Gothic & gathered · Contents

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Gothic & Gathered

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Interiors & collecting · Reading notes

Mad about the House

By Kate Watson-Smyth

CollectedScholarly

Kate Watson-Smyth’s Mad about the House brings practical decorating decisions into focus. Our reading notes link everyday function with a darker home.

Hardback edition · Pavilion Books

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On our shelf

Make the practical choices first.

Mad about the House approaches decorating through the decisions that make a room usable: lighting, furniture, rugs, color and the way a space needs to serve daily life. Kate Watson-Smyth’s room-by-room subject matter makes this a useful companion to a more atmospheric interiors shelf.

Before choosing a gothic finish, ask the underlying question. Can everyone sit comfortably? Does the lamp light the place where you read? Will the curtain clear the radiator? Write down the part of a room that frustrates you and tackle that first. The darker palette can then support a layout that already works, instead of having to disguise one that does not. This is our choice for readers who want a practical route into making changes.

Read it for

  • Everyday decorating decisions
  • Lighting, furniture and room layouts
  • Bringing practical needs into a personal style

From the page to your room

Give a modest budget a clear job.

Choose one improvement that changes how the room feels to use. Rearranging furniture or finding a better place for an existing lamp can make the next purchase easier to judge.

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Let the crow guide you

What calls to you?

Try “Victorian”, “bedroom”, or “candle”.

Victorian romanceCandlelit cornersRest after dark

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