Get the Look: English Elegance

Opt for a Pastel Palette 

While the base hues of this look are championing creams, ivories, taupes and tans – present on everything from the walls to our Stafford Dining Chair and Wallace Coffee Table/Ottoman – there are also touches of blue and green found in the Orcia Framed Wall Art  and Longshan Lampshade, reflecting the magnificent water features, manicured gardens and rolling hills of the surrounding area. Looking to the outside for your colour choices is a great way to play with space and draw the eye, not only around the room, but to the window and beyond, making the space feel bigger, airier and lighter. Spring is famed for the soft tones and pops of pink in its beautiful blossoms, which have been filtered through the prints of the soft furnishings and the floral arrangements to give a really dreamy ambience.  

Go Natural 

If you are overwhelmed when it comes to choosing your furniture, a good way to narrow down your options is to focus on the material that you like. Natural materials such as the wood of our Hawkley Extendable Dining Table, the leather of our Santorelli Ottoman and the ceramic and stoneware of our decorative pieces enhance that feeling of the English countryside. They also bring a warmth to the ambience, which is not so easy to obtain from glass and metal pieces, however, when painted, that can make all the difference, as demonstrated by our Viticcio Garden Range. These outdoor designs have been dressed up in this beautiful conservatory-style garden room for a charming interior that looks straight out of a literary work. Don’t forget to filter in layers of softness with patterned linen and velvet cushions and throws. 

Focus on the Details 

It’s entirely up to you whether you would like to follow the subtle approach of the dining and sitting room featured in this look, or the bold pattern clashing of the bedroom (more on that later), but sometimes, when you have to look for the details, they become all the more magical, like a sweet little secret between you and it. The scalloped edges of our Marissa dinnerware range are just one example, but there are even more in the carved wood of the Theodora Cabinet, the tufted leather of the ottomans and the intricately shaped metal surrounding the Daphne Mirror. These pretty touches are given a certain sense of modernity when paired with graphic lines and shapes, such as the Beta Table Lamp. 

Create Symmetry 

Traditional English style is routed in symmetry that creates a sense of grandeur and careful curation. Where you place your furniture can make a world of difference to the overall feel of a room, and there is something impressive about a sofa framed by side tables and matching lamps or plants, or a pair of armchairs on either side of a window. Moving furniture so that it sits square, rather than on an angle, lends you a smart look, while tilting it in or turning it out brings a little more informality for a casual atmosphere. Play around with the placement and decide what suits your vision. 

Make the Most of Light 

With six months of the year in shadowed in mostly darkness, and the other six filtered with light, we English like to soak up every precious second of sunshine. Make the most of airy spaces by refraining from cluttering them with too many things. It’s better to choose and invest in a few pieces that highlight the features of your room and enhance the spacious feeling. If you have big windows, make focal points of them by directing your furniture towards them, and if you don’t, make focal points of your reflective pieces such as mirrors or glass tables. In this look’s conservatory-style room, as mentioned, bringing outdoor pieces inside brings an extra touch of whimsy and connection to the verdant natural world. 

Choose Classic Pieces That Will Last a Lifetime 

This look is bursting with OKA classics as well as new pieces, from our latest take on the steadfast Coleridge Armchair in the much-loved Ocellus print, to a new, smaller Grisewood Table Lamp in wireless form and chinoiserie-style decorative elements. These pieces are tried and tested favourites, and that’s a good way to go about choosing your accent furniture. Grand looking armchairs, elegant console tables and statement mirrors all go a long way to transform your home into one of luxury.

Don’t Be Afraid to Clash 

It’s not unsual to be beholden to the rule that you should avoid clashing prints and colours. But we say: don’t listen. The bedroom in this scheme is Sheki galore, one of our most-loved patterns, layered with the very similar print of the Izmir Rug. These florals are ever-so-slightly different scales, so it allows them to work together and create cohesion. The right combination can have a calming effect because it ties everything together and looks incredibly curated. Adding in something big and grand, such as the four-poster bed here, helps to break up the similarity. 

Line Your Walls with Art  

Our collection of artwork is ever-growing, in amount and variation of style. It has been used in these interiors to great effect, with contemporary designs, such as the Kraak Vase Prints, adding another level of style to the decoration. Traditional-style or natural material frames elevate the art even more so that it makes a statement. Sometimes a room feels unfinished until you get something on the walls, and that makes all the difference.