Fabrice Bana, A-Gent of Style
How would you describe this look?
I wanted to create a vignette representing an exotic salon — a small sitting room mixing different styles from different centuries. I’m mostly into mid 20th century design, so there are elements of that here — and colour was very important to me. It’s eclectic, vibrant, grand yet relaxed. It’s a space you could live in — and that’s the idea, to create something comfortable and practical.
What’s your favourite piece?
That’s very tough. The piece I’d most like to go home with is that amazing standing mirror — it’s something else, and the shelf makes it very practical. It has a real wow factor.
Can you offer a tip for someone decorating a blank space?
Go with your heart and don’t follow the rules. There are some rights and wrongs in interior design, but its important to create a space that you like and which is comfortable. There’s nothing worse than having a beautiful chair you can’t sit in, or a mirror that’s not at your height.
Fabrice uses (from left to right): Wood and copper waste paper bin (£1,000-1,500); Cristal Arte mirror (£2,000-3,000); A pair of porcelain vases (£800-1,200); A French mahogany table (£800-1,200); Yellow glazed table lamp (One of a pair, £1,500-2,500); A fine Heriz carpet (£600-1,000); Madeline Rachel Wells painting (£5,000-7,000); Stained glass lantern (£1,000-1,500); Louis XVI day bed (£2,000-3,000); A pair of tables (£1,200-1,800); Silver-plated tea/coffee set (£1,000-1,500); Glass obelisk (one of a pair, £1,500-2,500); Cut glass vase (one of a pair, £1,000-1,500); French drinks trolley (£800-1,200); A group of gilt glasses (£800 – 1,200); An arts and crafts mirror (£1,000-1,500) ; Max Ingrand floor lamp (£3,000-5,000); also featured: Vase by Lalique , Miller Harris candles, throws by Tissus d’Hélène, Robert Kime cushions
Martyn White, Martyn White Designs
I’ve designed the room around the painting of ships, with a focus on heritage pieces in rich tans, browns, reds and blues — drawing on the colours in the painting. I’ve tried to place traditional pieces in a contemporary environment. I love the way the mirror looks on the wall; it just opens up the space.
What piece would you take home?
When I saw the items in the sale, the first piece I fell in love with was the Chesterfield sofa — that’s the first piece I selected. As the room has come together, however, I’ve come to love the painting of ships — I think I’d happily leave with that.
What’s your advice for decorating a blank space?
I think a room should be based around an item or furniture or object that you love — whether it’s one you already own, or something you see and fall in love with. I love stumbling upon things in shops, and seeing how different brands are combined. Walking around London is a great inspiration — there’s a different look and feel to every area.
Martyn uses (from left to right): French drinks trolley (£800 -1,200); A group of gilt glasses (£800 – 1,200); French mirror (one of a pair, £1,200-1,800); Leather covered trunks (pair, £800–1,200); Nude dancer bronze figure (£800-1,200); A pair of bronze candlesticks adapted to table lamps (£1,000-1,500); Gilt bronze wall lights (set of four, £800-1,200); Silk Isfahan rug (£1,500-2,500); Chesterfield sofa (£1,000-1,500); A leather stool (£1,000-1,500); Salvatore Colacicco painting (£1,200-1,800); A pair of French bronze horses (£2,000-3,000); also featured: Robert Kime cushions
Gabi Williams, Moon to Moon
Eclectic. I don’t go for things that match, just things I like. Which is not to say it’s random — I think you can spend a lot of time trying to get a particular style, but if you follow your instinct it can work. I’m a nurse, not an interior designer, so my focus is really on what I like.
Is there an object you would take home if you could?
I love the parrot, which is really quirky, but I think the lamp is just amazing. It’s the most beautiful shape — quite unusual and very art deco in style. It’s stylish without being over styled.
What’s your tip for decorating a blank space?
The most important thing is to create a space in which you’re happy and comfortable. You want to feel you can come home, put your feet up on the sofa, or accidentally spill a glass of red wine without it being the end of the world. The houses that inspire me are real — there’s washing up in the kitchen, and they’re lived in. Other locations that inspire me include the scruffy, bohemian house in the 1970 Mick Jagger film Performance, and Instagramers including Megan Starr.
Gabi uses (from left to right): Regency giltwood mirror (£1,000-1,500); Three model parrots (£1,000- 1,500); A single model parrot (£1,200-1,800); Victorian walnut bookcase (£1,200-1,800); Nico Jungmann painting (£700 -1,000); Chinese circular table (£1,000-1,500); Percival sofa (£1,500-2,500); Fred Appleyard painting (£2,000-3,000); Stained glass lantern (£1,000-1,500); Chinese low table (£800-1,200); ‘Sphinx’ table lamp (£800-1,200); French café-bar mirror (£1,000-1,500); also featured: Robert Kime cushions
Grant Pierrus, Interior Style Hunter
I’ve tried to recreate an elegant corner in a home; it’s a place to escape and appreciate treasures amassed across a lifetime. It’s the sort of space that would belong to someone who’s well travelled, and has collected pieces from across the world.
Which piece would you most like to take home?
Besides the day bed, the three figures to the right. I think they’re beautiful, and have so much life — they remind me of activity and movement, of travelling and living each day to the full. When I design I want to tell a story, putting together a life in objects. This room is aspirational: hopefully it will represent my story when I’m 60 [laughs].
Start off with two things: how you want the space to feel and, secondly, the object that represents that feeling. When you put these things together, you can begin to build on them. That’s how I design.
Grant Pierrus uses (from left to right): ; Red and gilt Jappaned commode (£800-1,200); Botanical engravings (set of 12, £2,500-3,500); A pair of green-ground tubs (£600-800); A mantel clock (£1,000-1,500); A Kashan carpet (£800-1,200); A Japanese six-fold screen (£1,000-1,500); Mahogany tea table (£1,200-1,800); Bronze Oriental dancer (£1,000-1,500); Bronze Nude dancer (£800-1,200); Bronze Nude with snake (£800-1,200); A pair of hexagonal vases (£1,200-£1,800)
For more features, interviews and videos, visit Christie’s Daily