The restful bedroom of interior designer Mary Graham – full of inviting, muted tones and bucolic charm – is so perfectly executed that it comes as a surprise to learn it was never intended to look that way.
As one half of Salvesen Graham, renowned for its modern approach to English country interiors, Mary always uses fabric as the starting point of every decorating scheme. So, when she and her young family relocated from London to their Yorkshire farmhouse in 2019, Mary set her eyes – and heart – on designing the bedroom around a pretty blue linen: Lincoln by Colefax and Fowler.
“I had this scrap of fabric pinned up for years, but it was discontinued,” she says. “I kept getting moments where I thought I’d found some, but I never did. I held out for a long time and then it became evident that I wasn’t going to find it. It was hard to give that up but I had to completely clear the decks and start afresh.”
Today, there are clearly no regrets. A medley of prints and fabrics mixed with vintage furniture give the layered and comfortable look that has become Salvesen Graham’s signature.
After previously renting in London, Graham was determined to create a space that was not just a true reflection of her decor style, but also a repository for family mementos and a place that evokes feelings of nostalgia. “When I step over the threshold into this room, I genuinely feel quieter, calmer and more peaceful. I do think a lot of that is down to decorating,” she says. Here, Mary explains how she finally created her idyllic bedroom …
