Susanna's Georgian house

My found interiors aren't usually designed spaces but I've made an exception for my friend

Susanna's four-storey house in Bath. Susanna is a painter (I've posted her studio) and she's applied her amazing use of colour, shape and composition to the design of her house, creating gorgeous rooms within the beautifully proportioned Georgian architecture.

Interestingly, when I looked again at these pictures I realized that our interior styles have some strong similarities - namely: lots of white but with strong colours here and there, furniture with sculptural shapes, a mix of fabrics, textures and patterns and most importantly, art everywhere!!!! Not really surprising as we grew up in very similar backgrounds and on the same street in Leeds, both our fathers were artists and we were in and out of each other's houses from the age of 5. Actually I think we've both taken elements from our childhood homes in decorating our own interiors.

There is a stunning Victorian conservatory on one side of the house - quite amazing that this survived for a century and a half as these fragile wood and glass structures are so vulnerable to the extremes of weather - not to mention footballs!

You'll easily pick up Susanna's favourite colours as you go through the rooms........

Of course, Susanna and I both love elegant French furniture and she's very good at finding perfect pieces

I'm guessing here but I reckon her penchant for chequerboard floors could well come from her love of Vermeer and his representations of Dutch 17th century interiors.

A glimpse into the 1st floor sitting room - there's another one above with the same footprint

The red picture is one of Susanna's paintings and above a painting from the 1950s by her father.

The fantastic thing about the sitting rooms is the space and light flooding in from the wonderful long windows on two walls. The Georgians were just so good at proportions.

Susanna's painting of her two sons when children. I absolutely love the colour - pink next to acid yellow/green is the best.

As well as being elegant and beautiful, Susanna's rooms are always comfortable and inviting - never show rooms, just rooms to live in.

Houses are so much more interesting if they contain paintings, sculpture and collected objets which have personal meaning - rather than 'design accessories' bought in homeware shops.

I'm sure Susanna will always have at least one yellow room wherever she lives!

Another of Susanna's paintings.

The 2nd floor sitting room - a friend's painting along with sculpture, a chest and lamps brought back from her time in Singapore.

Pink and green always! Something else we have in common.

More chequerboard.

Tragedy! At this point my camera ran out of juice - I borrowed Susanna's camera to photograph the bedrooms - equally ravishing - but those snaps have temporarily gone missing. As soon as we find them I'll update the post!

Susanna has actually moved from this house (unbelievable you might think!) but I know her next one will be just as elegant and interesting so I look forward to that.

Check out Susanna's paintings on her website

And her studio on my blog

P.S. While you're reading about this idyllic English 18th century house I'm on the other side of the world checking out - among other things - some classic mid-century architecture during my trip to LA and California. My partner, artist Justin Mortimer, has a solo show in LA at Mihai Nicodim Gallery so we thought we'd take the opportunity of a bit of exploring on the west coast. I just know I'll come back with masses of stuff I'll want to post on my blog.