Interior decorator James Mackie explains how he created a layered, inviting country sitting room in his charming 17th-century Cotswold cottage in House & Garden’s latest episode of The Scheme. Inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement and nearby Kelmscott Manor — the home of William Morris — James started with a ‘keystone’ fabric, in this case Bennison’s ‘Wabi Sabi’ design, and added in other patterns by GP&J Baker and Robert Kime.
James advises on how to add texture into a room, how to combine patterns, and how to create a calming colour scheme with bright accents. “There are moments of dynamic energy, but there are also moments where we pull the tempo back and quieten things down,” he says. Watch the full episode as James Mackie weaves together a clever mix of patterns, colours and textures to create a calm and colourful sitting room in his Cotswold cottage.
#InteriorDesign #SittingRoom #Fabrics #HouseAndGarden
00:00 – Inspiration: “We adopted the principles & aesthetic of the Arts & Crafts movement”
01:28 – Fabrics: “Find your keystone”
04:35 – Adding the accessories: “It’s a bit like seasoning in cookery”
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23 Comments
Excellent content. Very inspirational!!
That wool polo looks so amazing! Would it be rude to ask for the brand?:)
I don't like the fabric of the two cussions and also the fabric on the armchair was too much, imo.
But other than those very charming!
Thanks James! I'm not brave enough to use all these elements but admire people who do.
I know I will be revisiting this video and also often look back at Arthur's beautiful video on your garden. The only problem with the two videos is that they are not long enough. 😊😊
Perfect timing since I just moved to a new house! At least now I know where to start!
Stunning! I would love to know what changes will be made to the design if the room had lower ceilings. I enjoy these combinations of colours and patterns, the colour palette here is perfect, however, low ceilings means this might be too much..
Oh I would love to know ☺️
Great explanation of the decoration process ❤
I'm obsessed with everything here
Nicely done! My favorite view is of the armchair and the sofa with the window behind. Looks collected over time with each fabric having a conversation with others to make a cohesive whole. I think this is quintessentially an English thing but it works due to the quality of light in the environment. Would appreciate evening views with lamps lit to show how the patterns and fabric work in lower light.
I love everything except the brown chair. It just looks out of place. I wish we could have a seen more of the room. You mentioned a work area that we didn't see.
Please please do more videos with James!
I was shocked at the fabric choices, but oh my how beautiful is this room? Please come do my family room. Fabulous job! Thank you for sharing.
I was shocked at the fabric choices, but oh my! How beautiful is this room? Please come do my family room. Fabulous job! Thank you for sharing.
Wow, bravo! True Interior design really takes talent and only a few can achieve such beautiful results! 😍
loved his choices
Beautiful wonderful
Don't sleep on it….this is a time to invest I recently just bought another property valued at over $15m. I wish I knew the right investment firm to invest with earlier, better late than never thought.
This is one of my favourite rooms ever BUT some of the fabrics mentioned and at this scale (like the Robert Kime ones) would cost and arm and a leg, it would be nice to show how to achieve a similar scheme with some cheaper options even maybe have two different designers show how they would approach the same room with different budgets. Love the video and the channel! 🤍
Thank for sharing the creative process behind this gorgeous design❤ I will for sure come back to watch how to put a scheme together when decorating my bedroom.
I have seen this sitting room on the internet before an this is arthur parkinson's fun fact. i ve seen it on house and garden vid before
Thank you for sharing your thought process! Although I'm fond of adding wallpaper for an added element in other videos, I don't think I could commit and this is giving me ideas on what I can do instead.
Loved the level of detail in the video! I thought he was only going to talk about the fabrics, so what a nice surprise to have a discussion of the entire room treatment!
I can't even put into words how ugly I find that shade of brown on the walls for the room…awful!
It's a shame, because the fabrics and their composition are very beautiful and original.