The Versatile Home Book
Unique and gorgeous spaces for all aspects of life
The humble house is expected to fulfil every aspect of our lives. Our homes need to be more versatile and somewhere from where to work, entertain, create, embrace our interests and hobbies, and relax and recharge our batteries.
The Versatile Home explores gorgeous real homes that reflect the character and passions of the people who live there. They do not conform to one particular design style or another, but are a charming mix of looks, eras and tastes that blend harmoniously, each retaining their uniqueness.
It is written from the unique perspective of both designer and client, where Wendy, as client, seeks inspiration from Emma, who uses her experience and knowledge to guide Wendy, and indeed yourselves toward gorgeous spaces and design.
By creating the Style Star, Wendy and Emma are able to explain a multitude of interior looks. They help you to identify where your own taste sits stylistically, and which designs work well for you.
The Toolkit is based on Emma’s interior design consultations and has been created specifically to help you navigate the different elements of design – from colour psychology to understanding what texture brings to your room to symmetry and how to create beautiful mood boards.
We hope you enjoy using the book as much as we have enjoyed creating it for you.
What You’ll Learn
Working With Your Style
We provide you with the tools to identify your own unique style. The Style Star helps you to understand what styles work well with your own style and which ones to avoid.
Getting The Most Out Of Colour
We help you to choose colours you like and how to create colour combinations wisely. The colour wheel talks you through the psychology of colour and the impact it can have on your design.
Embracing The Old And The New
Making use of items you already have and repurposing them can be one of the most satisfying parts of interior design. We help you with ideas on how to upgrade old chairs and cabinets.
Create Spaces for Multiple Uses
These days we have to create spaces for work and play as the two worlds start to overlap. We explore the need for small quiet reading nooks to creating music rooms and art studios.
A Fantastic Resource for Every Home Lover
From modern and contemporary to traditional and classic and from country and coastal to rustic or industrial, whatever you style, the Versatile Home will help you create your own distinct identity.
It doesn’t matter if you are new to interior design like Wendy; or like Emma and have been doing it for years. Having a structure and reference guide to call on is invaluable. Whether refreshing your living room, buying a new home and starting from scratch or reworking the layout of the room, we are convinced that The Versatile Home will help you.
The mood boards will allow you to use your creativity to develop ideas that will help you to develop your design and build complimentary colour ideas. We encourage you to rummage through your attic or cupboards to find family heirlooms that have been locked away for years.
Or perhaps you have stored away some holiday memorabilia, items of particular interest or maybe curios from an interesting hobby. Whatever you can find, bringing these things in to your design makes it look unique to yourself and less like a show home.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a one-bedroom flat as some of our contributors do, or a large country home. The Versatile Home has something for everyone.
If you’ve always wanted to call in an interior designer but haven’t had the contacts or the means, with The Versatile Home, Wendy and Emma have solved that problem for you by providing you with your own interior designer that you can call upon any time.
Get Your Copy
We are delighted to announce that The Versatile Home is now available to purchase.
You can order directly from the publisher.
Hardback £34.99 incl. FREE DELIVERY
Alternatively, you can get your copy at a range of larger retailers…
Meet The Creators
Emma Mckelvie is a Stylist, Interior Designer and former Editor of interior glossies including Home Journal in Hong Kong. Her work has featured in British Elle Decoration, Living etc. and You magazine. She was also an art director and designer on TV shows including Grand Designs. Selling Houses and House Doctor. Her private commissions have taken her all around the world. She lives in the New Forest with her partner Chris, and their dogs Margo & Si.
Wendy Merry had a successful career in business before moving to Lymington, Hampshire and setting up her own company, Cobbled Art. She is now an accomplished artist and lives with husband Bill and their two cats, Charley and Sox.
Wendy and Emma met when Emma was engaged to help create an interior for Wendy’s new home. A friendship ensued and was cemented into place when Wendy asked Emma “Have you ever written a book?”. The rest is history!
