Left Walls: , Door and Woodwork: | Right Reading Nook in &
All photography by Jonathan Bond
What makes a house a home? Well according to Otta Design, an interior design studio transforming homes across London and beyond, it’s all about personality. Ali and Alex, the founders, specialise in layering colour and pattern to create tailored spaces that reflect the people who live in them. We caught up with the Otta Design team to talk about their tailored interiors, from a few of their favourites to top tips for creating your own.
Can you talk us through a few of your favourite spaces?
Living Room
This handsome London townhouse was calling out for an injection of colour and personality. With an unusual, open-plan layout, we needed to zone the entertaining areas. The client wanted a colour that showed off their contemporary artworks and was the perfect backdrop. The finished space is smart and sophisticated.
Sitting Room
We were approached by our clients after they purchased the house they’d been renting. A vision in magnolia, it lacked soul and didn’t reflect their love of life and travel. We were tasked with making it feel like a home. was chosen because our clients wanted a cosy, enveloping and uplifting room, where they could display pieces picked up from adventures around the world.
Dining Area
In this London kitchen, we designed a banquette seating area for eating and entertaining. It’s upholstered in an outdoor fabric, perfect for spills, and is paired with deep olive on the frame. The kitchen units painted in — perfect for our colour confident clients. We throw a touch of Brinjal into most schemes we design because it’s depth and richness make it one of our favourite Farrow & Ball colours! These punchy tones sit against warm on the walls, which is much softer than white and makes the kitchen feel less sterile.
Hallway
We just had to let the magnificent stained-glass door do the talking here. Understated was the perfect choice to lighten up the walls, which we paired with deeper on the door frame and stair spindles. We used Modern Emulsion to family proof it from scrapes and dirty fingers. The result is a timeless yet practical entrance hallway.
Reading Nook & Downstairs Loo
In this teenage bedroom, we made a feature out of previously ‘dead’ space with a peaceful reading nook. Tongue and groove panelling painted in two blues creates a cocooning effect, making it a comfy place to curl up with a good book.
In the same home, we gave the downstairs loo an injection of personality. This is the perfect space to be brave with colour and patterns as it will create some wow factor when you have guests. pairs perfectly with green, so we wrapped the wall colour up and over the ceiling for maximum effect.
Left Walls: | Right Reading Nook in &
Why do you choose Farrow & Ball for your projects?
We love the variety of colours in the Farrow & Ball and , and how they all work so well together tonally. Farrow & Ball colours also change in different lights, which gives the paint a life of its own. There’s a great range of finishes too: Modern Emulsion is ideal for busy family life or for those wanting a more matt finish that’s also practical, is a game changer.
How do you introduce colours in a home without them clashing or feeling overwhelming?
Colour can be introduced in two ways. You can have a neutral background and then introduce colour through fabrics, joinery etc. This allows for strong accents without it becoming overwhelming. Alternatively, you can embrace colour on the walls and ceiling, and then pare it back with neutral furnishings. Layering tonal colours within a scheme always works well to add depth and interest without overpowering the space.
What are your top three tips for creating original and personal interiors?
- Avoid following trends as they will date your interiors and can look very formulaic.
- Don’t be afraid to use paint in more interesting ways. For example, you can create ‘architectural’ details such as painting the lower half of a room one colour and the top half another to create the illusion of a dado rail.
- Artwork and antiques always make an interior feel original, so we always aim to use 1/3rd antique or vintage, 1/3rd new and 1/3rd bespoke.
What can we expect to see from Otta Design next?
It’s our 10th birthday this year, so we’ll be celebrating all the wonderful projects we’ve got to work on over the years. We’re also going to be working on some exciting new projects throughout London, from Marylebone to The Barbican. In the long term, we’d like to develop a commercial arm of Otta Design, exploring opportunities to expand to small hotels and restaurants — these are wonderful places to use colour and pattern in a way clients might not experience at home.
Feeling Inspired?
Indulge your imagination and browse more images of real spaces transformed by Farrow & Ball on our dedicated Inspiration pages.