WOW!house 2026: The Primary Bedroom by Salvesen Graham

Sometimes a room is more than just a room. At WOW!house 2026, Salvesen Graham's Primary Bedroom reminded me of the power of home, memory, travel and belonging. Beautifully designed and full of thoughtful details, it evoked feelings of comfort, nostalgia and possibility, Here’s why it stayed with me.

Having visited WOW!house last year, I was blown away by the Simms Hilditch boot and dog room, I was equally excited this year to see Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham of Salvesen Graham’s The Primary Bedroom.

I love how both Simms Hilditch and Salvesen Graham create rooms that are not only beautiful to look at, but through their use of colour, attention to detail and ability to seamlessly blend classic English interiors with both the property and the client, create spaces that feel entirely personal, regardless of the architectural history of the home.

WOW!house 2026 is a wonderful experience, the level of design and materials used are incredible, each room telling its own story but it's the story of The Bedroom that I particularly want to share with you.

The Primary Bedroom is that of an 18th Century country house, but designed for a British woman living across the pond in America. This is someone who loves to travel and to write about her travels. An avid reader but someone who yearns for the familiarity of home. The impressive canopied four poster bed by Nicholas Walton Design, draped in Salvesen Graham’s Romily fabric, Rose and Woven Ribbon fabric, Rhubarb, provides a cocoon to retreat to at the end of the day. Whilst the bed is engulfed in crisp white sheets, embellished with roses and flowers from the English countryside, the wicker tea tray is laid with a china tea pot and cups, with shortbread biscuits, reminiscent of family holidays in Scotland and the anticipation of that first cup of tea in the morning, that much needed taste of home. At the foot of the bed is an antique beech and cane long stool, topped with a cushion covered in Beatrice chintz fabric, Chocolate.

As you move through the space, your eye is drawn to the small details. The carefully placed dog ornaments and the stone hearth around the fireplace, inlaid with two dog paw prints. In this case they are Nicole and Mary’s dogs Gussie and Constance but could just as easily be the crazy dog you grew up with or in my case my much loved four legged friend Chester who we said goodbye to recently, at the age of 15. This is what makes this room quite extraordinary. You feel a connection to it, in so many ways.

The impressive bookcase is full of curated travel books and specifically books on women’s travel and exploration. The antique mahogany writing desk reminds me of the one that I use at home. It was my grandmother's and there is something special about sitting at the same desk where my grandmother would have sat to write, as I write these blogs and my travel musings.

Nicole and Mary’s gorgeous book A New English Style sits proudly on the desk, just as it does on my desk at home. It honestly does. The glass fronted wardrobes are lined with Gussie fabric, Damson, and hide a beautiful selection of plates and china, clearly collected on the owner's travels. An impressive drinks tray is tucked away for that evening nightcap.

Also covered in the gorgeous Gussie fabric, Damson, is the inviting cosy armchair and footstool by Lorfords, with its strategically placed reading lamp. The fireplace with upholstered fenders, also by Lorfords, are covered in the beautiful Constance fabric, Original, inviting you, on a cool winter's evening, to light the fire, pour a drink from the cabinet, take the copy of Rivals from the side table and snuggle up and immerse yourself in this little piece of home.

The wall covering is Constance and the curtains and drapes are Woven Plain fabric, Ginger Pink, with the pelmets backed with Romily fabric, Rose.

From the layering of fabrics, colours and patterns to the curtains, bed drapes, seating, carpets, paintwork, wallpaper, lighting and accessories, every element is designed in an eclectic, yet considered way. I especially love the French style side table lamps, stunning artwork and the Forbes & Lomax light switches. This isn't just designing a room for a British girl in America, this is creating a room for a British girl with personality and a soul. It genuinely speaks to you. You can FEEL the room. This might sound a strange thing to say but it touches your heart and therefore you can sense the life of the person who lives here. You feel that you know her, just by the way the room has been designed or more to the point it felt like me.

I could be this woman, not that I live in America but the room felt so real, I could very easily have slipped on my pjs, poured myself a cup of tea and snuggled into bed nibbling on a shortbread biscuit. If it wasn't for the many people walking through and admiring the space, I would happily have closed the doors and settled myself in for the night. 

It's amazing the power of connection, whether to a place, a pet, our travels or familiar food or drink. They become even more important in the spaces and environments we surround ourselves with. I love how Nicole and Mary bring a little bit of themselves into each design, by naming their fabrics after their children, pets or favourite things. They then not just connect with the architecture of the space but also the person or people who will be living in it in a very thoughtful and personal way.

I immediately felt relaxed and comfortable in the room, yet this wasn't in a house, it's a temporary structure, reminding me almost of a show garden at Chelsea but this room is in place for 5 weeks, rather than just one. Nonetheless, it is still a temporary space and yet it felt so permanent, safe and familiar. It felt like it had longevity, even though I knew that it didn't. Emphasising the skill of creating classic designs not just for the here and now but that are long lasting.

It reminded me of this time of life, when we are evolving and changing and moving into another stage. The sense of this being temporary, it can feel scary and unfamiliar, with a mixed emotion of fear of the unknown and yet excitement for what is to come. The Bedroom gave me all of those feelings. The cosiness of feeling safe, familiar and a connection to our past but it also made me excited for the future, the travel and exploration, the sense of freedom, peace and joy.

This isn't just a bedroom for a British woman living across the pond, it is a room for us all. Designed with the utmost care, thought, creativity and connection that only reinforces why Nicole and Mary are highly regarded as one of the leading designers in creating English style, whether that be a country home in the Cotswolds, a beachside holiday home in the Hamptons, a chalet in the Alps or a lakeside castle in Austria. They are able to create a space that speaks to you, not just visually but from the heart and that is a real gift.

I urge you to try and see The Primary Bedroom in person. WOW!house at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour is running until 2 July, with morning and afternoon sessions available. Entrance is £28 standard ticket and there are concessions. If you can also fit in a WOW!house talk, these are really fascinating and just £5 extra. I was lucky enough to hear Nicole and Mary chat with American and Canadian designers Brandon Schubert and Sean Symington about the difference between design across the pond. It was a fun and relaxing chat that was so insightful. There are some clear similarities but also quite distinctive differences when designing homes internationally.

If you do pop along, I would love to hear how the room made you feel, or indeed if any of the other rooms spoke to you. There are some incredibly beautiful spaces, I particularly loved the Martin Moore and Samatha Bartlett Kitchen and the Benjamin Moore, Minhwa Salon by Young Huh is so colourful and whimsical, it really is breathtaking. I will share some of the photos on Instagram for those sadly unable to visit in person but I will try not to post too many and spoil the surprise for those lucky enough to visit.

And if, like me, you would happily move straight into this room, then I am sure Nicole and Mary would be only too happy to design one for you.. www.salvesengraham.com.

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