EDITOR’S LETTER
I’m at the layering stage of my house refurb. Actually, that ’s not strictly true – both bathrooms still need a complete redo (though I’ve grown a Stock holm syndrome-esque attachment to the all-over 1980s Laura Ashley print in one of them), but in rooms like my snug and bedroom I’m now able to start adding the elements which make them more plush.
And this is the bit I’ve been waiting for. The fun part, the soft furnishings and the fabrics. Happily, they don’t need to be expensive. For my bedroom I bought a vast rug in the Wayfair sale that has a graphic abstract print in fuchsia, blue and buttercup yellow. My husband, tactfully, said ‘well, it certainly adds something,’ and he’s right, it does. It makes the whole room feel more cosy, more lived in, more loved.
You see, cosiness used to be associated with tweeness. But not any more. I often think back to the time two years ago when the paint expert Cassandra Ellis told me that all we needed were rooms that would give us a hug. And since actress Laura Harrier helped us launch the Expressive Elegance trend in the last issue, I’ve seen how that refined take on sumptuous schemes makes rooms seem like they embrace you. And like they ’re cosy, but in a smart way (yes, even my dashing rug).
So instead of looking at the rest of this season as a time to hibernat
