Cover Story
Violet Grace Atkinson on the art of dressing up to stay home
And how she’s spending her time in isolation.
3 Minute Read
I am of the view that the living room is the lifeblood of a home. My best memories as a child took place in the living room: birthday celebrations, giving fashion shows for my parents, playing piano for hours and hours, curling up on the couch and immersing myself in history books, reading and writing poetry, getting lost in motion pictures, entertaining my friends and spending quality time with my family celebrating each other’s successes (from academia to business to our personal lives). And these memories mature and grow with you as you move into the next stages of life. As a twenty-something year old now living in Sydney with my lovely housemate (who happens to have impeccable interior design taste), I am now building my own home and moreso than ever it is an extension of myself.
American actress and interior decorator, Elsie de Wolfe, was quoted as saying “Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.”
Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.
Interior heaven. Image: Violet Atkinson.
At-home with Violet Grace. Image: Violet Atkinson.
Interior heaven. Image: Violet Atkinson.
At-home with Violet Grace. Image: Violet Atkinson.
Much like fashion, your living room is a representation of your personality and taste. I work in fashion and my home is linked quite closely with what I wear. I die for both an aesthetically-pleasing outfit and a well-balanced living room and, to me, they are inextricably linked. I also adore the hopelessly romantic and old-fashioned notion that you ought to wake and dress yourself in beautiful clothing to spend the day in your living room. Whether I intend on curling up with a book, doing legal research for my PhD or learning a new Debussy piece on the piano, I feel most content and complete when I am wearing a beautiful look.
The furniture in a room provides personality, however the scent creates the mood. Tom Ford candles are my weakness and my current go-to is the Tuscan Leather scent. I am a die-hard TF perfume fan so what a beautiful option to have a scent you love fill a room. The candles are also very aesthetically pleasing.
Days spent playing the piano. Image: Violet Atkinson
For some living room inspiration, here are some of my favourite things to do in my living room:
1. Play my electronic piano – I am currently re-teaching myself Claire de Lune and it is one of the most therapeutic and relaxing things. Playing piano for me is like meditation.
2. Have an afternoon negroni with a friend and catching up on the day or week – the simple art of mixing a cocktail, pouring it into a beautiful glass and bathing in the Western sun that peeks through the window is a wonderous tradition.
3. Wear-in new shoes – this is not a ‘relaxing’ activity but it is extremely practical. I highly recommend wearing your stilettos around the house (sorry downstairs neighbours).
4. Be creative – I love flowers and creating arrangements, also adding ribbons to hats, altering my clothes or sitting down and coming up with outfits in my head and writing them down before packing for a work trip.
This article and all associated images were written and produced by Violet Grace Atkinson (@violetgrace_).
