Interiors with Sarah Jane Nielsen, owner and director of Sarah Jane Nielsen Limited, at Staveley.

As most cultural animals will be aware around the Lake District, examples of The Arts and Crafts movement in architecture and interior design can be seen in full force in our National Park, particularly through the work of Voysey and the Motor Boat Club and Ballie Scott with Blackwell open to the public. Happily, there are many more examples and through John Ruskin’s architecture and fine art the style has grown and developed locally.

It all began with William Morris and his art and poetry in 1880 though. Some of us may be lucky enough to live in a similar property, distinctive through the interior panelling, fine fireplaces and ornate windows and leaded lights. For most, this period means wallpaper and intricate patterns, and to some, somewhat over embellished! I tend to agree as such strong colours and dense patterns can be difficult to place without being too domineering, unless you are restoring a property of this period and want to recreate the time. I tend to use this style of design as accent pieces either linen prints on window treatments or occasional upholstery to compensate.

However, it is particularly marvellous for me that post my world travels and those places of influence far and wide, I am now in the thick of the greatest evidence of nature’s influence in interior design. Every material used for building and decoration over this period has been carved, chipped or moulded with images of wildlife, birds, grapes and vines, flora and fauna.

We preach bringing the outside in whenever possible in contemporary design, but nothing to touch the ornament and decoration of this creative period following the devastation created by the First World War, when the world was looking for some splendour and decadence.

One hundred years on, we are refurbishing houses that would have been adorned with heavy, dense pattern anywhere and everywhere it is possible to add detail, such as whispering elves on the stair posts and bugs and bees in the ceiling plasterwork.

We like to compliment the period with fine wool plaids, linens and velvets bringing in the colour and textures from outside. When the project calls for more embellishment the fabric and wallpaper selections are mainly botanical in theme, gardens and trellises with roses or sweet peas in a multitude of pinks, lilacs and apple greens or leaves in lime green with accents of golds, ochres and rich moss. Our selection of pattern suggests the outside, but in a contemporary setting pattern plays an accent roll.

All in all, it seems colour and botanical ornament still plays a part in our interior decoration.