Blending old and new seamlessly demands a careful design approach. At Warner House, we excel in reimagining designs from our archive, offering timeless creations in modern colourways. Our passion for merging tradition with contemporary styles aligns perfectly with Kate @resinn_'s ability to embrace her homes natural features while crafting an interior scheme that suits the demands of a modern and liveable home.
Kate @resinn_ decided to relocate from Sweden back to the UK and instantly fell in love with the fourth property that she viewed, for the past five years she has been renovating, creating a beautiful family home. “The scale of the project never daunted us as we had worked so hard just to be able to buy our own home and we figured between the two of us we would work it out, one piece at a time.”
“The original features ignite our appreciation for the hours and hours of craftsmanship, making each piece a work of art within its own right. I particularly love to mix old with new and my approach to designing a room in our home is figuring out the fine balance of restoring what already exists and then sympathetically adding new elements that are required to make the house a home.” The combination of Kate’s style aligns with Warner House’s ability to be classically formal or contemporary cool throughout our revived heritage designs. “I love to read about the story behind each fabric or wallpaper print, pouring over the original archive piece and seeing how they have applied a modern lens to the design for us to enjoy in our own home. By using products that have such a rich history, your home becomes extra special.”
Kate strives to preserve as much of the original material in her home as possible, retaining any historically significant amendments made over the years. When renovating a room, she removes problematic layers such as wood chip, wallpaper or old lino to reveal the original timber floors underneath. “I then start to daydream around what would make this room optimal in terms of its practical use and how we can get creative in solving those needs. Once you have decided on the purpose of the room and have a simple floor plan of furniture and electrical points, you can start to populate the other areas of the room with all your creative choices, like wallpaper or paint colour, curtains or blinds. Take your time in experimenting with samples, then edit your choices until you land on a scheme that feeds your soul.”
Kate’s first Warner house collaboration was to create a curtain for the vestibule door in her hallway featuring our BENGAL Charcoal design finished with our BULLION FRINGE in Charcoal. “The project started as a practical need, but the end result went far beyond my expectations because the quality of the fabric was just incredible, that matched with the storytelling aspect of their designs makes everything so much more special.”
Her hallway curtain was her introduction into the world of Warner House, since then, she has taken on numerous projects, including her little girl's room, where she covered every inch with our PRIMULA Gold floral print. This transformed the space into a fabric-like haven, radiating warmth and sunlight from its golden hues.
Kate then transformed her first landing into a daybed and reading nook. She crafted handmade tufted mattresses and adorned them with a collection of cushions. By incorporating a selection of our dramatic weaves, she added a touch of moodiness to the otherwise minimal colour scheme. The stunning cushions showcase our LUSSO Copper, CAMPBELL Parchment, AMBROGIO Walnut, and KEW Mocha fabrics, all enhanced by our elegant brush fringe finishes. “This project was a chance for me to indulge in the many prints and textures that make up Warner House’s fabric offering, mixing and matching to achieve a timeless and collected look.”
Kate has always been a fan of texture and colour, often mixing for contrast and drama. “When it comes to colour I always start with understanding how the room will be used, does it need to be peaceful and quiet or will it be a bustling kitchen.” There is a huge wall running through her basement which had several colours of old distemper paint marking where previous occupants had painted around old pipes and staircases over the years, which has now left the most beautiful abstract pattern. “I loved the unintentional colour palette so much that I used it to design the boot room which is physically connected to the basement wall. It has created a very organic transition from one space to the other, as if it was always like that. I always joke that the house designs itself because it is full of inspirational materials and layers.”
@resinn_’s boot room and downstairs WC were the latest spaces to get the Warner House treatment, both parts of the house that needed a lot of love after years of neglect and had very practical utilitarian needs. “The painted tile effect floor echoes back to what might have been an original Victorian floor treatment and the chinoiserie wallpaper in the WC has you daydreaming about who the illustrated characters in the print are.” The WC is adorned with our LES PECHEURS Spice wallpaper and matching velvet fabric as a sink skirt, complemented by our OLD FORD and SHANTUNG paint colours, for the complete Warner House aesthetic. Whilst the boot room highlights our GLOWING AMBER, SHANTUNG, and OLD FORD paint shades alongside our striking LUSSO Bronze fabric as a curtain for a stunningly bold touch.
Kate's upcoming project involves transforming the snug area on her first floor. This narrow yet open space, located at the top of the stairs, boasts very high ceilings. She has already acquired some antique furniture and aims to create a soft and cosy nook for family gatherings, where they can play games or watch TV. “It will be a mix of old and new in terms of the furniture and in the interior design treatments we choose. A design principle that we have very much embraced since moving into an old property.”
You can stay updated on the progress of Kate’s renovation project by following @resinn_ on Instagram.
Feeling inspired by @resinn_’s renovation? Explore the impact of mixing old with new for yourself by browsing our extensive collection of wallpapers, fabrics, furniture, and soft furnishings.
