The Collection

We caught up with Hill House Vintage to talk all things interiors and inspiration

Blogger and fashion industry veteran Paula Sutton is best known for her fabulous blog Hill House Vintage and her covetable home in the English countryside.

Meet Paula Sutton

We caught up with Hill House Vintage to talk all things interiors and inspiration

My interior style is eclectic and romantic with a nod to the past. A mixture of vintage, modern and antique with an abundance of stripes, checks, pattern, and colour in the use of textiles and upholstered furniture against a relatively neutral painted backdrop.

2. How does colour influence your interiors?

I like my interiors to feel fresh and pretty but in keeping with living in the English countryside. As a result, there are lots of reds, pinks and greens, with the occasional pop of blue. The sort of colours you’d find in a cottage garden.

I love the comfort of traditional English interiors. The ability for a space to look as grand or as casual as you’d like depending on the occasion. Nothing is too precious – I love a bit of timeless faded grandeur and a mix of things that are slightly rough around the edges to contrast the newer pieces. Guests should feel as though they can sit anywhere and relax. Dogs can be involved too. Traditional English interiors are all about inducing the feeling that our homes have been layered and loved over time and I love that.

I’m a firm believer that when you buy what you truly love, then it will all work together with what you already have. I tend to be drawn to scalloped shapes, curves and cabriole legs, so whether it’s antique or new, there are similarities that make everything align to the eye.

5. Where are your favourite places to find antiques?

I love to visit Holt where there are antique shops a plenty. There’s nothing better than a good rummage at Holt antiques centre. The riverside antiques centre in Ely is very good too!

I like a room to be as well thought out as an outfit. I love symmetry and small details. A seemingly beautiful outfit can look bland until pulled together with the tiniest details such as a brooch, or a scarf. Rooms are very similar. You can have the most gorgeous furniture and the most glorious wallpaper, but without carefully considering the soft furnishings, the lampshade colours, the artwork or the smaller idiosyncratic additions, it can look bare and unfinished.

My interiors have to work hard with dogs and muddy traffic. Hence I’m not too precious about things. The colour palette reflects the garden and the fields too. Lots of greens and wood floors.

8. Do you have a favourite Salvesen Graham room?

Every bedroom that Salvesen Graham design I lust after! They have absolutely nailed the art of creating the most elegantly beautiful yet comfortable bedrooms. Apart from their incredible use of colour, I also love their furniture. I’m obsessed with the Great Check window seats that are based on a Georgian design. Absolute perfection.

Quick Fire Questions:
Florals or Stripes?
Oh my goodness – this is a hard one for me. If forced – florals – but faded ones.

Traditional or Contemporary?
Very definitely Traditional.

Pattern or colour?
You’re making this very hard. Both, but if forced colour.

Frill or Scallop?
Again – both – but scallop.

Town or Country?
This one is easy-peasy – country!