Once upon a time, your home could fit snugly into the middle-class box if the walls were painted in a Farrow & Ball shade and there was a Roberts Radio tucked onto your bedside table. Today, the coding has switched somewhat – it’s less about the brands and more about the exact approaches you take. Let us explain…
Posh dog nooks
The most pampered pooches are cosying up in their own purpose-built nooks and crannies, with spots created in the lower sections of kitchen cabinetry and even in freestanding furniture that includes its space for a bed. “This is the rise of barkitecture,” explains Victoria Fletcher from Garden Trading. “It’s all about making your home as happy a place for your canine companion as it is for you,” she says. Dog beds squashed from overuse and fluffy with layers of fur have, of course, never been a feature in any room belonging to the houseproud and status-aware, but these simpler options are enjoying a much-needed upgrade too. Our own pet-parent approved guide to the very best includes a gingham number and even one that looks more like a Chesterfield sofa!
A glossy bar tray
Say hello to the cocktail hour craze that is taking middle-class sideboards by storm and banishing wine fridges and metallic bar trolleys into storage. The tray itself is the key building block: a wooden or melamine one just won’t do. Instead, a lacquer design is the order of the day – Rita Konig’s versions for The Lacquer Company and Addison Ross’ scalloped versions are the ultimate option, but the new Birdie Fortescue x Sarah Corbett-Winder collab features a striped version (in tasteful burgundy and cornflower blue) that also passes muster. “Think of them as a way to add decoration to your space,” says the interior designer Lucinda Sanford. The most committed middle-class tipplers have gone beyond a simple tray and created a ‘grog table’ – where a console (or even dining table), groaning with bottles, glassware and all manner of accoutrements, is given pride of place behind a sofa or in a hallway and becomes the go-to self-serve spot come sundown.
Second hand is first choice
As nobody wants their bedroom to look like it’s been lifted from the pages of a catalogue (or their publicly available Pinterest board), the savviest of shoppers are embracing the pre-loved market to set their style apart. “It’s rewarding to have a one-of-a-kind home,” explains Sandrina Zhang Ferron, CEO of Vinterior, “but provenance and quality are really important.” Her website has done the hard work, partnering with some of the best independent sellers from around the world. Mid-century furniture remains the most popular choice (vintage Ercol chairs pair perfectly slotted into a brand new dining table from John Lewis, after all) but Italian glassware and art deco clocks are on the up too.
Statement lampshades
Lending sitting rooms up and down the land a healthy dose of eclecticism, nothing says prosperous quite like a fussy lampshade. Leading the pack for in-the-know shoppers (as well as high-end interior designers) is Pooky. Whether pleated or patterned (and most often both), the brand is quintessentially English in their styling with top-selling designs including collaborations with Morris & Co and GP&J Baker. “They’re strutting off the shelves, giving rooms an instant facelift without the heavy lifting,” says Jo Black, their Head of Design who is part of the team overseeing the brand’s expansion into North America. Pooky’s latest range of rechargeable cordless designs have democratised where the look can go – keep your eyes peeled for a pair of them bookending a mantlepiece near you.
Coffee tables out, ottomans in
The new place to flaunt your good taste? An oversized ottoman, sitting squarely in the centre of your sitting room in the spot that used to belong to your coffee table. “This is a more refined, sophisticated alternative,” says Steven Braess from high-end furniture retailer BANCCI. Yes, and it importantly lets you show off your interests too – the squashy surface provides ample surface area to hold hardback art books, expensive trinkets and a be-coastered scented candle or two (Diptyque is always a safe choice but a luxe refillable option is sustainable without being any less extravagant). If you’re looking for somewhere to pop your drink down, though, think again.
