The Dos and Don'ts of Decorating
Interior designer Peter Mikic is known for his glamorous, tailored schemes. He also has his own range of rugs, lighting and furniture
A Chic Modern Scheme for a Victorian Villa by Peter Mikic | Dos and Don'ts of Decorating
Always start with a plan of where you want your furniture.
Get some pattern on the floor.
Be brave.
You will probably never find the antique chest of drawers or mid-century chairs from your tear sheets, so don't be afraid to mix pieces of furniture from several periods to achieve the right look for you. The key is making sure they are all of excellent quality.
No one looks great under spotlights.
Place lamps that give off a gold bounce near where people will be sitting to give their skin a warm glow in the evening.
Steer clear of feature walls.
They never work. It's better to use pattern in an entire room and choose somewhere you spend little time in. I have a de Gournay wallpaper in my hallway and it's fantastic to walk through.
Stick with a core palette of three colours for each room and build from there.
I am working on a project in Islington at the moment in which I have used a turquoise sofa and pale blue chairs with a lovely patterned carpet.
Invest in antiques.
There is a whole network of fantastic antique stores in London. Go regularly, otherwise you will miss out. I also love going to Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Park in Surrey, and have found lots of things for my library there.
Spend decent money on a sofa.
Even though antique sofas can look great, more often than not they are pretty shallow and uncomfortable, and no one really wants to sit on them.
Avoid mass-produced, high-gloss furniture.
There is nothing remotely personal or interesting about it and it'll make a room look cheap.
Don't test paint colours on a wall.
Paint them on lining paper so you can move it round the room to see how the light falls on each wall.
petermikic.com
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