comes easily to her. Today, she is sitting in front of a yellow wallpaper dotted with palms and wild animals – flora and fauna is a key decor theme in this house, and it reappears time and again in surprising yet harmonious ways. That it doesn’t overwhelm is thanks to the clever use of black, white and gold as grounding and balancing elements. Here, for instance, is a black-and-white painting on the plain white wall next to her; it creates a calm, cosy and embracing corner.