Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

August 2019 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition| 119

C

anyouimaginehaving

ashoppaintedonthe

playroomwalls?Orhaving

thestudyenlivenedwithan

aeronauticaltheme?Probably

not–andyouwouldn’tbe

alone.Formostofus,interiordesignmeans

calmingneutrals.Butthen,mostofusaren’t

likeStephanieCole’sChalfontStGilesclients.

“It’squiteunusualtogetabrieflikethat

becausepeoplewanttostayinkeepingwith

thehouse,”admitstheinteriordesigner,who

worksforAlexanderJamesInteriors.“Butthis

familywasverymuchchild-focusedandthey’d

donealotoftravellingandwantedthehouse

tobetheirhubandwhatthekidsloved.”

BeforeStephaniecouldstart,thehouse

inquestion–atraditional,five-bedroomed

detached–underwentacompletestructural

overhaul.Theinteriorshadtomatchthe

newlymodernisedlook,andshewasspecially

chosenfortheproject.“We’reateamoffour

designersintheprivateclients’sectionof

AlexanderJames,”sheexplains.“Thiscame

tomebecauseofthechildren’sbedrooms.

IseemtogetalotofthembecauseIgoto

townonthem.Ireallylovedoingthem,so

Ithinkitwasareallygoodmatchbetween

designerandclient.”

Aswithanyhome,Stephaniestartedwith

aface-to-facemeetingatwhichshegotaclear

ideaofthebrief.Fromtheoutset,itwasclear

thefamilywereopen-minded.“Wetakedown

thefullbriefandifthey’rehappywithit,they

goaheadwithAlexanderJames,”shesays.

“ThenItakethatawayandbringittolifeand

putallthatbacktotheclient.Wegetmood

boardsandawhitetraythatwelayallthe

fabricsoutonandpresentthem.

“Obviously,atthepresentation,youget

feedback–theremightbeacoupleofthings

• but,inthiscase,thatwasfairlyminimal.
  Thebriefwasverychild-orientedwiththefact
  thattheyreallywantedtogototownonthe
  children’sroomsbutthentheysortofleftitto
  metodowhatIwanted,andthenIpresented
  andtheywereabsolutelythrilled.”
  Fortheplayroomandthelittlegirl’s
  bedroomStephaniecommissionedmurals.
  Havingbeentoldthechildrenlikedinteractive
  play,shewantedtoreflectthis.“Inthe
  playroomwedidshopsetups,sowehad
  amarketstall,apolicestationandacafé,”
  shesays.“Isatdownwiththedecorator
  andwedrewitup.Wehadalittledrawing
  tableinfrontofthecaféwherethechildren
  coulddotheirart.Fortheotherviewofthe
  room,wheretheTVandwindowwere,we

haditlookinglikefields.Itwaslikeabrick

walldrawnonthewallwhichhadPeppaPig

andCuriousGeorgeonit.Thosearethe

children’sfavouritecharacters,soitwasreally

bespoketothem.”

Avisionofpink,thelittlegirl’sbedroom

isanaspiringprincess’sdream.“Wedrew

Cinderellawiththepumpkincarriagegoing

uptothecastle–itwasbeautiful,”says

Stephanie.Nottobeoutdone,Dadhasa

giantpropelleronthewallofhisstudy.“He

hadafascinationwithplanes,whichiswhy

Idesigneditaroundthat,”sheexplains.

“Wedidpropellersonthewallbythe

‘...thisfamilywasvery

muchchild-focused

andthey’ddonealotof

travellingandwanted

thehousetobetheirhub

andwhatthekidsloved.’

HOMES INTERIORS