Cali vibes, east London postcode: how I transformed my home with Golden State style
Will the interior design of California, with its emphasis on light, touch and nature, translate to east London and banish the winter darkness?
During February, the psychological depth of winter, I check the weather forecast every day to watch the minutes of daily sunlight climbing one by one. Time seems to slow down in the hours of darkness after 5pm, and in these moments, I begin drifting mentally towards California: one of the sunniest states in the US, with more than double the amount of annual sunshine hours in the UK.
Long evenings and lucid dreams of gliding down a coastal road from Monterey to Malibu prompted a new home interior project inspired by the essence, climate and culture of the Golden State. Our domestic surroundings have a huge influence on our daily life and perhaps some uplifting edits could bring the sunshine’s warmth and vitality into my London home – even boosting my mood for more calm, happiness and prosperity.
Interiors store Monologue London yielded plenty of California inspiration
I jumped on the tube to head marginally yet meaningfully west to Kew Gardens to see the giant and coastal redwood trees that are native to California. In the glade of towering evergreen conifers with reddish-brown bark, I imagined I was driving the Avenue of the Giants in the Humboldt Redwoods state park. It was the Victorians who first brought the seeds and saplings of California redwoods to Britain: trees that they found so wondrous they displayed a 100-metre tall bark inside Crystal Palace in 1854.
The abundance of nature in California is certainly a wondrous thing: there are nine national parks and 280 state parks, and the vast diversity includes volcanoes, deserts, the breathtaking coastline and rolling green hills peppered with wildflowers. It’s a landscape that is bounteous in harvest, producing olives, figs and walnuts, and a wide range of produce from lettuce to strawberries as well as boasting a world-renowned wine region that stretches across the state from Mendocino to Santa Barbara and down to San Diego.
These places – their colours, textures and atmospheres – have greatly influenced California interior design. The style is underpinned by the use of natural materials; organic shapes; and a conscious, environmentally friendly approach. There’s a tradition of crafted timber architecture across the Bay Area: seen in wineries and residences that blend generous daylight-filled spaces with intimate tactility. Then there’s the more windswept and pared-back coastal style of living lightly on the land, a guiding light of the sustainable design movement.
Mid-century modern design – Eames chairs and pops of colour – perfectly complements wooden furniture inspired by redwoods
Back home in east London, I gaze out to a skyline of cranes, considering how to bring elements of California’s natural beauty into my interior. At my local interiors showroom, Monologue London, I discovered wooden furniture including a uniquely carved stool with deep, textured grains. Touching the stool connected me to the awe of the redwood trees on a smaller scale.
Elsewhere, I found secondhand mid-century modern furniture, a trending era of design that can contribute to creating a California aesthetic at home. From the 1940s, designers such as Charles and Ray Eames pioneered furniture design in Los Angeles, blending innovative new techniques with playful, organic shapes and joyful colours associated with the positive, postwar spirit of the local scene.
‘Rich and muted greens reminiscent of forests and vineyards’
Colour palettes evocative of the Golden State include earthy neutrals inspired by the beaches and mountains; rich and muted greens reminiscent of forests and vineyards; warm and muted yellows reflecting the glow of the sun. These can be complemented by injections of brighter tones such as a piercing sea blue or rosy pink of wildflowers or a sunset in bloom, bringing energy to the interior.
When it comes to lighting, small glowing lamps or paper shades in a living space can create a warmer mood and a softer alternative to white and strong overhead bulbs. This change can truly transform the interior, and, when it’s dark outside, softer, more natural lighting is much kinder to our circadian rhythms during winter. The idea of shaping and framing light was central to the 1960s light and space art movement, founded in southern California, which explored the sensory phenomena of light on the body.
Personal taste can be expressed with organic objects
Comfort at home is deeply connected to our own personal preferences, which can be expressed through the curation of organic and handcrafted objects that offer us meaningful and sculptural touchpoints. This could be a piece of art on the wall, a cactus in a ceramic pot, a stone from the beach or an autumn leaf – objects that can truly transport us through their interactions with daylight, the shadows they cast by candlelight, and their ability to spark memories or aspirations.
This part of the process reminds me of the creative, individual spirit of some of my favourite California interiors: the home of British surrealist artist Gordon Onslow Ford nestled in nature with a wave-shaped roof designed by Charles Warren Callister; the honed wooden cabin of sculptor JB Blunk, who carved objects from found wood; or the living room of San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa, who hung her organic wire sculptures from the eaves.
‘The colours, textures and moods of California were brought to life through taste’
The concept of living well and sustainably – living a life that is fulfilling, laid-back, joyful and resourceful – is intrinsic to California culture. It’s a reputation that grew from the early 20th century, influenced by a combination of cultural movements from wholesome farm-to-table eating and oenophilia, to surfing and environmentalism – and it’s an approach that you can bring to your own home, by physically carving out space for elevating activities, special moments and grounding experiences.
For me, that includes a generous table to gather around with friends to share conversations, ideas and a bottle of wine. So, over paint swatches and vision boards, the spicy notes of a plush Santa Barbara pinot noir and the delicious notes of a golden chardonnay from Sonoma County, the colours, textures and moods of California were brought to life through taste. It turns out California’s energy is infectious, and we make plans for spring to meet halfway to browse Monologue’s new interior design showroom at 4 Portman Square.
After sunset, evenings now feel more gentle, restorative and inspiring, and I start to use those long hours for more projects and creativity. When I wake before sunrise, I feel a new sense of optimism and appreciation for the seasons. And just like that – with some help from a few interior updates, good friends and a glass of wine – California dreaming became a reality in London in February.
To learn more about sharing California wine with friends, visit wineconnects.us