Midas Touch

Designer Marie Soliman used hints of gold, streaks of sunset and warm greys to make the decor of this London penthouse truly shine

- Pip Mccormac

Grey is more than just a colour, it’s a design moment; a key feature, in fact, of the bulk of decorating schemes created this side of the millennium. But as anyone who has ever seen a paint chart will know, the word ‘grey’ is simply a catch-all for a dizzying number of different shades, and if you choose the right one, it can have a dazzling effect. ‘Grey is never just grey,’ cries Marie Soliman, founder of Bergman Design House, who created the interior of this three-bedroom penthouse overlooking Regent’s Park in London. ‘There are two greys – one that comes between white and black and which I call cold grey, then there is the richer grey that is a mix of two opposing colours on the colour wheel. It’s a mistake to use the cooler one in any home as it comes across as dusty and unpleasant, but the warmer grey has a real charm and can be used with any colour. It’ll be made from a blend of red and green, or blue and orange, and retains hints of these pigments in them. And, crucially for British interiors, it reflects the sun throughout the day even if the weather outside isn’t as special as you might hope.’