Talking all things eclectic decor with Pandora Taylor in her south London home

With installations across the UK and some exciting projects across the pond in the pipeline, interior designer Pandora Taylor’s work has featured on the pages of House & Garden and Town & Country to name a few. We fell in love with her idiosyncratic style because of the way she manages to seamlessly mix the contemporary and the antique. So, we met up with Pandora and her adorable Sealyham terrier, Mr Bingley, in their south London home for a little Q&A on all things eclectic decor, affordable art, and home renovations.

As an interior designer, what would be your three top tips for a novice decorator? 

1. Be adventurous and push your boundaries, but always remember that function is key. 
2. Don’t be afraid to explore different styles and colours—you’ll be surprised by what you might  like! 
3. Most of all, trust your intuition. If you love it, go for it. 

The wall mural in the living room—we love it. What was the inspiration behind it?

I love the idea of old country houses with large tapestries on the walls. They have such a warm,  earthy feel. I wanted to bring that feeling to the living room and create something a little unexpected for a Victorian house in London. 

What would your advice be for our readers who like the idea of a wall mural but are perhaps a bit scared to make the jump? 

Start with something not too expensive, then if you don't like it you can just paint over it!  

You’ve spoken before about inviting your clients to think about colours other than white. Why’s that? And what would your alternatives be? 

Don’t get me wrong, white certainly has its place. For me it just seems a shame when there are so many wonderful colours to choose from. I use the colour blue like other people use white—it’s my neutral. It’s the perfect uplifting base for everything else. Something like Blue 15.

You design your own furniture and have collaborated with Ensemblier. Where to begin when designing a  piece of furniture—where do you get your inspiration?  

I am really inspired by architecture, whether it’s classical or modern, there are lines and motifs  that translate so perfectly to furniture. I particularly like sitting on the top deck of the bus as you notice details on buildings you just can’t appreciate from street level. I also pick up a lot of shapes and colours from nature—all my  headboards are named after the natural world.

And what’s your favourite piece in the whole house?

Very tough! But I would probably say the toleware table in my living room. It’s from one of my  favourite antiques shops, Hand of Glory Antiques & Interiors. It was the last thing I bought for this room and it just feels like it was  made for the space. The top half is a tray which sadly no longer comes off, but the handles are so  handy for moving it around, which seems to happen a lot!

We love how you mix period pieces with modern designs. What’s the secret to doing so  without it jarring?

I think even my modern pieces have an edge to them, they don't have a brand new untouched feeling. I try to steer clear of any new furniture that feels too sharp and clean. I prefer objects to feel  like they have seen a few things.

You’ve got quite the art collection. Where do you find your pieces and how do you decide which ones to buy? 

I have collected various pieces over the years. I used to love trawling through charity shops when I was younger which is where most of the small traditional pieces are from. But in more recent years I have bought pieces at the Affordable Art Fair as well as galleries like Blue Shop Cottage.

I never go out looking for art, but if I see something and have a physical response to it then I snap it up, as (luckily for my bank balance) it’s something that happens rarely.

Do you have a favourite?

Definitely the large oil painting of my old family dog. It was based on a photo I had taken of him  where he looked so soulful and imperious staring off into the distance, I wanted to portray him like an Edwardian gentleman.

You bought this house in 2019 as a fixer-upper. What would you recommend our readers look for in a renovation project?

It has to have great bones. The best thing about this house are the proportions, the ceilings are  really high and the rooms are generous and wide. These aren’t really things you can change unless you end up doing serious structural work.

Anything you wish you’d done differently?  

The only thing I don't LOVE are the timber floors. All the floors are original pine which is fantastic and made it much more cost-effective, but they came up so yellow once sanded. We did them in a bit of a rush and given more time I would have liked to look into painting them. Having said that, everyone else thinks I’m mad when I mention this as they love them!

Aside from your own house you’ve worked on some seriously  desirable projects. Which one would you say is your favourite and why?

So hard, as every project has its own highlights, however I did really love doing my Dorset House project. It was the first country house interior I had ever worked on and it was fun to be able to embrace the style fully. Although of course it has a Pandora Taylor twist on it.

And finally, any words of wisdom for the budding interior designers out there?

Remember to enjoy it! People often don't realise that there is a lot of admin that goes into interior design, but it is all worth it for the end result.

Oh, and it’d be rude not to. If you had to pick just one, what would your favourite Lick paint colour and wallpaper be?

Weirdly, as you would think I would choose a blue by looking at my house, I love Green 10. It is hard to find a really rich grass green like this and it can be a really fun punch of colour when used as an accent.

Head over to Pandora's website for more of her eye-catching interior designs or shop some of her statement furnishings. Give her a follow @pandorataylor for the latest updates.