In the south London home of Irish designer Orla Kiely and her husband Dermott Rowan it’s difficult to distinguish the pure vintage from her clever retro-inspired designs. The ground floor of their four-level house is composed of three distinct uses all open to each other and united by their color palette and style.
The kitchen’s my favorite space with its funky central island topped with a cabinet, supported on black metal pipe, which smartly stays away from the ceiling. This allows the daylight to radiate through to the central dining area. A wall of open and closed storage displays small appliances, cook books, and canisters of Orla’s beautiful design. Vintage ochre and orange accent the cabinets of creamy white and dark wood. A fresh green linoleum floor sparkles from the kitchen through the dining room.
Mid-century modern wood chairs float around their companion dining table. The abstract painting boldly bridges the gap between styles and eras. Of course a circular steel wood burning stove is always in style as it warms the dining room and the sunken living area.
Stone flooring lines the living area and extends to the garden beyond. Orla’s Rhododendron wall covering of giant stylized flowers in brown on an ochre field grows out behind the blue flannel covered sofa bed. Her stem cushions seem to mimic the outline of the wood stool.
Designer: Orla Kiely via Marie Claire Maison
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