Q&A Home edition - Bristol Life feature

Did you catch us in the September issue of Bristol Life? If not, have a read!

Never paint a small room a dark colour.” Agree or disagree? This is a strong disagree from us, a small room still deserves soul and character, cocooning a small room such as a study, boot room or downstairs W/C will make the space feel intentional, not an afterthought simply due to it's size. Don't let your confidence and design direction dip simply because of something you once heard. 

Should ceilings always be white? It's 2026, there's no such thing as just 'white' anymore. With so much consideration and complexity in colours and the flowing palette of your home, why do we so often see people forget about the 5th wall in the room?!  Your ceiling should be the blanket of your room, are we looking to bring the ceiling down? Or up? Are we working in a period home or a modern new build? Even after all of these points have been addressed, there will almost never be a reason to have a brilliant white ceiling. In our opinion anyway..

Do rooms have to have a consistent colour palette? If you're usinng colour correctly throughout your home, there's no set rules and no reason why you can't show personality and individual flare. Having said this, freedom must coincide with consideration. In our eyes, what should be consistent is what exactly you're painting within the room. Your skirting, walls, cornice & ceiling need to have a cohesive narrative throughout the space. 

Is it really a mistake to put furniture in front of windows?  If we're talking of a freestanding chest of drawers being plonked in front of a full height window like a lost puppy, then it's a strong no. If we're talking about a bespoke piece of joinery such as a floating desk which fits the window perfectly, it's a strong yes.

Can you successfully mix different woods, metals and finishes? Absolutely. The most beautiful schemes will be layered, with multiple different finishes all living harmoniously together. As with all our answers, there's rules within this flexability, are they polished? brushed? honed? satin? Who is the room for? What's the intended feel? How do you want them to feel in 10 years time?

What about matching furniture – is the coordinated suite officially dead? For once we'll keep this short and sweet. Dead as a dodo.

Are there any design rules you would never break? There's a few integrals, lighting being a key one and the principles within it. A considered space in our eyes has at least 4 forms of lighting within it. Architectural, Ceiling, Wall, Floor & table lamps. Scrimping on these is an absolute no no.

Are people finally bored with following interior trends and more interested in creating homes that feel personal? We like to think so. Clients should be taking the future into consideration. There's no point in investing in the design of your home to loose interest in 3 years time. Functionality, durability and timeless finishes are at the heart of all of our decision making.

Conversely, what are you seeing now that you think will still look good in ten or twenty years?​ All hail the archway. As open plan living takes a front seat in design, so does softening entryways and the overall flow of a space. If you're working in a period property or adding character to a new build, a soft arch will be sure to be a feast on the eyes now and in 20 years time!

Please give us one big unrelated piece of wisdom – a golden rule, if you like! – about decorating our homes.​ There's no amount of decorative cushions that can change the feeling of a badly designed home. The skin and bones of a space provide a strong platform for decoration. Hire a designer who shares this mantra. Side note, Fawn Interiors does..