This is a collaborative post
I am a big fan of Downton Abbey – the beautiful backdrops, the drama, the scandal and of course, not forgetting the absolutely stunning stately home. Of all the many appeals of a grand mansion like Downton Abbey; as an avid reader and bookworm, their home library is my absolute dream. Floor to ceiling bookshelves crammed full to the brim of every genre imaginable, a cozy roaring fire and the giant red backed sofas – who wouldn’t want to relax and drink a well earned cup of tea whilst taking your imagination off on it’s latest escapist adventure? The only problem with Downton Abbey however, is that, well it’s not quite up to speed with the latest trends now is it?
Age Co recently reimagined the grand Downton Library in the style of a number of famous celebrities, from the much loved great British baker Mary Berry, home schooling locdown hero Joe Wicks, to my favourite Loose Woman Ruth Langford. Looking at how the Downton Abbey interiors could be redesigned and repurposed to suit each and every personality was really impressive to see. You can check out all the #DowntonReimagined room settings here – which one is your fave?
My #DowntonReimagined
Using a few of the celebrity repurposed room as inspiration, here are some of the changes I would make to bring my own personality into the Downton space…
Bucket Chairs
Sticking with the reading nook theme, I would invest in a giant bucket chair. These deep love seat style chairs are the perfect place to snuggle up in those cold Autumn and Winter evenings with an oversized throw and your slipper socks tucked up against you. Think pale shades of duck egg grey (the ones from the Joules range are to die for), wooden feet and a surface area big enough for you (and the cat) to hibernate in and you’ve got yourself a pretty good starting point. Coordinate with a contemporary rug on Parquet Flooring (underfloor heated of course) and you have all the luxury of home comfort whilst keeping a modern feel.
Made to Measure
This girl has a LOT of books, so to fully make the most of the space available, I love the integrated made to measure shelving units, ideally with the addition of a sliding ladder, helping me regularly pull down the old faithfuls when I suddenly crave a bit of Sophie Kinsella or T.M Logan. Whilst yes, in truth I would probably spend more time than is normal rearranging my books into colours, alphabetical order or genre, having all my books beautifully presented (including those sprayed edges) would be an absolute joy.
Bring on the plants
When it comes to a calm and tranquil living space, you can never have too many plants. I love the large oversized unkillable plants -from the hardy Parlour Palm, the beautiful Vriesea Astrid and an oversized Snake Plant – not only do these plants provide a calm and relaxing environment, but help reduce radiation and co2 as well! Perfect for a bit of mindfullness and escapism at the end of a long day.
Turn up the fire, grab your latest hardback and there it is – my little slice of Downton Reimagined 🙂
How would you reimagine yours?
