LIFE IN COLOUR

This 1980s home was yearning for vibrancy and Laura Stephens delivered that with the most beautiful palette

- RUTH CORBETT

Colour does not add a pleasant quality to design – it reinforces it.' So said the French painter and lover of bold colour, Pierre Bonnard. It's a sentiment that would surely resonate with the owner of this home, as she considered its spacious, but somewhat characterless interior.

Built in the 1980s, it had worn — bar the occasional pop of colour — an almost entirely grey scheme for years. 'Colour, pattern and flow were my client's priorities for her redesign,' says interior designer Laura Stephens. 'She was yearning for vibrancy.

Having met through Instagram, Laura's client was drawn to her use of colour to create warmth, an element she felt was missing from the house at the time. 'Her children had left home and she was ready to give the place a revivify — one that would bring cohesion to her treasured furniture and art, while injecting bold hues, pattern and character into every room,' says Laura.