- 4 min read

Shop Talk - Sloane & Sons

It's been a good two years since I entered the Amara Interior Blog Awards for the first time, having published very few posts at the time but having a great big idea about where I wanted to take the blog. Since then, I had the opportunity to work with a variety of brands that helped me unleash my creativity, which in turn has been very rewarding for me emotionally.

My legal background and work in the City of London for over 13 years now, has instilled in me a fantastic work ethic which means I put my everything in every project I undertake, no matter if it is big or small, part of my full time job or my hobby (blogging). I don't like putting half my heart into anything and have always been a hard worker.

So my collaborations are with creatives and brands that share this work ethic and my values. Brands that make good quality products, that love providing great customer service and are generally encouraging me to be as creative as I want without asking me to stick to deadlines and word counts (which I do by default - it's part of the work ethic I talked about already - but the thing is they know they can trust me to deliver, and won't even have to put any pressure on me).

So when I happen to be asked by a colour loving, UK chair manufacturer, to style one of their products at my home, any way I want, surely that ticks all the boxes, right?

Shop Talk - Sloane & Sons

Collaborative post. Photo Credits: Jenny Kakoudakis

Special thanks: Billy Bellion at Sloane & Sons

Scandi design has taken over British homes since IKEA launched in the UK and also in the last few years with the explosion of the mid-century decor. Budget friendly pieces keep coming up in the market every now and then, making Scandi design a perfect partner for young professionals who rent as well as first time home-buyers.

While smaller furniture in this style is relatively cheap, these days you struggle to find a good quality high back armchair less than £800. Filling this gap, is Burton on Trent based company Sloane & Sons, who launched their Angel chair (a hybrid high back chair that is based on the 1950s Contour Chair design of Australian Grant Featherston) that at £199 is not only affordable but also comes in 9 colours to match any decor.

Based on a recognisable design and offering comfort levels that would rival many of the much more expensive designs, the Angel chair found itself right at home in not one but three different settings in our own home, proving how wonderfully versatile it can be.

Set against this black and white mural (Surface View) in my office, the colour is shown off, making the armchair a centre piece in the room. For a similar look try the latest black and white wallpaper from Kirkby Design.

Above, left to right: wallpaper from Kirkby Design, Kate Spade and Sandberg, all Wallpaper Direct. The black and white cowhide rug is from the Rug Seller, more here. The side table is from Urban Outfitters and the art prints on top of the books are from South Island Art.

Burnt orange is a favourite summer colour for me to wear but obviously it works well so well in interiors too. And as a warm colour it can help balance out grey walls which are so popular in English homes of late (including mine, see them here!), bringing some much needed pizzazz to make for cozy abode. It also works in harmony with teals (another very hot colour trend).

In the living room, where the walls are grey, I was wondering whether the carpet which has terracotta in it, would be able to work with the intense colour of the chair's fabric. I was not disappointed.

I did not have enough time to sort out a Scandi side table for styling purposes, but if I did the photo below would have aced with a nest of two round tables and a Jielde lamp. The cushions was chosen as it echoes colours from the big painting above the chair while on the side table a Hermes scarf box matches the colour of the chair.

You can accessorize around this chair with mid-century themed art like these gems from ETSY.

And if you want to keep things really minimal, use a sheepskin, especially during the winter months. This way you nail the Scandi look and feel cosy and warm. By the way, this is the Farrow & Ball Mole's Breath colour which F&B recommend as the perfect partner to Charlotte's Locks, an intense orange colour.

The last room I tried the chair in (and where it effectively stayed for a few more days) was the revamped dining room with its Camellia wallpaper from Little Greene. I half expected my camera's meter to go crazy with the colours I was shooting but again, throwing on a cushion helped!

In terms of comfort, this is more of a relaxing and reading chair, as it has a lightly tilted back - this chair needs a stool and you could definitely go to sleep! It has generous proportions and will not move about, yet it is light enough so that you can move it from room to room without calling the AA.

Beautiful to look at as it is comfortable to sit on, this chair will compliment Scandi and mid-century inspired decor. And if Orange is not your colour, which one would you choose?