Energised by Colour

Reportage 13595413 | © living4media / Narratives / Sanderson, Robert | 20 images

When Stephanie Coaten and Joe Thompson married, their new home acquired fresh glamour initiated by Stephanie’s professional talent and passion for deep rich colours. When Joe proposed to Stephanie they agreed on a perfect compromise; Joe moved from his flat in Earlsfield, Stephanie from Chelsea and they bought a property in Wandsworth exactly half way between the two. "We love this area with its mix of characters, creative energy, street cafes and proximity to the river." Stephanie recalls the excitement of moving into their first married home together. Spread over three floors the apartment offered Stephanie more than enough to work her professional magic on. Being in the design business with a History of Arts degree from St Andrews, gave her a huge head start. Supported by Joe, who is totally confident that what ever she decides will succeed, explains why she manages to be so brave with colour. “Joe is amazing and believes in me totally. His enthusiasm inspires and spurs me on, " Stephanie smiles and leads you into the living room. "A lot of people fear that strong colours make a space smaller, " she continues, "but I think the exact opposite. In my opinion if you paint a small room white, it remains a small dull room. But paint it in a dark rich colour and it pushes out the space, fudges the edges if you like and makes it feel more intimate and more interesting. Colour highlights character and the size of the room pales into insignificance by comparison."