Left: | Right: | All Photos by davewattsphotography
In June, we introduced our new wallpaper collection to the world, . To showcase the full potential of the papers and inspire you with even more ideas, we invited a handful of designers to give them a try. One of those designers was the award-winning Sarah Southwell of @sarahsouthwelldesign. Enamoured with interiors since she was a little girl rearranging furniture in her bedroom, Sarah is now working on projects across the UK, from Scotland to Salcombe.
‘I’m a huge fan of Farrow and Ball paint and wallpapers,’ explains Sarah, ‘especially the new Purnon Papers! It was incredible to go and see where these papers originated from in Château de Purnon in France and see the journey of how this incredible paper came about.’
Using these timeless patterns, Sarah transformed two very different bedrooms: one for children and one for guests.
Guest Bedroom
As soon as Sarah saw , she knew exactly where to use for this traditional floral. ‘I loved the classic style of Auguste,’ she explains, ‘it’s perfect for the guest bedroom in an old manor house’.
Sarah has taken across the walls and ceiling, with a complementary blue on the woodwork. The result is a welcoming home from home for guests, which is a delight to both her and the owners: ‘That’s my favourite part, seeing my initial vision finally come together to make a wonderful family home and creating spaces that bring my clients joy.’
Children’s Bedroom
The second room Sarah transformed is in her very own house, which is the best review we could hope for given the care and attention Sarah has put into her home: ‘We’re lucky enough to live in a very old historic house in a beautiful part of Somerset, which I fully restored and brought back to life two years ago.’
Sarah used on the walls and ceiling of her son’s bedroom after being enthralled by its unexpectedly contemporary feel— which is also why our Creative Director adores it.
‘I love the paper I used in my son’s bedroom as it’s so bright and fun and I always love using wallpaper on ceilings — it can totally transform a room! His room is now my favourite room in the house. It just goes to show that the smallest spaces can turn out to be the most interesting.’
As well as transforming these two spaces, Sarah had one more inspiring idea for The Purnon Papers up her sleeve: ‘You don’t have to wallpaper a whole room, you can use these papers behind shelves, in reading nooks or even above a cooker — just use some glass to protect it.’
Peruse The Purnon Papers
From Auguste to Adelaïde and beyond, explore all of the patterns in this timeless collection and discover the story of where it all started.