Do Americans and Brits have fundamentally different approaches to interior design?
Texan-born interior designer Brandon Schubert, now London based, says that it is easy to see why British style is having a moment. According to Historic England, over a quarter of the British population lives in Victorian homes. ‘In America most of our houses are much newer: so that layered, time-worn style becomes very appealing,’ says Brandon recalling his first childhood home, in Dallas, with its four poster and print-festooned upholstery.
‘After that we moved to a French-style house, followed by a hacienda-inspired home. Architectural styles vary hugely in the States and British décor won’t easily translate to them all,’ he says, ‘it takes skill to pair chintz with terracotta tiles.’
Then there is the question of colour. More muted British hues do not travel well, as New York-based interior Toby Worthington observes. ‘I’d read about the differences between the effect of daylight in the UK and in the USA, the theory being that UK light was softer. I was sceptical until looking at carpet samples in the north room at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in Brook Street. I suddenly became aware of the truth of that theory about English light. Much less harsh than that in most of the USA: it’s to do with the angle of sunlight.’
Ironically, it took an American, the society decorator Nancy Lancaster, to transform British interiors – bringing central heating or ensuites to hitherto spartan settings in the 1930s. Since then, we have cornered the market for comfort and ease. The living room in Britain is lived in – with fires going, dogs on the sofa, a drinks trolley in the corner. ‘In England you embrace stuff. American sitting rooms tend to be more formal,’ says US textile designer, Mally Skok.
‘In the US there can be a tendency to try to get things too right,’ she continues. ‘When I visit family in London it takes a while to get used to the dog bone under the sofa. But things are changing; and you can’t discount the influence of millennials. My daughters love old things. One of them painted her walls in Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth in homage to her grandmother’s 1970’s dining room. Social media – and travel – has played a huge part. Americans are beginning to loosen up: trust their instincts,’ says Mally.
Toby Worthington agrees that the Transatlantic divide is narrowing. ‘Taste isn’t so parochial as was. There’s a broader understanding of styles.’
But there are limits, says Jennifer Manners. That whippet-mauled sofa might radiate charm in a baronial settings but won’t shine in more polished US surrounds. ‘Americans appreciate the colour and layering – the decorative details, the trimmings or four posters – of the English look. But they don’t do plaster falling off the walls: aristocratic sloppiness.’
If you have set your commercial sights on the US, David Netto offers these final words of encouragement: ‘You have an immediate advantage, because the Americans still love a British accent.’ So, sally west – and speak up.
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