Nina Campbell's style secrets – they are as inspirational as you'd imagine
From choosing the perfect accent chair to ways with wallpaper, there is so much we can learn from Nina
One of Britain's best-known names in interior design, Nina Campbell started out as an assistant to the legendary decorator John Fowler. Her solo career took off in the late Sixties when she redesigned Annabel's club. Since 1984, her Walton Street store has become one of design's most elegant addresses.
However, for those that can't to Chelsea, Nina's Instagram account is a fine showcase of her instantly recognisable style. Here are just a few of the interior design tips we've learned from recent posts.
1. Make sure your work space is just right
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As working from home becomes the 'new normal', it’s worth dedicating a whole room or outdoor garden studio to office space, if at all possible.
According to Nina Campbell, the best way to decorate a home office is with a calming color – or one that you really love and have tried and tested elsewhere – and a layout/scheme that's not too busy – both will aid concentration and make the room feel like a place you can retire to in order to be productive.
2. Wallpaper works in any size of room
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This cheerful blue bedroom brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'box fresh' and demonstrates that size should not be a blocker when it comes to papering an entire room.Its's particularly adorable that Nina's grandsons have claimed this as their bedroom, and goes to show you that are never too young to appreciate good design.
3. Color choice is everything
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The power of color always astounds us. It's incredible that something as simple as a change of hue can transport you to another time and place, even when the motif remains the same. In pretty pale grey, Nina's Fortoiseau tile wallpaper evokes a French home a la campagne, whereas in black, we shift back to the city, and back in time to the Twenties.
4. Every bedroom needs a chair
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Not as a dumping ground for discarded clothes, we hasten to add, but ideally as a quiet spot for reflection. Here, Nina has picked out the green foliage of her Barrington wallpaper in the lush upholstery of the Mabel chair. It's a neat little arrangement that can be replicated in rooms large and small.
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5. Camo isn't just for the military
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There's something a little ironic in a print that allows soldiers to go unnoticed becoming the pattern to be seen in homes and gardens. But with this contemporary monochrome fabric, Nina is once again leading the way. Grandsons, you're not the only ones that think 'Nanny Nina' is 'cool'...
6. Braving a one-color approach pays off
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It may be seen as a thoroughly modern decorating tactic, but Nina has long known the power of clashing pattern. Adhering to one key color palette makes the job of pulling the scheme together easier, while using romantic motifs such as toile softens a bold choice.
7. Wallpaper can be a 'rock n roll' backdrop, literally...
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There's something gloriously unexpected about the use of Nina's Farfalla wallpaper as a backdrop to a wedding band. And the addition of balloons – huge this fall/winter – in complementary colors brings extra jollity to proceedings. Translating this idea to the home, a similar screen could be used as a room divider.
Follow Nina @ninacampbellltd
Amy Cutmore is Editor-in-Chief, Audience, across Future's Homes portfolio. A homes and interiors journalist of 20 years standing, she has spent much of that time writing about technology, appliances and kitchens. While other people count how many countries they've visited, Amy tots up how many countries' washing machine factories she's toured (it's eight by the way, from South Korea to Slovenia). She can't leave the house without a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and is always ready to explain an acronym – be it QLED, DAB or HDMI.
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