Considering corporate buyers at Target, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie alike have fallen for the 1970s-Scandinavian oeuvre of textile designer Orla Kiely, it's hardly surprising that the home of the Irish-born, London-based Queen of Print—a title bequeathed by UK's The Guardian in 2009—is a pitch-perfect homage to her style, one defined by groovy renditions of natural patterns (teardrops, vines, flowers, and more) in a way that's punchy and subdued, spare and warm. "I know what I like and what works for me," she told Dwell, which recently toured Kiely's four-story, 3,000-square-foot London pad. "Sometimes you have people who say, 'I don't want to live in my work,' but, in the end, I love what I do and how it looks." It explains why her place is well-stocked with her own designs, including that fabulous flower power wall treatment, her own Rhododendron wallpaper in Sunflower. Though that's not to say that her house has been stripped of all its own Victorian charms; indeed, Kiely's pared down appeal has only made every mantled fireplace, ceiling rose, and bay window stand out.
In the living area, Kiely recovered ebony-colored boards from an architectural salvage yard. "I wanted the floors to really feel like they were part of the house," she told Dwell. The chandelier and art are also vintage.
"I originally didn't want an island, but I liked what we did because it feels like a piece of furniture. It's cozy to cook around," Kiely told Dwell. The overall look, particularly when seen with her walnut-paneled dining area—pictured here—is very reminiscent of the midcentury modern greats, with blocks of orange and olive that likely took inspiration from L.A.'s super famous Eames House.
· At Home With Textile Designer Orla Kiely [Dwell]