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Designer Sarah Hamilton's Mid-century Modern Home
Step inside the colourful abode of a print designer for a masterclass in mixing old and new.
London-based artist and designer Sarah Hamilton is a self-confessed colour junkie. Her distinctive style has led her to design for high street giants such as Heal's, Habitat, Paperchase and The Conran Shop.
Describing her style as 'Colourful, fun and quirky with a Mid-Century nod and one eye on keeping things stylish,' her home for the last eight years reflects her artwork. It's a living collage of folk art birds, vintage travel posters, 1950s ceramics, stones, leaves and fragments of nature – imagery which recurs throughout all her artwork. We took a tour of her beautiful home in Crystal Palace, south London.
Sarah's favourite space is the light-filled living room: 'It's wonderful to sit on the sofa and see over the trees to our fabulous city below. It's a joyously seasonal house, cosy with the fire in winter and bathed in summer sun in July and August – that's the theory, anyway.' She says. Given the house is Mid-Century, there are many pieces of furniture and accessories from that era, but Sarah also loves contemporary design. She admits: 'I have a rather too costly passion for designer lights!'
Get the look
Give a neutral room a surprising dash of colour by painting the other side of the door in an eye-catching shade. Your room will take on a different look depending on whether you leave it open or closed. Try Orchid Opera 3 for a similar pop of pink.
'Colour is my complete passion and it's what I'm known for as an artist – it brings summer cheer to my home whatever the weather,' says Sarah, explaining her approach. 'Colours are like herbs and spices – blended imaginatively, they enhance each other. Rich, warm oranges, pinks and reds are complemented by greys and whites.'
Although there are plenty of bold accents in her home, Sarah's home has a balanced and calm feel: 'I'm as big a fan of neutrals as I am of pure reds, blues and yellows as they bring each other to life,' she explains.
Get the look
In the kitchen, Sarah has let white and wood take centre stage, with teal, blue and yellow accents added through posters, furniture and accessories. Try Pure Brilliant White for a bright, light and contemporary look in the kitchen.
Aside from the living room, Sarah's home studio is one of the spaces she spends the most time in; 'Colour's central to my work as a designer, so finding a space with such large windows was a dream come true!' Her son's room is painted in a bold blue that highlights the rich wooden tones of the floorboards and furniture.
'The space is very calming given the frantic life I lead,' Sarah says of her home; 'The designers of these houses carefully considered their location between woodland and the city – there's a great relationship between the buildings and their settings. The house encourages creativity, an appreciation of its environment and offers a warm welcome to family and friends.'
Get the look
For a similar Mid-century palette, don't be afraid of coordinating similar tones of blues and green together. For a similar combination of blues, try Holiday Blues 1, and Azure Sky 3, with a pop of green such as Indian Ivy 5.
