Jenny Kakoudakis, Seasons in Colour: Talking Design

As part of our Talking Design series, we caught up with talented interiors expert Jenny Kakoudakis who runs the truly fantastic and inspiring SeasonInColour.com…

How did you get started in interior design?

Hi everyone, my name is Jenny Kakoudakis and I am an interiors blogger from London writing on Seasonsincolour.com. Like many interior bloggers, I started my blog to document the makeover/ renovation of my own home.

Somehow the blog got bigger over time, won a couple of awards and now I regularly update it with own content as well as with content from my collaborations with brands. I haven’t trained in interior design, nor offer design services, but love home styling, design and writing about it. I am really glad that people use my blog for inspiration and that it helps them by answering styling or design questions.

What’s your favourite design trend right now?

Goodbye ceiling spotlights in bathrooms and hello wall lights next to the mirror (or even better: pendant lights low down framing the mirror). Just make sure they are IP44 rated for zone 2 in the bathroom.

What’s your number one tip when it comes to starting a new decorating project?

Don’t rush into it but don’t ponder over the little details too long either. There will never, ever, be only one ‘perfect’ design.

I have made many rushed decisions that have ended up as costly mistakes (like ripping apart an entire new built-in desk and bookcase just because I thought I could fit a dining table in the room.. I couldn’t. The table couldn’t even fit through the door to start with. Rookie mistake). Equally, I have tried to refine a design for the ‘perfect’ bathroom for over a year now. In the end, I called in a Pro to help me move ahead.

Photo credit: Studio McGee

Photo credit: Studio McGee

Photo credit: Michaelis Boyd Associates

And matt black taps. It took me some time to warm to them but now I am completely smitten. My current favourite is the Crosswater MPRO range. They have an industrial design and they look very robust. Oh, and did I mention that this range is also available in brass?

Photos above: all Crosswater MPRO Range

What are your trend predictions for next year?

Thanks to Instagram and the interiors boom, I feel that bathroom renovations will get more prioritised this year. Updating your bathroom is more affordable than re-doing your kitchen after all and can add equal value to your home.

In terms of tiles, I feel that well known and very expensive designer patterns (for example Kelly Wearstler’s designs for Ann Sacks) will be re-interpreted into more affordable products so that they appeal to a larger audience. Not everyone can afford to pay £800 for a square meter of tiles, so I am hoping Walls and Floors will be able to offer some exciting alternatives soon.

Describe your personal style

I love a grown up, sophisticated look at home, adding some luxe into the mix. This could be an upholstered bed, a velvet sofa, luxury wallpaper (or tiles!) or brass accessories.

Photo: Jenny Kakoudakis

Photo: Jenny Kakoudakis

Do you have a favourite design show?

I don’t particularly watch design shows on TV but have to highly commend the work done on DIY SOS. This is a series where major redesign work is undertaken on UK properties and the results are life changing for the families that live there. If it happens to be on when I watch TV, then I need a packet of tissues nearby.

I am, however, absolutely obsessed with Studio McGee, a US (Utah based) design studio that launched in 2014 and has become one of the nation’s favourites thanks to their achievable and relaxed style.

I love the fact that they have harnessed the power of social media, have a very successful presence on Instagram and have webisodes of all their makeovers, sharing their styling tips and breaking down the each look. Basically, they make me want to buy whatever they are selling.

What’s your favourite range from Walls and Floors, and why?

Taking inspiration from Studio McGee, I see Stars as a new interiors trend for 2018, so I would have to choose the Scintilla Tiles, a collection of patterned floor tiles with a star-shaped design that have an weathered almost antiqued effect.

I would use this ceramic tile behind a bath,tiling the entire wall for a bold statement or creating borders, horizontally over the bath or vertically in the middle of the bath. I really like the paprika colour way. The black Scintilla tiles would look great with black taps, while the Scintilla sapphire would work well with polished chrome faucets.