As a successful jewelry designer and business owner, Pippa Small travels a lot. To exotic places like India, Bolivia, Nairobi, and in fact, was just about to dash to New York with her four-year-old twins the day after our shoot. So travel definitely plays a big part in her home, with lots of colors and items that were picked up from all over the world.

When she bought her flat in North Kensington in London a few years ago, “it was a bit like a bachelor pad,” she laughs and says, “all the kitchen cabinet doors were in black shiny plastic.” With some carefully selected paint, Pippa managed to transform this once minimalist, urban flat into something that jumps off the page.

“Gail Arnold, the painter, helped with the choice of paints and colours. I wanted it to feel a mix of Jodhpur/Moroccan blue—a chalky powdery grey blue—for the living room.” So Pippa went to Francesca’s paints in Battersea. All the colors were mixed by her with powder pigments from Green & Stone on King’s Road. It was impossible to buy ready mixed lime wash of the intensity of color she has in her house. In fact, the bedroom was completed in seven different layers of colors! As for the kitchen cabinets, it was a store bought colour that she remixed herself. “I think all the pictures and furniture look better backed on colour instead of white.”

Other than colors, Pippa has filled her home with all the things she loves. The rugs are from Tibet, India and Peru, and she’s built a shelf that contains her collection of toys and memorabilia from her travels. The sofa was made to measure by her friend Terry and most of her other furniture was sourced in different markets. Her best Advice? “Surround yourself with the things that you love and that bring you joy and happy memories.”

My Style: Bloomsbury set meets global traveller

Inspiration: The world

Favorite Element: Colour

Biggest Challenge: Space

What Friends Say: It’s insane!

Biggest Embarrassment: Too many clothes

Proudest DIY: The special shelves I built for my collection of toys and memorabilia from my travels

Biggest Indulgence: Cashmere shawls

Best Advice: Surround yourself with the things that you love and that bring you joy and happy memories

Dream Sources: The markets of Uzbekistan for hand-woven velvet ikats, artifacts from the galleries off the Rue De Seine in Paris, ancient and tribal works of art, second-hand enamel Indian kitchenware from Delhi, Somerville and Bishop in Holland Park and the Pimlico Road antique shops.

Wooden kitchen table — Retruvius
Sofa — The sofa was made to measure by Terry who I imagine has retired now
Cushions — Sourced from all over the world but can be found at ABC Carpet and Homes in New York
Polish cradle for storing shawls — Kempton Market
Chairs are a mixture some from Rhonda in Spain the Rastro — Saturday market
Children’s little chairs — Portobello Road

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