Anne Hathaway's 'stealth wealth' living room corner features the forever trend we can't get over, say designers

At the foot of the mountains in California, a chalet of dark wood and stone sits perched on a velvet green lawn. Built in 1906, the architecture is a quixotic combination of a traditional Swiss mountain lodge and Californian arts and crafts styles. 

Its owners for the last few years, actress Anne Hathaway and her husband, jewelry designer Adam Shulman, were eager to embrace the chalet’s 'old money' style. An aesthetic and interior design trend that has taken over our homes, fashion and social media feeds this year.

Indeed, their choice of interior designer reveals much about their creative instinct – Pamela Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri was a production designer on films before she moved into interiors and a sense of 'timeless and traditional' narrative is key to her work.

Pamela was brought on board to restore and renovate the weekend retreat, collaborating closely with the couple on the interior schemes, which were to be influenced by fashion, 20th-century design, and the films of Wes Anderson.

Wood paneling is a pivotal focal point in the home, and is especially notable in the living room. In the past decade, wood-based wall treatments have undergone remarkable transformations, fueled by increased creativity and resources. It's no longer a mere afterthought; allocating a portion of your budget to customized or dynamic wall decor features is a worthwhile investment, as Anne's home demonstrates.

The days of relying solely on drywall are long gone. By investing in thoughtful craftsmanship for your living room walls, your entire space will gain a sense of substance, strength, and soul. Whether through creative wainscoting, intricate moldings, or the use of quality wood or plaster-treated surfaces, the spatial quality of your home or room can be profoundly enhanced.

However, the wood paneling all over the property, originally designed as a hunting lodge, made the interiors feel dark, so the house was swept with the lighter touch of soft pastel shades,

It is the Wes Anderson-inspired room colors that bring this dark and cozy corner to life. To replicate this look, use colors found in nature. This season's decorating is inspired by the global traveler's expeditions, with a rich palette of brown, ochre and gold.

In case you need any more convincing, brown is also surprisingly versatile and could act as the perfect foil to existing furnishings and accessories. Edward Bulmer, interior designer and founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint agrees: ‘Being polychromatic, brown goes with everything, but in deeper, very rich hues it is particularly good at flattering beautiful, well-drawn patterns.’ 

Before you recoil in horror at the thought of decorating with brown, throw out any preconceived notions of the brown rooms you may have seen in the past. This once-detested color is back, and better than ever. 

This season's decorating is inspired by the global traveler's expeditions, with a rich palette of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and ochre adding warmth and depth to interiors.

Considered a dark neutral, earthy brown is grounding but also has an elegance that is truly sophisticated. Versatile, it can be striking on its own or allow other hues to stand proud.

In case you needed anymore convincing, brown is also surprisingly versatile and could act as the perfect foil to existing furnishings and accessories. Edward Bulmer, interior designer and founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint agrees: ‘Being polychromatic, brown goes with everything, but in deeper, very rich hues it is particularly good at flattering beautiful, well-drawn patterns.’