From fashion journalism to interior design, Louise Roe has long been known for her distinctive sense of style. But it’s her love of traditional English interiors, antique furniture and richly layered colour that makes her country home particularly inspiring. After more than a decade living in Los Angeles, Louise returned to England with her family and began restoring a Georgian house in the countryside. Combining period features with collected antiques, patterned fabrics and contemporary details, she set out to create a home that celebrated its architectural heritage while feeling comfortable and lived-in. Colour was central to the project. Working with Edward Bulmer, Louise selected Brick for her drawing room, alongside Trumpington, Fine White and Cuisse de Nymphe Émue elsewhere in the house. We spoke to Louise about her approach to decorating, the importance of lighting and why she loves bringing old and new together. At home with Louise Roe A Georgian home filled with colour Louise’s approach to interiors reflects her personal style: classic, expressive and full of carefully chosen details. Rather than treating her Georgian home as a period piece, she has combined antique furniture and traditional patterns with contemporary artwork, books and accessories. “For the home, I am very traditional and English in my style,” she explains. “I love layered patterns and bright but warm tones.” It’s a decorating philosophy that allows historic architecture and modern family life to sit comfortably alongside one another. Living room painted in Brick Brick: a colourful drawing room One of the most distinctive rooms in Louise’s home is the drawing room, painted in Brick. Louise wanted a colour that felt both bright and warm, and worked with Edward Bulmer to find the right shade for the space. The resulting scheme celebrates the room’s Georgian proportions and period details, including a reinstated ceiling rose. Brick brings a rich, earthy red to the walls, creating a striking backdrop for Louise’s collection of antique furniture, artwork and patterned textiles. Asked which Edward Bulmer colour was her favourite, Louise didn’t hesitate: “It’s hard to choose, but Brick! It is a true chameleon – that colour takes on a new feel depending on time of day and the light. I like it most at dusk. Preferably with a cocktail!” Her observation captures something particularly interesting about decorating with colour: a shade can appear quite different as natural light changes throughout the day. Trumpington and Fine White in the playroom For her daughter Honor’s playroom, Louise chose Trumpington and Fine White. The combination brings together a distinctive, earthy colour with a lighter neutral, creating a scheme suited to a family space. Using two complementary shades is an effective way to introduce colour without making every surface the same, particularly in rooms that need to accommodate furniture, toys and changing uses over time. Cuisse de Nymphe Émue in the guest bedroom Another of Louise’s choices was Cuisse de Nymphe Émue, a delicate, dusty pink used in the spare bedroom. With its historic name and subtle colouring, it’s a fitting choice for a Georgian home, sitting comfortably alongside traditional furniture and layered textiles. The shade offers a softer contrast to the richness of Brick, demonstrating how different colours can give individual rooms their own identity while remaining part of a considered whole-house scheme. In conversation with Louise Roe Has your interest in fashion influenced the way you decorate? “Yes absolutely. I’m working on a new project now and my desk is drowning in swatches, sample pots and coffee table books filled with post-its and notes. I absolutely love putting a room together.” For Louise, the process of creating a room is as enjoyable as putting together an outfit, with colour, texture and individual pieces all playing a part. How would you describe your personal style? “For fashion – quite classic, I like warm neutrals and well-tailored pieces mixed with something relaxed like an old white t-shirt. For the home, I am very traditional and English in my style, I love layered patterns and bright but warm tones.” Which interior designers do you particularly admire? “For the home, Robert Kime, Beata Heuman, Veere Grenney, and Edward of course!” What advice would you give for mixing antiques with contemporary pieces? “I think it’s important to keep some more modern items around – the art, coffee table books, bottles on a cocktail trolley – and living items too – such as plants. I adore antiques, but if a room is only filled with them, it can feel too much like a period drama and not real life.” It’s a useful reminder that traditional interiors needn’t feel formal or overly precious. Contemporary objects and everyday details can make a room feel more personal. How important is lighting when creating atmosphere at home? “I think everything comes down to lighting, and for me – that meant removing all the spotlights in the ceiling and only having lamps, sconces and the odd pendant. It makes an enormous difference and calms the environment.” Lighting is particularly important when decorating with richer colours, influencing how painted surfaces appear throughout the day and into the evening. Do you prefer to decorate once or change things regularly? “I like to decorate once when it comes to major works such as flooring, wall colour and furniture, but I enjoy switching up the accessories all the time, or moving bits around.” Louise’s approach allows the main decorative scheme to remain consistent while smaller details evolve over time. Brick Order a Sample Trumpington Order a Sample Fine White Order a Sample Cuisse de Nymphe Emue Order a Sample Discover Louise Roe’s colour palette From the rich red of Brick in the drawing room to the softer pink of Cuisse de Nymphe Émue in the guest bedroom, Louise’s home demonstrates how natural colour can complement traditional English interiors. Her combination of antiques, layered patterns and carefully chosen paint colours creates spaces that feel personal rather than overly coordinated. Explore Brick, Trumpington, Fine White and Cuisse de Nymphe Émue, or order sample pots and A5 colour cards to experiment with colour in your own home. For more interiors inspiration, follow Louise at @louiseroehome and explore her drawing room reveal.
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