Atmosphere, mood, aura, ambience - Whatever you call it, this is how you get it
By Max Birkin for House of Henley
Atmosphere is rather a strange word with regards to interiors - if this were a PowerPoint presentation given by a middle-manager, we might start with a googled dictionary definition. Instead, it is important to open with the message that ‘atmosphere’ in a home does not simply involve reading a book about hygge and lighting a candle. It is a slightly more complicated idea to grasp, and rather tricky to execute. Luckily, however, there are some simple steps to making a house a home, as Homebase might say. Atmosphere in a home is (in contradiction to that dictionary entry) largely a physical quality. For example, there is an innate atmosphere in most period homes – oak beams, inglenook fireplaces and original shutters tend to automatically create this – which is why so many of us are willing to overlook inflated prices, costly maintenance and protracted wrangles with conservation officials to live in one. When thinking about creating atmosphere in the home, therefore, it makes more sense to look at more recently built properties, or perhaps those that have previously suffered at the hands of less considerate renovators. If you are blessed with period features, then much of the work has been done for you; if not, then please do not go about adding faux beams and sticking fireplaces to the wall.
Lighting
Photo Credit: House & Garden
This is arguably the key to creating atmosphere in the home. Conducting life underneath the glare of 60-watt spotlights is only acceptable if you are having open-heart surgery; it is not conducive to dozing off in an armchair on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Equally, trying to read or eat or do anything by total candlelight is rather impossible too – think back to that very gloomy television adaptation of Wolf Hall. It is a tricky balance to strike, and the best way to get it right is through trial and error, but there are some basic guidelines to follow. All overhead pendant lights (the main light as most of us probably describe it as) should be connected to dimmer switches and kept low; bright ceiling lights risk making your sitting-room resemble the road to Damascus during Saul’s conversion. House & Garden has a wealth of articles online exploring the best lamps, shades and pendants on the market, as well as guidance on which property type suits which light. If you have a larger room, or open-plan living area, then lighting can be used to demarcate ‘zones’ and to create varying atmospheres in a single space. As a general rule, low-level lighting is best for a sitting room, go slightly brighter in a dining room (wall lights and candles on the table is the most flattering option) and recessed wall-lights are essential above preparation areas in the kitchen. Focus on task lighting – floor lamps by armchairs for reading, wall lights to illuminate paintings, one or two candles to give a flickering glow. If the thought of going around your sitting room every evening before bed to turn off eight lamps doesn’t fill you with joy, then get your electrician in to create a circuit encompassing them all that can be turned on and off with one switch. Alternatively, Amazon are now selling Alexa-plug-ins that are voice activated, so that is also an option - if you fancy emulating an Austin Powers villain.
Clutter
Photo Credit: Architectural Digest
We have all been gripped by various tidying purges in the past few years. Marie Kondo taught us how to throw out nursery-school creations and clear surfaces, lockdown encouraged some zealous wardrobe clearances, and every design student since 1834 (presumably) loves to real off the William Morris quote about having nothing in your home that you do not love. This is all very positive – nobody wants to appear on The Hoarder Next Door. However, the right kind of clutter can be a good thing, and this way atmosphere lies. Obviously, don’t scatter some Sylvanian Families across the floor and stack your laundry up on the stairs; this is mess. Do, however, arrange photos of loved ones in small silver frames across the mantelpiece, or put a stack of old magazines in the downstairs loo. Hang paintings, frame posters from gigs you attended as a teenager, put out freshly cut flowers and drape a blanket over the arm of the sofa. Your home will instantly feel warmer. The best thing you can do, however, is get reading. Books are obviously great - if you haven’t read anything since A-Levels then pick up something by Paul Torday or Louis de Bernières immediately - but they are also the quickest and most effectual decorating fix. A shelf of books – or, better still, a whole wall of shelves all covered in books – gives depth, character and warmth to both the room and its occupant. They combat the dilemma of empty wall-space, they stop echoing in large rooms and they make you look deeply intellectual in all of your Zoom calls. Think about allowing some of your daily routine to show in the way you decorate your home, too; whilst you really don’t want to be imitating the home-staging of a Berkeley Home (nobody should be expected to live with that amount of crushed velvet) it is helpful to have some evidence of life on show. You could go the Country Life route and line up muddy wellies by the door underneath a row of patched-up Barbour coats, or keep it a little bit more modern by arranging your tomes on architectural minimalism on top of the coffee table. The devil may have many faces, but clutter is not one of them.
Relax
Photo Credit: Uncommon Projects Ltd
Creating atmosphere in your home starts with you. Whether you’re hosting five friends for a celebratory dinner or lounging on the sofa in front of Midsomer Murders, no amount of good lighting or artfully-arranged clutter will create an atmosphere better than you can yourself. Learn to take pleasure in entertaining and enjoy the moments when your house is full of jolly people; equally, when you are slobbing around, put your crisps in a bowl and make sure your socks are cashmere. ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ is a detestable motto to decorate with, but it isn’t a bad one to live by – just don’t tell anyone you think that.
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