Friday’s Fetish: Shiver Me Timbers!

If anyone knows how to go loco over eco-chico, it’s TV presenter and designer Oliver Heath.

I’ve been swooning over his house, as seen in Livingetc, which started off as an ugly, 1960s box, but has been turned into a beautiful earth-friendly home thanks to tons of reclaimed timber, lovelorn furniture and accessories from all over the globe.

World of timber

Say the words: larch wood cladding, and you don’t think ‘ooh beautiful,’ no. But take Oliver’s open-plan lounge. The larch wood cladding on the walls – from the trees at Kew Garden that blew down in the October 1987 storms – creates a stunning feature wall, gives the room warmth and openness and, as Oliver says, ‘brings the outside in’.

Team with oak flooring quirky accessories that nod to folk-styling and you have a large family space that’s cosy without being clostrophobic.

All aboard!

Loving the larch! Forgive me, Mr Heath, but I want to run up and  jump onto this bed – it looks so comfy and solid.

More reclaimed wood forms a canopy, which is softened with the  chi-chi chandeliers and ultra-tactile cushions.

Hmm, what to do with wallpaper samples...

This might be Oliver’s kid’s room but the idea of jazzing up plain shelves with wallpaper samples is brilliant. Whether it’s children’s toys or grown-up trinkets these shelves could work pretty much anywhere.

I’m not about to chop down any trees, but I love the idea of rescuing timber and giving it a stylish home. But it’s not just the reclaimed wood and second-hand furniture in Oliver’s house that I’m going gaga for, it’s the mixture of accessories from all over the world that add to the eco credentials of this eclectic family home and inspire me to be a bit more global in my decorating.

Tags: children's bedroom decorating ideas, decorating ideas, Eco chic, Eco decor, Eco decorating tips, Eco-friendly decorating, Home makeover, Homes of the rich and famous, Kids decorating ideas, Kids rooms ideas, Kitchen-diner decorating ideas, Oliver Heath, Oliver Heath home, Reclaimed timber, TV presenter home, wallpaper ideas, What to do with reclaimed timber