How to Breath New Life into Old Interiors

If recent events have show us anything, it’s the important not buying more than we need and making use of what we’ve got.

Proving that new doesn’t alway mean better, Interior designer Benji Lewis shows us how to breathe new life into old items while offering his top tips on revamping our homes. 

THE INHERITED PIECE

• I always encourage my clients to view inherited pieces in a different light. Re-imagine pieces in your house and try and view them in a different context and think of new ways to use and accessorise it. 

• The Louis style chest of drawers image attached was inherited, I moved it out of the room it was in, accessorised it with a 1950’s lamp and hung a painting by 20th century artist Javier Vilato above it. In its new context the chest or commode looks timeless, and I love the way it’s 18th century style has been off-set by the distinctly 20th century pieces

 INSTANT SOFA FACELIFT

• An old sofa is an old friend, they’re just a joy to have in a home. When they’re looking a little beyond their best, and funds aren’t available to re-upholster, an instant way to put some life and love back into a sofa is by bringing in some new scatter cushions to make the sofa feel vibrant again. 

• In the ‘Instant facelift’ image, I have accessorised the sofa with two cushions from one of my absolute go-to textile designers  neishacrosland.com

UPHOLSTERY

• Upholstered items are real favourites of mine especially neat armchairs, I love their adaptability and they are so easy to move around. 

• I love nothing more than an old chair or sofa, beautifully re-upholstered, comfortable seating is so important and covered in an exciting fabric.

• In the case of the ‘upholstery’ image, the antique French Louis chair came from Kempton market in the UK, it was in a sorry state so I had it restored, re-upholstered and recovered. I sourced the patterned linen at tissusdhelene.co.uk in Chelsea Harbour, it was produced by galbraithandpaul.com in Philadelphia

GALLERY WALL

• Artwork is often the last thing my clients factor into their budget, however it’s an important consideration when decorating your home. A ‘gallery wall’ is a simple way to overhaul a room and create a powerful impact.

• I recommend sourcing the artwork from local antique fairs and shops - recycled therefore - and then arrange by size and shape, keeping costs low but still injecting style and personality into your room.

• In the case of the image attached ‘gallery wall’, I sourced the artwork from local antique fairs and charity shops. I’m not really a content snob when it comes to art, so whilst clearly a Picasso would be nice, impact can be created with a gallery wall like this and the artwork needn’t have cost a fortune

BEDROOM

• There’s nothing more luxurious than beautiful bedding, and I am a particular fan of really good quality linen, notably sheets. The quality of sheets produced in bygone years far outways  the stuff you find today unless you’re prepared to pay handsomely for it.

• I advise clients to consider antique bedding if it fits with the scheme, not only because the look and feel is so wonderful but it can also surprisingly be less costly than going for brand new.

•  A thing to consider if you’re thinking of acquiring antique sheets is that nowadays we sleep in beds that are far wider than they used to be, so always unfold and check the size of a sheet or bedspread  to ensure it’ll be big enough for the bed you wish to use it on

• In this bedroom I used an antique monogrammed linen sheet – the monogram indicating that the sheet formed part of a bride’s trousseau, and added an antique bedspread. Because I couldn‘t find pillow slips that worked, I found the ones here at cologneandcotton.com and then to add a splash of glamour I sourced the cashmere throw that’s on the end of the bedstead, at mrsjonesscarves.com the red and gold velvet embellishment adding a flash of excitement

Zoom That Room is a contact free, bespoke design offer. A one-hour home consultation costs from £90 per zoomed room or outdoor space. Via which ever video communications platform you choose (FaceTime/zoom etc), you can dial in with Benji and discuss your interior design issues and aspirations in return for tailored advice for you and your home. 

Bookings and enquiries can be made via zoomthatroom.com.