Darren Palmer’s first book, Easy Luxury is an ode to the style he loves – comfortable, beautiful and polished yet still down-to-earth. Much of your book’s philosophy is based on the Coco Chanel quote ‘Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury’. What is it about this statement that resonates with you so strongly?
That’s a happy coincidence but it does reflect my ethos really well. There is no point living in a museum of beautiful things that you need to tread delicately around. I see no joy in having a home where you chastise your kids or pets or guests for being comfortable in your home so why would you encourage that?
For me a home should be somewhere that lifts your spirits, gives you a sense of prosperity and wellbeing and generally provides you with a beautiful sanctuary from which to live your personal life – kids, pets, spouses and friends included.
In Easy Luxury, Darren covers everything you need to think about when designing, revamping and styling your home, and does so in a very amiable, practical and inspirational way. He knows there is no single answer to what makes a home perfect, nor should we take design culture too seriously.
From the big spaces in living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms, to the less obvious but equally important aspects of lighting, focal points, wall art, reading nooks and stacking books. Darren has tips to guide you, no matter what your taste or budget allows. He wants us all to find the courage to use colour (a man after my own heart, I don’t ‘do’ white), look at materials we may have never considered, and recognise the opportunities in our own homes. And he does so without preaching any set rules.
Easy Luxury is also a visually beautiful book; the wonderful photography by Felix Forest capturing shots as diverse as whole rooms with stunning views, to smaller, elegant vignettes.
