Mixed to match

In a house filled with art and antiques, itis possible for rooms to feel cluttered, and for the atmosphere to begin to resemble a museum. However, a refined, yet lived-in style can be created by balancing these items with comfortable, more contemporary elements, and exercising a limited colour scheme.

The owner of this house asked designer Cameron Kimber to recreate the essence of an international hotel, as opposed to the English country house feel that can result with a collection of fine furniture. Kimber says this was achieved in the entrance hall through a reduced colour palette.

"The entrance hall is rather a severe space with limestone floors, faux stone blocking and large black doors. There is always the temptation to fill rooms to place a rug on the hall floor, for instance but by exercising restraint, this monochromatic space acts as a balance against the colours used in the adjoining rooms."

While some of the furniture is from the homeowner's collection, much of it was sourced by Kimber for the project. The designer collected the pair of late 18th-century chairs in the hall, while an Oriental statue near the staircase is part of the owner's existing collection.

A double drawing room adjoins the entrance hall. Two complete seating areas were designed for this space, in order to retain a sense of intimacy when the room is used for large-scale entertaining.

"There is a definite mix of furniture styles in this room, bringing comfort as well as formality. A 19th-century upright green leather chair sits near the dining room, among more comfortable, modern armchairs and couches."

The owner's collection of Aboriginal art is displayed here and in the adjoining dining room. The colours in these paintings were used as basis for the colours in the rooms. For example, the orange in one of the paintings in the drawing room is echoed in the colour of the curtains.

"The large painting on the dining room wall is visible through the drawing room from the front door. The colour in this painting is carried into the drawing room via small details, such as the red lamp. The green in the dining room has been chosen to contrast with the painting."

The dining room chairs are the same colour as the walls. A leafy outlook through the French doors furthers this calming, green aesthetic, and the glass top on the custom James Salmond table reflects the outdoor view. To add a touch of shine to the room, the designer chose silk curtains and retained the existing chandelier.

In the downstairs television room, art once again forms the basis for colour choices. The homeowner had an existing collection of bright paintings featuring horses. The orange and green in the paintings are reflected in the armchair and Oriental rug. The blue in the artwork is picked out and referenced in the Chinese stool, as well as next door in the breakfast room, where the homeowner's blue-and-white china collection is displayed.

"We painted the inside of the cabinet that holds this collection red, to relate to the colours in the paintings. But the limestone floors in the breakfast room were left bare, to give it the same clean lines as the hallway," says Kimber.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has a restful, yet masculine aesthetic. A deep muddy green velvet was chosen for the curtains and walls, which has obvious visual ties with the downstairs dining room, the designer says.

"All of the rooms in this house are linked. Using the same geometrically patterned carpet in many of the rooms adds to the hotel-like ambience we wanted to capture. Deep colours are balanced against pale in the bedroom, a creamy beige cools the intensity of the lush green."

A Regency-style chair and an 18th-century chest of drawers feature in the adjoining dressing room. Wallpaper in this room has a Chinoiserie pattern, and a Chinese horse sculpture and Japanese boxes continue the Oriental theme.

All three upstairs bedrooms open onto a central hallway, which is wide enough to act as a sitting room and library. Furnished with soft, comfortable couches, this space is often used for reading and relaxing.

Story by: Camille Butler