Testimonials
Colour and furniture consultancy, four bed Edwardian house, Buckinghamshire
“Alessandra was recommended by our architect. We were searching for an interior designer who could bring a modern feel but would be fully in sympatico with the period layout of our property. A four bedroom Arts and Crafts house built in 1904, it has the Edwardian features typical of its time, along with a new kitchen and dining extension. The brief was to create a style that could hold it all together, and give it life.
“Styling a house is about giving it the right personality, and Alessandra took the time to find out more about us. What were our children like? How did we like to work, eat, socialise? Were the bedrooms for sleeping, or also for study? How much storage would we need? She quickly understood the mood that the house would need in order to make us happy, and began by choosing a palette of colours that offset vibrant, warm accents against darker foundations, with paler neutrals for space and balance. The high ceilings and plentiful light of the house meant that deep tones, like Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railing’, worked well to enclose the spaces without becoming overpowering, as they might have done in a house with smaller proportions.
“With a backdrop of colour that brings the house to life, the task of choosing the right furniture has also been much easier. Alessandra gave us excellent guidance, and was particularly aware of how to place pieces around the original fireplaces. Her core philosophy throughout has been - take time over the fundamentals, master the visual grammar, and the rest will come together. It certainly has.
“Visitors are amazed at what we have done. The house feels welcoming, beautiful and human. And, as we have settled in, we have been able to use Alessandra’s mood boards as a reliable guide to hanging the right pictures, and positioning the right accessories. It has been less like simply moving house, and more like being given new eyes. We feel incredibly lucky!" - Sophie Duggan
Full refurbishment of an ex-council house, Tottenham, north London
“I hired Alessandra initially to redesign the upstairs of my house, where I wanted to refresh the bathroom and three bedrooms with a view to putting it on the market. She also suggested changes to the layout, so that I now have three decent sized bedrooms and a spacious bathroom, instead of two bedrooms, a study and a little bathroom. The difference it has made to my life is wonderful ! I have now hired her to fully redesign the entire downstairs, add a kitchen extension, a new bathroom and a full makeover of the exterior.
“Alessandra took time to listen to my priorities and in particular the budget restrictions. She was fully aware of the rationale for the work, but made radical changes without falling into the classic development stereotypes. She has created a lovely ambience by steering me away from using dozens of spotlights, and has used colour to facilitate sleep or work. I have shown the redesign so far to an estate agent - and he told me he would be interested in renting it himself, if I decide not to sell!” Matthew.
Difficult colour choices, terraced Georgian house with a conservatory, Islington
“We had a very common problem: we wanted new colours for our walls, but there were various challenges. The front of the house faced east; the back west. We had a conservatory where the light changed throughout the day. We had already bough expensive blinds and we didn’t want to pay again to fit a new scheme. The house was small, and so we could see the front and back at the same time.
“After visiting us for a consultation, Alessandra took notes and created a mood board. She listened to our concerns and suggested we choose a darker shade, which would not fight with the blinds and would also make their ‘Slipper Satin’ colour look more interesting. She proposed Farrow & Ball’s ‘Hague Blue’.
“We were sceptical at first, because we feared it would be too dark. But we tried it and have no regrets. As Alessandra noted, the colour is strong enough to stand by itself and works perfectly beside both the ‘Slipper Satin’ and the traditional white of the conservatory frame. At the same time, she advised us on light fittings that would chime with the language of the rest of the house.
“We wholeheartedly recommend Alessandra if you are considering ways to make your house designs and colours fit together beautifully.” Tim and Zaira