Much like her work, the Italian home of artist Liselotte Watkins dazzles in a palette of sunny citrus shades which evoke memories of her native Sweden. Featured in Hilary Robertson’s book Nomad at Home, we explore this vibrant home from home. By Rosalind Sack
LISELOTTE’S GRAPHIC PAINTINGS FLANK THE FABULOUS IRON BEDSTEAD IN HER BEDROOM. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
‘Homemaking or nesting is my coping mechanism,’ explains Liselotte Watkins, who left Sweden for Texas aged 17 with ‘no money, no plan’. Now settled in Rome with her husband and children (via stints in New York, Paris and Milan), her home is one of several featured in Hilary Robertson’s book Nomad at Home, which tells the stories of those who ‘desire to wander’.
“Considering Liselotte’s Rome apartment, which throbs with citrus yellow and tangerine, it’s clear that she feels exuberantly at home in her Roman setting,” says Hilary. A successful artist working across a range of media including paper, ceramics and textiles, Liselotte’s love of vibrant shades reverberates through both her works and her home. “It’s a feeling that she wants to create [at home] rather than a particular style, aiming for a sunny vibe that reminds her of her grandmother’s Swedish summerhouse” explains Hilary.
Liselotte’s ‘any shade goes’ palette is given a sophisticated edge by the elegant proportions and period features of the building. Her wonderful collection of mid-century furniture, well-considered lighting and vessels brimming with vivid flowers are all illustrative of Liselotte’s sense of curiosity and creativity.
Hilary says of her book: “It illustrates the stories of those who left home forever, those who managed to carve out lives in two, three, four countries, and also compulsive vacationers who found a way to bring their fantasy to life at home, just where they started
And if Liselotte’s home speaks of anything, it’s that a passion for travel and change and an ever-evolving sense of place doesn’t have to be at odds with carving out a home that makes you feel rooted and uplifted… wherever it may be.
SUNNY YELLOWS AND BOLD PATTERNS ABOUND IN LISELOTTE’S LIVING ROOM. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
LISELOTTE’S SIMPLE WHITE GALLEY KITCHEN IS BRIGHTLY ACCESSORISED WITH CERAMICS. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
HUNDIS THE DACHSUND RELAXES IN THE HALLWAY. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
THE DINING ROOM IS LINED WITH PAINTINGS FOUND AT FLEA MARKETS. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
LARGE SHUTTERED WINDOWS MAKE A STATEMENT IN LISELOTTE’S FLOWER-FILLED KITCHEN. IMAGE: MIKE KARLSSON LUNDGREN
As featured in Nomad at Home by Hilary Robertson, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£35). Photography by Mike Karlsson Lundgren © Ryland Peters & Small
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