If you've ever yearned to infuse your home with personality and style but found yourself hesitant to embrace the audacity of bold design choices, then you're in for a treat as we've invited Niamh Macfadden, Creative Director of Make Room, to share her expert tips! Known for their bold, beautiful, and personal interiors, Make Room is a boutique interior design and styling agency that will inspire you to break free from design conventions. So get ready to unleash your creativity and dive into this exclusive interview with Niamh, where she shares her ideas and inspirations for turning houses into extraordinary homes!
Q: How do you usually approach selecting colours and patterns for a space?
No two projects at Make Room are the same, so because of this we need to make sure we have really open dialogue with our clients and a logical workflow throughout the design process. This always involves a mood board and colour story because more often than not, we use a very restrictive vocabulary to describe style and visuals like a mood board makes sure we are all speaking the same design language. We use reference photos for inspiration and we're lucky enough that our clients trust us enough to let our creativity run wild!
Sticking to a cohesive colour palette is always a foolproof way to make sure your materials and patterns work well together, and our top tip for our clients is to remember that materials like brass, rattan etc, all have colour too so not to forget that when incorporating other colours.
Q: What advice do you have for clients who may be hesitant to go bold with their design choices?
When it comes to going bold with design choices, I do believe that's what Make Room brings to the table — especially in the Singapore market where neutrals and minimalism seem to be everywhere.
I always say, if you love a colour enough to make it a feature wall, why not paint all the walls? It has a much bigger impact and at the end of the day there are not that many things that are permanent. A wall can always be painted again, you can always buy new cushion covers, swap out pendants etc. We strongly believe styling a home is a journey, it never really ends as your home will reflect and adapt to your personal changes.
Featured: Banana Leaves Wallpaper
What are some of your favourite ways to add personality to a home?
Colour is an obvious one! We all have different associations with colour, so I think it's a great way to put your own mark on a space.
Another way to add personality to a home is one that takes a bit more time, and that is about collecting and accumulating your furniture and accessories. It's so easy to hire an interior designer and just buy everything they have recommended, or just to walk into a shop and buy a whole collection of items in one go, but there is a lot to be said for taking your time when it comes to furnishing and filling your home. Everything — or at least most things — in your home should have a reason and meaning, and taking time to collect a varied selection of accessories and home decor will instantly inject personality to the space.
What are your top 3 favourite go-to brands for home decor items?
Tough one! I love browsing through Smallable's home section as they carry such a cool range of brands from Madam Stoltz to Ferm Living to HK Living. Locally, I've been crushing on The Raw Bean Studio for quirky vintage finds. Merci Maison in Sydney has some incredible homeware that I'd love to use more of.
What are your top 3 tips when it comes to choosing the right artwork?
Tip #1: Scale
Bigger and bolder is not always better (although I do love a giant explosion of colour!) so understanding the right scale for the room and its proportions is going to be key in allowing the art to shine without overwhelming (or underwhelming if you go too small).
Tip #2: Colour
While art can be a great way to introduce a new colour to the room, considering your colour palette carefully is going to help guide your artwork selection as well.
Tip #3: Location
Where you place your art is just as important as it needs to make sense in the right context.
We noticed all of this sounds confusing to our interior design & styling clients so we recently launched Curated by Make Room, an online art gallery that is turning traditional galleries on its head by taking a playful approach that focuses on interiors. Not only do we have a fabulous collection of international artists but we also offer specialised consultations where we actually guide our clients throughout the art sourcing and purchasing process. The single biggest mistake we see is art hung too high, so even down to the nitty gritty of what height to hang your art, we're there to help!
What are your top 3 favourite wallpapers from Hello Circus and why?
Song Birds Wallpaper
I love when a wallpaper totally transforms and envelopes a room and this Chinoiserie inspired pattern will do just that.
Wilton and Friends Wallpaper
Murals are such a fun way to draw the eye around the room, and all the better when they have a quirky hand painted finish.
Delicate Stripes Wallpaper
I'm a sucker for a classic stripe - whether it's on an oversized tee or on a wallpaper. Stripes toy the line between classic and cool and a stripe wallpaper will elevate a kids room, living room, study or anything in between.
Niamh's expert tips and insights have shown us that going bold with design choices can transform a house into an extraordinary home that reflects your unique personality and style. So, don't be afraid to take risks, trust your instincts, and let your imagination run wild!
If you're ready to bring your vision to life, reach out to the talented team at Make Room and let them design and style a bold and beautiful home that will leave you inspired every day. Thank you, Niamh Macfadden and Make Room, for sharing your passion and expertise with us. It's time to unleash your creativity and make a statement in your living space!