An eye for COLOUR

Interior designer Jessica Adams used her instinct for colour and unique pieces to turn a bland rental flat in Barnes into a joyful and comfortable family home, filled with personality

- DOMINIQUE CORLETT

When Jessica Adams moved into her two-bedroom flat in an Edwardian mansion block in Barnes with her husband, William, shortly before the birth of their son, she knew this would be her opportunity to finally create a home that reflected her style and passions. Jessica is an interior designer and had been waiting for the chance to put her skills to work in her own surroundings, and conjure up a warm, welcoming and colourful family home.

The couple’s previous rental flats had felt like a short-term compromise with little opportunity for improvement. And while this apartment was also rented, here was a place with large, light rooms, neutral flooring throughout, and an amenable landlord who was happy for Jessica to paint the walls in any colour. ‘I didn’t want the interiors to feel too safe,’ she says. ‘I wanted the flat to be unique but timeless, so when we move again, all the pieces would work in another setting. I decided to have fun with the wall colours, because I can leave those behind and rethink another paint colour somewhere else.’ There were some restrictions - she wasn’t able to pull anything out or knock anything down - but this pushed her creatively. ‘The main thing was using my furniture, styling and colour to make it feel less like a rental and more like a home,’ she says.