"My style inspires real joy"

Kate Clare uses her creative flair to fill her Edwardian home with colour, unexpected features and style solutions galore

- By Georgie Rodgers, Juliet Benning

1“Our colour choices follow the light”

‘The library room is our adult haven – Wulfie isn’t allowed in here much. I say it has “gentleman’s smoking-room” vibes. The room faces west so it gets a beautiful ochre light in the evening that bounces off the tobacco-coloured walls. If I used the same colours in the kitchen, which faces east, it wouldn’t create the same warmth.’

2 “The curtains are the starting point”

‘We extended and redesigned the downstairs space when we moved in. We’ve opted for one single door and one double door leading from the extension onto the garden and we’ve hung gorgeous silhouette Pierre Frey curtains, which were one of the first things I bought for the house. The use of linen and embroidery makes the space feel more cosy.’

3 “Our ceiling is a fifth wall”

‘We painted the exposed beams in an accent colour to bring flair to the living area. I don’t think of pink as a particularly feminine colour, I see it as unisex and playful. It brings joy to our home. This room would have been so different if we’d gone for only neutral colours. That being said, this won’t be our forever home and we’ve designed with that in mind. We can easily make changes like painting over the more exciting colour choices when it’s time to sell.’

4 “Unusual features add character”