Designer Spotlight: Russell Loughlan’s colour-filled seaside cottage

I studied Fashion & Textiles for years, graduating with an MA from Central Saint Martins. After that, I took a breather from fashion and drifted for a while, a bit of styling here, a few creative projects there.

Then I worked on an interiors shoot and something clicked. I had a natural instinct for it. A friend asked for help with her new flat, word spread, and one project led to another.

No formal interiors training really, just instinct, experience, and doing something I genuinely love. 

Choosing the right paint for a scheme goes way beyond just how it looks. For me, colour confidence isn’t about rules or trends, especially when there’s so much inspiration out there. It can feel really overwhelming!

I almost never start with paint charts. Instead, I follow a ‘start with the art’ philosophy. If there’s a statement artwork or a piece I see every day, I let that lead the way. I pull colours from it to build the foundation, then look to flooring, furniture and fabrics to shape and refine the scheme so it all feels connected and personal. 

Walls: Pale Hound No. 71 in Modern Emulsion | Floor: Radicchio No. 96 in Modern Emulsion  | Woodwork: Serge No. 9919 in Flat Eggshell | Photography: Boz Gagovski

Walls: Setting Plaster No. 231 , Templeton Pink No. 303 , Eating Room Red No. 43 , Cane No. 53 in Dead Flat | Door & Chair: Raw Tomatillo No. CB6 in Flat Eggshell | Photography: Boz Gagovski

When we bought it, the house had been completely stripped of its soul. Fireplaces gone. Original panelling ripped out. Beautiful sash windows replaced with failing plastic double glazing. 

The one saving grace was the original wide Georgian floorboards - amazingly, almost all of them still intact and in brilliant condition. 

Otherwise, it was a whitewashed, featureless box with a cheap kitchen and very dated bathrooms. 

Our contractors were hugely behind schedule, so we ended up living there through the summer before works began properly. It meant we could really understand the house - how we moved through it, how the light shifted from morning to evening, which rooms felt good and which didn’t. 

That time shaped everything. The layouts. The schemes. The way the house would eventually come back to life. 

The main living space is probably my favourite. I’m usually drawn to quirky, wonky, warren-like listed houses, the moodier the better, but the previous owners had already blown this one wide open. They stripped it back to an open-plan footprint flooded with light, which gave me total design freedom. 

I could put the character back in by adding fireplaces, panelling, reclaimed shutters, and French doors but without the usual listed-building restrictions. So much space. So much light. No red tape! 

I also love the blue master bedroom. We lifted the ceiling to expose the beautifully wonky rafters, creating this airy, almost chapel-like space. Then we panelled in the opposite direction to add texture and tension. It’s the only room that kept its original fireplace and panelled cupboards, so I had bespoke shutters made to match, and drenched the east-facing room in layered blues that intensify as the light changes. 

The guest bedroom is tiny, which I embraced and squeezed in a four-poster. Always wanted one! Then I hand-painted my signature stripes to draw the eye upward and exaggerate the sense of height, using my three favourite pinks from Farrow & Ball (Russell told us later that these are Setting Plaster No. 231,  Templeton Pink No. 303 and  Eating Room Red No. 43 ). 

Walls: Setting Plaster No. 231 , Templeton Pink No. 303 , Eating Room Red No. 43 , Cane No. 53 all in Dead Flat | Door: Raw Tomatillo No. CB6 in Flat Eggshell | Photography: Boz Gagovski

Walls: Cane No. 53 in Dead Flat | Trim: Etruscan Red No. 56 in Dead Flat | Photography: Boz Gagovski

The main rooms have high-gloss varnished pine floors that bounce light around all day long - highlighting every shadow, crack and imperfection in the ancient, uneven plaster walls. I needed balance, something to absorb all that, not amplify it!

When researching I discovered  Dead Flat by Farrow & Ball. Incredibly matt, which delivered a depth of colour without a hint of sheen. Even better, it’s tough and washable, and works across walls, woodwork and metal, a beautiful dead flat finish that absorbs light, so you always get a true colour. 

Before you even think about colour charts, decide on the atmosphere you want to create. Calm and soothing? Warm and cocooning? Energising and playful? Having a clear mood in mind makes every decision that follows feel easier and far more intentional. 

Forget trends and rigid design rules. Start with something you already love like a piece of art, a fabric, a favourite chair and then pull colours from there. It’s the simplest way to create a palette that feels layered, cohesive and uniquely yours. 

Don’t skip proper testing. Paint large sample boards (at least A4/A3, two coats) so you can move them around the room, hold them against flooring and furniture, and check how the colour flows into adjoining spaces. It makes all the difference.  

Always work with your space. Consider the room’s orientation and natural light - north-facing rooms often suit warmer, deeper shades, while south-facing spaces can handle cooler or brighter tones beautifully. 

Walls: Cane No. 53 in Dead Flat | Trim: Etruscan Red No. 56 in Dead Flat | Photography: Boz Gagovski