A blank canvas can be a wonderful thing, but this absence of character also presents unique challenges. How is it possible to create a lived-in feel within a property that has just been built? From vintage furniture to earthy colour palettes and clever zoning, take a tour of these projects from the ELLE Decoration archives to see the tricks designers deploy to create a cosy home, not just a house.
The Lake Como home that’s an homage to stone
‘Sometimes we work with a historical building, but you’re almost scared of touching it, because it’s already so beautiful. In this case, there was very little that we could draw inspiration from. Tuckey Design Studio’s Elena Aleksandrov was briefed with transforming a plain glass box in Lake Como into an elegant retreat. Given its superb location, she naturally turned to the surrounding landscape and its rich history of marble. She used the luxurious stone to clad steel columns, while the green of Verde Alpi marble continues across painted walls and ceilings.
The brand new home in a historic town
‘Our goal was to create something that feels both timeless and unexpected,’ says developer Jack Simpson of this home in the historic market town of Farnham. ‘The building had to feel as though it belonged. Interestingly, we’ve had people stop and ask if it’s a renovation, which is a huge compliment given that it’s actually new construction.’ The spacious apartment has a palette that’s deliberately soft and tonal, using chalky plasters, natural oak, leathered stones and textured fabrics in muted tones. ‘It’s neutral, but never flat,’ he notes. ‘The aim was to create a backdrop that felt timeless, but with enough variation in texture to add warmth and interest throughout.’
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The new home with an old-world sensibility
Designer Amy Stoddart turned to neo-Georgian influences to create a layered, classic home that had only recently been built from the ground up. ‘This was a full-scale house renovation, with the original property demolished and a new home built in its place – a vision the clients had been planning since they purchased the site ten years ago,’ she recalls. ‘Materiality played a huge role in shaping the mood,’ she says, explaining that they used Calacatta Viola marble throughout to elevate the spaces, applied lime wash paint to the walls for texture and depth and colour drenched the formal living room in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’ to create a cocooning, cosy space.
Cosy meets minimalist in this Scottish retreat
Interior designer Jill Macnair turned to old school friend Kirsty Lees, of architecture practice Tektonika, to devise a sleek contemporary home in the wilds of the Scottish highlands. They married stark architectural lines with ‘warm Douglas fir wood, handmade zellige or flattish-toned encaustic tiles, and woven fabrics,’ says Jill. ‘Everything is built on a palette of green, yellow, navy, pink and brown (the sludgy versions), allowing the rooms to bleed into the land they overlook.’
The concrete home with a soft centre
Property developer Bear Agushi worked with his long-term collaborator, architect John Bornas, to devise a home that made the most of a smallish plot of land in Melbourne. The result is a jigsaw-like three-storey design that makes innovative use of space. ‘The house isn’t large, but it feels that way because of how everything is arranged, the use of natural light and the way the garden surrounds every room,’ says Bear. Inside, interiors stylist Simone Haag countered the abundant use of concrete with elements of velvet, clashing patterns and pops of soft colour.
The contemporary cabin with sustainability at its core
‘We wanted to balance modernity with the warmth of a traditional cabin,’ says Jim Olson, principal and founder of Olson Kundig, of this modern home tucked away on a secluded peninsula of a lake in New Hampshire. ‘Honest’ materials such as concrete for the floors, galvanised steel, vertical grain Douglas fir, stained cedar and walnut are paired with a decorative layer of Moroccan tiles and handwoven textiles that deliver warmth, while a focus on environment underscored the build. The team was briefed by a snow consultant, to ensure the property could withstand harsh winter conditions, and the house features geothermal heat pumps and triple glazed windows.
The home built around generosity
Architect Raúl Sánchez ensured entertaining was at the heart of this new home in Barcelona, and that started with the front door. To enter, you descend a staircase that leads to a terrace away from the street, where you are encouraged to walk straight into the kitchen. ‘The idea is that you slide the doors back, grab a glass of wine and start talking,’ he says. A defining decorative flourish of the open-plan home is a raw piece of stone that functions as the bottom step of the terracotta-coloured spiral staircase. ‘It entreats you to approach – it’s like an invitation,’ he says of the characterful choice.
The Suffolk home with a lived-in feel
Colour was key to imbuing this new home in Suffolk with depth. Homeowners Guy and Georgie Johnson were urged by interior designer George Townsin to look to the surrounding landscape and pay attention to the shifting seasons. From this, they drew a rich palette of scarlet, rust, sage and ochre while the use of layered textiles, particularly from Christopher Farr, further softened the scheme. ‘With all of the little nooks, you can draw the curtains, light the fire and the overall effect is just incredibly cosy,’ she notes.
The urban home with a bespoke layout
‘In these contemporary glass apartments, there is very little wall,’ notes interior designer Sophie Ashby, who had to rethink her art-focussed approach when designing this 14th-floor home in a St James’s Park tower. Luckily, the city views provide more than enough visual interest, while her masterful use of bold colour and punchy pattern resulted in a brand new home with bags of personality. Determined to create a truly unique space, she and her team gutted the place, reconfiguring the layout and giving every single surface a specialist finish. ‘In a tower you can only get in one way – through the service lift,’ she explains, adding, ‘it was like a jigsaw.’
