When my favourite lighting people, Pooky, came to me with questions about The Pink House for their blog, I was only too pleased to answer them. I've been a huge fan of Pooky since I was introduced to its bright, beautiful lamps and shades by the ever-fabulous interior designer, colour expert and Pink House collaborator, Jessica Buckley. Read on for my answers...
Pooky: Where do you get your inspiration from?
Emily: Currently, Instagram is a huge source of inspiration. The feeds that jump out at me are those with lots of bright colour and a playful vibe – some of my current faves include: @stellaandthestars (creative, vibrant interiors), @wearandwhere (florals, fashion, fabulousness), and @iamalisonperry (colour pops, feel-good flatlays). I also can’t resist a feed that understands pink (I’m talking to you, @ihavethisthingwithpink, @designsponge, @glitterguide). There’s something about pink that makes me smile in a way no other colour does. That doesn’t mean I wear lots of pink, or have loads of pink in my home (OK, the outside is pink. And the hallway. And the bedroom. But apart from that…) but the right pink in the right place can make me smile like no other colour.
Pink vintage glasses and flamingos in The Pink House bar/Photo: Susie Lowe
Pooky: How would you describe the style in your home?
Emily: I’d describe my style as fun and fabulous with a shot of pink. Having kids has given me the excuse I needed to finally style my home the way I’ve always wanted it. Having to stay home more due to the small Pink House Dwellers has meant bringing the fabulousness of my favourite hotels into my house. Now, just because the babysitter has cancelled last minute doesn’t mean my night is ruined – I just need to head downstairs to our glam grown-up’s Den, complete with gold-leaf bar and surround sound, and get the Pink House Husband to mix me a mojito. Also, the kids provide me with an excuse to bring a playful vibe into the home – loads of clashing colour, crazy animal heads on the wall, alphabet motifs… My next project is installing a static trapeze in the playroom. For the kids. Obviously.
The kids' art corner. Totally for the kids/Photo: Susie Lowe
Pooky: What’s your favourite room in your house? Does lighting play a big part?
Emily: Much as I love the luxuriousness of our downstairs Den, with its brass picture lights, dimmable spotlights and pink neon sign saying ‘play’, my favourite room is our open-plan living room/kitchen. It’s situated on the ground floor as you go in, but as our house is on a slope, the garden is one level lower. So the south-facing view of the hill from our living room bay window is all the lovelier for being elevated, and the room makes the most of the available daylight. At nighttime, the lighting in both the living room and kitchen areas comes from soft, peripheral lighting – I’m allergic to harsh, overhead lights. I’ve used a Pooky empire shade in green block-printed cotton in the kitchen to reference the green velvet sofa in the living area and make the two rooms feel more connected. I also love how the fabric makes the kitchen feel more relaxed and less clinical, something I’ve tried to enhance with the books, pictures, plants and brass Buster + Punch cupboard handles on black painted doors. In the living area I’ve upped the fun factor with a birdcage lamp, covered with multicoloured birds. It makes me smile every time I look at it, and I love when my kids talk to the birds in squeaky voices!
Open plan living at The Pink House/Photo: Susie Lowe
Crazy bird cage lamp/Photo: Susie Lowe
Pooky: We believe mixing and matching colour and pattern can make for some stunning results – do you have any top tips on how to do this in the home?
Emily: My key tip on the whole mix-and-match thing, is just to go for it! I think people worry too much about getting it wrong, instead of having a bit of confidence and just giving it a go. Because what’s the worst that can happen? Generally, if you like this pattern, and you like that pattern, you’ll probably like the patterns together – pretty always goes with pretty, as the saying goes. And if it looks a bit mental at first, try living with it for a week or so. Often, it just takes a bit of time for your eye to get used to something new – this is why new trends often look odd at first: remember how strange skinny jeans looked when they first got hot, and how normal they seem now? Plus, it’s good to create unique combinations – that’s what will make your home stand out from the crowd. My favourite pattern/colour mash-up clash in my home is my pink Furbish cross-stitch ‘Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That’ pillow, against my Jessica Buckley Interiors silk zig-zag cushion, all set against a Samoa Velvets blue leopard-print armchair. Not for the faint-hearted, but I love it.
Our Pooky Elsa bedside lamps in Magenta/Photo: Susie Lowe
Pooky: Finally we’ve got to ask you, what is your favourite Pooky light and why?
Emily: That would be the Elsa table lamp in Magenta, with the yellow silk Ikat shade. We have two of these as bedside lamps in our master bedroom. I love the rich, pinky-purple colour of the glass against the exotically bright yellow pattern, and the effect of the lamps against my shimmery purple Timorous Beasties butterflies wallpaper is nothing short of magical. I’m also a huge fan of the Crescent lamp base – I first saw this in Sophie Robinson’s home, and it was love at first sight. Sophie has excellent taste!
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