Atlanta Bartlett talks to us about her new book Easy Elegance

You have three small boys, how does Easy Elegance style work for family living?

The whole point of the Easy Elegance style is that it adapts to suit your lifestyle. It’s about practicality and versatility whilst also understanding the requirements and limitations  of your life and working with those elements to create a home that is tailored to your needs whilst not compromising on style. The key to achieving this is to study the four main elements of Easy Elegance, Comfort, Simplicity, Function and Individuality. Once you have understood these vital components you will realise that Easy Elegance can adapt to suit any lifestyle….even if it does include 3 rowdy small boys!!!

You say that the ideas behind you new book Easy Elegance have been forming in your mind for a number of years. What was your original

starting point or inspiration?

Yes, I think it has been forming in my mind for years, although for me it is very much an expression of how I like to live myself. My priorities have always been comfort and practicality but I at the same time I do need to be surrounded by things that I love. Before I had children I always said that any home I lived in should be party-proof as I always want my guests to feel at home and I hate the idea of living in a show home. Now that I am a mum that concept have shifted to my home being kid-proof as the last thing I want is for them to feel anxious in their own home. The beauty of Easy Elegance is that it celebrates all these elements that have been so important to me over the years, encouraging appreciation of the imperfect and allowing for personal expression.

You place emphasis on personal expression over strict design rules and

"bland good taste". Where should people begin when creating their own

personal style?

There are many places to start when creating your own personal style. One idea is to base your scheme around a much loved object, theme or colour  or you could start from a more practical angle and think hard about how you live and how you use your home and a personal style will emerge from that.

You say in Easy Elegance , that the style police do not exist. What

would you say to them if they did?

Goodness, what a question! I’m not sure what I would say but I would certainly be fronting some sort of revolution!!

Embracing the individuality and beauty of personal objects whatever their

material value is an important component of Easy Elegance. What is you most

treasured possession, where did you find it, and what do you think it says

about you?  

My most treasured possessions are my children’s photographs and drawings. However there are many other things that I love: a vintage dress bought at a New York flea market, a Victorian mirror my husband bought me for my birthday one year, a single teacup with no saucer that I inherited from my grandmother….the list is endless actually which I think says that I am something of a magpie!

Easy Elegance seems to be a lot about exchanging rampant consumerism for a

simpler life. What are your three tips for easy elegance on a budget?

1. Make do and mend!  Most things you would normally throw away can be re-invented to create something useful. For instance old jumpers can be transformed into charming cushion covers, single stem flowers look stunning in old milk bottles and even a rusty old garden table could find a new lease of life as a bedside table.  I once photographed a charming apartment in Paris where the parquet floor had sustained terrible damage. Instead of ripping it up and replacing it the owners repaired all the holes with little patches of tin which they nailed down. The finished result was a floor that breathed life and individuality whilst also being preserved to serve another generation.
2. Buy old instead of new where possible. Why cut down another tree to make a new wardrobe when you can buy a perfectly good second hand one instead that is well made, looks great and costs less?
3. You don’t have to fill your home with expensive objects, a few really well chosen items can go a long way. Mix more costly items, like an antique mirror, with utilitarian everyday objects, like a jar full of balls of string or pebbles, to create a look that is individual, stylish and of course less costly,

You say that "Easy Elegance is not so much a design style as a way of life".

What are the main principles of Easy Elegance and how can they be adapted to

other areas of life?

The overriding message of Easy Elegance is be true to yourself. A home should reflect the occupants personality and lifestyle and not be arranged according to someone else’s tastes and rules  which is equally relevant to the way we dress, our relationships or what we eat. But Easy Elegance is also about cutting down on consumerism , appreciation of the imperfect and good functional design, all of which, I think, can be applied to any area of our lives.

You manage to balance a hectic family with writing and running your film

and photography location agency – www.beachstudios.co.uk. How do manage to

juggle these different areas of your life?

Sometimes I wonder that myself, especially as we made the decision years ago to keep the childcare solely between my husband and me!! Seriously though, I am passionate about what I do and honestly enjoy all aspects of my life. My secret weapon though is that I religiously drink Aloe Vera everyday.