“In Harrogate, in interior design shops, the things on sale are often more vibrant and eclectic, more of a mish-mash of styles. The Harrogate shops weren’t necessarily following interior trends, whereas in London the shops tend to sell what’s in fashion.”
If there is such a thing as a contemporary southern English aesthetic, it is arguably more restrained, where color is introduced in accents rather than everywhere at once; textures are natural and muted. And in, say, Harrogate?
“It’s more of a mixture of rustic and traditional, and there’s a lot more color and layering of textures; big gilded mirrors and patterned flocked wallpapers that we wouldn’t necessarily be seeing in London properties and shops,” says Lea-Wilson.
These disparities are often seen too in the design of restaurants and hospitality venues, she adds. And if you’ve come from up north, and have been accustomed to dressing up maximally when going out dancing or dining, you’ll remember your first bruising encounter with dressed-down southern nightlife. I know I do.
“I definitely think the area you’re in does kind of determine [your style preferences],” says northerner Murphy, the title of whose book says it all: More is More Decor: A Handbook for Maximalists.