WATCH: How To Design A Calm & Colourful Sitting Room

Watch as renowned interior decorator James Mackie explains how he created a layered, inviting country sitting room in his own home

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.