Rose Uniacke Interiors, London

I am a great admirer of the impact light has and what it can achieve in spare settings. I have often looked at minimalist spaces and said it needs more. In this large dining room, as my eye moves around, I find myself satisfied. The wood floors offer color and texture, and the architectural details are just enough. I am sure this room casts a soft, warm glow at night.

The same can be said for this room, part of the same London project. Here the chandelier and covered ottoman ground the high ceilinged room.

Another view of the same room. I love the light that pours in and the subtle color changes between the furniture, walls and the drapes. The ceiling details are beautiful and not overdone.

Same project, but now the dining room, with a modern table. Notice how the eye can rest, yet the lovely axis created by the chandeliers.

The drapes are a bit darker, and a sofa in a dark blue lend perfect visual weight. A large room, fewer furnishings, but balanced.

Another London project, this foyer has graceful curved elements….notice the round foyer table placed over round floor boards, which echo the door and decorative arches, and the curved newell post of the staircase. I love that there is a fireplace here……..This is an excellent example of how choosing the correct white paint for a room can make a huge difference in how the room is perceived.

This foyer chandelier choice is a brilliant choice. When the light pours through the sky window, I can imagine amazing patterns and colors on the walls.

The use of stone or brick for me in a conservatory or sunroom is almost a given. It adds dimension, permanence, texture, and in this case can also store some warmth from the sun that pours through the skylights. The steel doors add a modern element to the marvelous wood beams.

Another room perfectly scaled. On the ceiling we see a bit heavier molding detail, but it is necessary. When you look at rooms designed like this, notice that your eye can rest easily as it moves around the room. If there were more, say on the walls, or floor, your eyes would begin to “dart” uneasily. The modern doors are so beautiful as a foil to the very traditional trim work.

Another view of the same room. A simple monochromatic art panel lends maximum impact.

In this room the graceful curves of the windows with garden views and the chandelier are the stars, and the calm dining and living areas are designed to emphasize this.

Tapestries are making a huge comeback and here there are uses to duplicate, although on a larger scale, the fireplace panels. I really love windows over fireplaces, something we rarely see in todays homes. Think of watching the snow coming down at the same time you are enjoying sitting in front of the fire with a good book.

Monochromatic without being cold. The room abounds with subtle use of color and texture.

Lovely, even though I am not a fan of herringbone wood floors.

Here a longer view exemplifies how the use of fabric colors in the furniture takes the color of the floors, lamp shade and textiles into account and makes it work. The black and white artwork and black textiles balance everything out. Here a bright white with a perfect undertone was chosen for the wall color.

I love how the English use sky windows a lot. In this case it lets in adequate light for dining or reading. The visual weight of the book shelves is a perfect foil for not only the dining room table top but the kitchen island.

This view really shows how important the ceiling window is. Look into the next room to compare the amount of light.

Oh boy, what a room to lounge in or entertain in. The dark floor color is repeated in the art and lamp shade. The clear globe chandelier adds light without monopolizing.

I am not often going to sing the praises of totally or mostly white kitchens. In this context though I can admire a lot of light, storage, and easily kept clean kitchen surfaces.

Comfortable and inviting.

The blue drapes add so much to the gray and beige furniture, as well as setting a lovely backdrop for the wood chest. The modern buffet lamps are perfect.

Here big furniture seems to fit in this room. The mirror on the brick wall reflects even more light back into the room.

Same room, different view. Using another mirror throws more light back, and the art leaning against the wall is a favorite for me when I design many rooms. It allows for quick rearranging without damaging walls, and I like the effect as well.

Keeping the darker colors confined to the sofas keeps this room light and airy, even with darker wood blinds. The entire room looks comfortable and inviting.

Same room with views of a built in desk and floating shelves for the books. Notice how the horizontal blinds repeat the lines in the rug and bookcase shelves.

More and more I am liking smooth cabinet surfaces……so easy to wipe down, although perhaps in a color.

Here again we can see the blinds and the carpet tie together.

Modern clean lines. Here a mirror that did not have the divided panes would have looked too cold. Try and imagine it and I think you will agree that her choice of this mirror makes all the difference in this space.