LIV Chats To…Monochrome Lover Harriet Kingdon
We’re super excited to introduce our new ‘LIV Chats To’ series, where each month we’ll be speaking to a different influencer that has caught our eye and giving you an insight into their beautiful accounts and homes!
Meet harriet!
First up, we’re kicking things off with beautiful monochrome and greenery-filled house account @home_of_hlk. We love it, so we’re sure you will too.
The homeowner behind @home_of_hlk is the beautiful Harriet Kingdon, who has styled her small one bedroom flat amazingly using her love of houseplants and monochrome design. The abundance of greenery and cool black and white accessories and furnishings truly make the most of her London abode, creating an urban jungle that is as homely as it is stylish.
We had the pleasure of catching up with Harriet and asking her a few questions. Enjoy!
First things first, please can you introduce yourself?
Hi LIV for Interiors! I'm Harriet and I live in North Greenwich (London) in a one bedroom flat that my husband and I bought nearly 5 years ago. I’m a theatrical agent by day and have always had a passion for interior design.
We knew someone who lived in the area and told us Greenwich was up-and-coming with lots of new builds. The development wanted young professionals to purchase in the area to encourage a community. Proximity to Central London was also important to us as we both commute for work, but we also wanted to feel like we’ve escaped the hustle and bustle of the city centre - Greenwich gives us that.
What inspired you to start sharing your home?
I’d been thinking about starting an interiors page for a while but always put it off, as I didn't really think anyone would be interested in just seeing a small flat. However, a few people told me I should start one. So earlier this year I took the first step and I got a camera for my birthday and along with lock down it was the perfect time to invest some time and start sharing my interior style and home design.
How did you find your style? Has it always been the same or has it evolved over time?
It’s definitely evolved over time - I’ve always loved modern aesthetics and simple design and of course monochrome! However, when we first moved here 5 years ago we had such a mismatch of furniture that we had collected and been given over the years which were all such different styles! Slowly over time we have found what we loved and created a coherent style throughout the flat, a modern monochrome décor filled with houseplants!
What is your favourite part of your lovely home?
I would have to say the open plan living room that then opens up to our balcony! When you live in London outside space is a luxury and I've really tried to utilise all the space we have on the balcony and style it as cohesively as possible so that there is a natural flow from outside to inside. The balcony is now very much used as an extension on our living area. I’m really happy with the outcome and enjoy spending time out there whether it’s eating breakfast or dinner or having an early evening gin and tonic watching the sunset.
What brands or trends inspire you or your flat purchases?
I love made.com, we bought our sofa and bed from them - they offer simple designs but at affordable prices. I love Swoon Editions for their mango wood furniture. We got our dinning table and chairs, bar trolley and console table from there. I’m also a huge fan of Ferm Living, Hay and H&M Home for accessories and planters!
Talk me through your interior design decisions and ideas?
I’ve spoken about this on my page but last year we got married it really helped me narrow down what style and design we like and what is really ‘us’. Our choices we made for our wedding helped us commit and re-style our flat to what we love. I love keeping the colours very minimal so whites, greys and black and then accessorising with houseplants. I’m not a huge fan of patterns but like keeping the flat interesting by using different textures and materials throughout.
“I love simple monochromatic design! ”
What does the future hold for @home_of_hlk?
We are actually looking to move into a bigger house and move out of London within the next 6 months as we have outgrown this flat and would like more space. So the plan is to get a three-bedroom house and renovate it to our style. Also I would like to get a bit better at DIY – that’s definitely a goal of mine this year!
What is your favourite monochrome piece of furniture or accessory in your flat and why do you love it so much?
I love our Ferm living planter - it’s so modern and versatile. I use it as a planter on our balcony but also in our hallway as a console table and have so much fun styling it in different ways.
Another favourite is our matte black Plisse Alessi kettle – it’s like a piece of art!
How do you utilise space but still keep it on trend and in keeping with your style?
We definitely have to think about the furniture we buy. For example our sofa turns into a sofa bed and also has a storage section within it. There wasn't a huge amount of choice for this kind of sofa so we went with something that was quite simple and then accessorised with monochrome cushions of all different textures and fabrics to keep it interesting. Also our dining room table is quite large for a one bedroom flat but we love to host so it was important for us to be able to fit 8 people around the table, but we also use it as a kitchen island when cooking so we have that extra surface area for preparation.
We noticed you have a drinks trolly, does that come into use a lot or is it just for show?
Oh it gets used a lot – it’s especially been brilliant to have during lockdown!
I really love nice glassware and having a drinks trolley is a great way to be able to showcase the glasses. It also is another great use of more storage as we have limited cupboards in the kitchen.
Finally what would be your dream product for your flat?
I would love a black metal hanging rail - Design Vintage do a great one and also for the future I would love a Jielde matte black zigzag lamp! Both these products are super simple but also add interest to a room but keep in-line with my style and other products we have in the flat.
We hope you’ve enjoyed finding out more about Harriet and her beautiful home as much as we have!
To see more of the lovely monochrome flat visit Harriet’s Instagram profile, @home_of_hlk.
