Last week I visited the Vyne in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The castle has some amazing features from the Tudor period, but also Roman/Georgian style. The Vyne is a property that is managed by the National Trust, an organization that maintains castles like this and makes them accessible to the public. It costs £13 to enter the property, the amazing grounds and garden. Definitely a great place to wind down on a Sunday morning.
If you want to go for a visit, the easiest way will be by car. But you can take the train if you are ok with a taxi ride or a long walk. You can take the train to Basingstoke and then take a taxi for 4 miles, or you can take the train to Bramley and walk for 2 1/2 miles (but be aware that there are no footpaths on the Vyne Road).
If Hampshire is too far for you to go and check out some amazing old interior design, here’s a recap of the interior design learnings I made from my visit that perhaps you can replicate in your own home:
- Replicate patterns. Use different patterns with the same theme or colour to make a room look more put together. In the bedroom (see further down), a flower pattern was replicated all over the room. This made the room look really smart and more feminine.
- Adding paper cuttings / clips on the wall. In one of the drawing rooms, the walls were decorated with pictures made out of paper that was glued to the wall. What a brilliant way to change the wall in a room without changing wallpaper.
- Frame fabric. Also in the bedroom, there was a large frame with a patterned fabric. The frame had been adjusted to how the look of the fabric, this was matched brilliantly. If you have fabric you really love, but the fabric is fragile, why not frame it? It can be a large fabric like a bedsheet, but also as small as a handkerchief.
- Replicate the same colour in a busy room. The office at the Vyne has some amazing dark wood carvings. To not make the room too busy, green has been added as a colour that was replicated in the room, making a busy room feel more balanced.
- Mix different patterns to give warmth. In the downstairs living room, different patterns in a variety of styles and colours had been added. Applying different types of pattern can make a room appear more cosy. This works well if you have a white or cold feeling room and want to add some warmth.
Adding paper cuttings / clips on the wall. In this room, they have glued on paper cuttings on the wall to achieve a different, more classic feel.
Frame fabric. In the bedroom, a large pattern fabric has been framed. Love how the frame splits up the pattern in different parts.
Replicate patterns. In the bedroom, you can see that the flower pattern is replicated on the walls and on the chairs. Making the room more put together.
Replicate the same colour in a busy room. As you can see, the office at the Vyne is very busy with many items. To soften the look of the room, they have added green as a colour, making it feel less cluttered and more structured.
From the kitchen downstairs
Mix different patterns to give warmth. In the living room downstairs, you can see that different patterns are used. This brings warmth into a room which is would otherwise be quite white and feel colder.
From another part of the living room downstairs.
Have you ever gotten inspired by old houses?
