Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547436
36 | Architecture & Design sense of ease that carries through to the way colour is used across the house. Muted greens, natural wood and brass cook up an earthy warmth, with the sort of familiarity that makes a kitchen feel like somewhere to linger. Elsewhere, blue, rust and green share a bedroom with remarkable civility. Combining several colours might sound like a wild idea, but the recurring shapes help them feel connected. Wavy furniture edges keep the conversation going between different pieces, extending into the adjoining walk-in wardrobe and giving each wall's individual personality a common language. The bathroom takes that confidence a step further with its wholehearted commitment to burgundy. There is quite a lot of it, and the different shades and textures make the decision convincing. Glossy tiles, softer walls and dark wood give the colour depth, while brass and pale surfaces bring balance. This shift in mood adds a little drama to the house, with the same attention to materials keeping it connected to the quieter spaces. Pattern offers another way of making those connections. Checks appear at different scales, while the hallway gives a more decorative floor its moment. Framed pictures, coloured panelling and expressive lighting make getting from one part of the house to another an opportunity to pause and notice something. Giving these spaces as much attention as the rooms they lead to helps the welcome begin well before anyone reaches the sofa. Once there, conversations can happen over a drink at the bar or from the comfort of a generous seat, depending on the company and how the evening unfolds. Both camps are comfortably catered for, which makes checkmate an appropriate thought with that chequered floor underfoot. The arrangement allows the home to accommodate an evening with friends as easily as a quiet night spent doing very little. That ease is what brings the proposal together. The bolder colours and unusual shapes have enough familiar company to feel comfortable, allowing the finished house to be expressive and inviting in equal measure. As the design becomes a home, the ambition is for those choices to become part of everyday life, with details that continue to catch the eye long after the first glance.