Orange. We’re talking walls, sofas... and hair. Marcia is a long term friend of COAT, and her maximalist living space is an eye catcher. Especially if you’re into “stuff”. There’s a lot of it, and it’s styled to perfection.
We had a chat with Marcia in the latest Humans at Home series, about the inspiration for her space and how she’s created the botanical kitchen-diner of dreams - feat. My Island Orange and Low Salt White by COAT.
“Honestly, I can’t stop buying things. I mean who needs two Gluggle Jugs? I love everything in this room, the house isn’t big enough for all the things I fall in love with. But I think it’s important to be surrounded by things that make you smile” says Marcia.
“We added this extension a couple of years ago, the classic side return on a Victorian Terrace. It’s now almost the whole of our downstairs living space and straight out onto the garden. Having huge windows and skylights gave me that victorian conservatory vibe. That’s where the plants came from. And the pelican print.”
Marcia’s job as an Exec PA has her working from home most of the time these days. Like lots of us. Her space whiffs of candles and greenery in the best possible way, and the off-white backdrop from COAT Low-Salt lets those botanicals take the limelight. Except for that half-way Orange wall in My Island of course.
Marcia lives here with her son Ali, but only the odd rogue lego piece can be spotted so it feels like a really grown-up space. Playtime is confined to the attic, so the clutter downstairs feels beautifully styled.
“This cupboard is the best thing we did in here” says Marcia. “We carved out the under-stairs cupboard and created this kitchen corner unit, so it goes right back - Narnia style. It means the beautiful stuff can live outside, and everything else gets neatly shoved in here”
Building on the Orange theme, naturally, are the copper pendant lights above the breakfast bar. There’s a niggling voice that tells us to stay away from varying shades of one colour - but in here, the way Marcia has styled the space with My Island and Low Salt on the walls, it works so well.
“I think less about what “goes” with what and more about what I love. If I see it and love it, I buy it. And I make it work. Like the orange wall was a total punt but it looks amazing. And you know what, if I don’t like it next year I’ll paint it again. Knowing me, that’s quite likely!”
We’re in awe of the brave way Marcia throws stuff together and makes it work. Like, really work. At a time when we’re all spending so much more time at home it’s so nice to chat with people so happy and connected to theirs. We’ll share more of Marcia’s home soon, but in the meantime check out some COAT paint colours for your own project here.
What is Humans at Home from COAT?
Perfectly polished interior shoots aren't really our thing. We're about chatting to people in the beautiful homes that they've created. So that's exactly what Humans at Home is about - real folks, real homes, and not a whiff of staging anywhere. Well, we get them to tidy up a bit.
