Pink House Living by Emily Murray, with photos
by Susie Lowe, is out now published by Ryland
Peters & Small, £19.99. Project Calm readers can
buy a copy of Pink House Living for the special
price of £14 (RRP £19.99). Free UK P&P. To order
go to http://www.rylandpeters.com and use code
PCPINKHOUSE at the checkout. Offer valid
until 1st September 2019.unrecognisable as an actual colour. It just felt dull,
pale and – yes – dingy. As did the room itself. There
was only one thing for it: a vibrant peachy pink (Ida
by Painthouse), which was applied to the walls during
a family holiday.
On our return, Pink House Husband had rather a
shock (I may have neglected to mention exactly what
was happening, colour-wise), but once I’d filled the
room with plants, books and feel-good furniture and
the neon was emitting its warm glow, everything was
just peachy. Now it’s the perfect spot to curl up and
watch family life unfold/break up fights. Bliss.the kitchen’s leafy wallpaper. This space is where
the whole family spend most of our time when
we’re at home. A big, robust table was a must, and I
unearthed this beautifully patinated antique French
table, complete with scorch marks, scratches and faint
impressions of mathematical formulae from someone’s
longforgotten homework. I never worry about the kids
making marks on it – in fact, I like it when they do, as
it adds to the table’s story.
For seating options, I’ve assembled a motley crew
comprising a vintage gym bench (reminder of my
gymnastics days), Perspex Kartell Ghost chairs
(brilliant for contrasting with solid furniture, as they
don’t take up much visual space), a gold chair to match
the bar stools and a wicker hanging chair by the door
(perfect for soaking up the sun in this south-facing
space). A gallery ‘wall of words’ behind the table and
my work here is done. Although apparently everyone is
‘starving hungry’ now. Must be Deliveroo o’clock...
Our family room in London is open plan to the
kitchen. This room is deep within the house; the only
natural light comes from the glass door and windows
at the kitchen end. And by the time I came to renovate
this space, I’d learned lots more interior war-winning
skills, meaning much more pink decor. Yay.
I started by painting the space in Farrow & Ball’s
pale pink Calamine – but the lack of natural light
plus the pink neon sign rendered the paint shade
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