See How This Designer Brought Her Own Colorful Style to a Furnished London Rental Home

When describing Hana Getachew, "worldly" is a good word to start with. The Ethiopian-born interiors-turned-textile designer, founder and creative director of the Brooklyn-based Bolé Road Textiles brand, has spent the last nine months living in London. There she shares a three-bedroom, mews-style home with her husband, Brian, and their 4-year-old daughter, Gelila.

From the moment Hana landed in London, it was a match made in heaven. “The second I arrived I was so enchanted with our neighborhood, Chelsea, and London in general,” the designer smiles. Part of the instant infatuation was the home she and her family would occupy during their stay: a newly renovated, fully furnished three-bedroom house. It was perfect for the family’s yearlong stay, but there was one problem. “I almost vetoed this apartment because of the oxblood sectional in the family room,” Hana confesses. “It's just not my vibe, but my husband convinced me that a sofa shouldn't be a dealbreaker.” Coming to terms with the offending piece meant removing cushions — “They were just a little too stiff and saggy,” she laughs — and topping the whole arrangement off with a selection of her own pillows. “I was wondering if our pillows could even work in the space since there was already a lot going on color-wise, but it did. I even used our bed runner as a throw!”

Directly across from the family room, a cozy, chic living room presented another sitting area with a completely different color palette. “It was kind of a weird design challenge,” she muses, “the two halves of the living space having different color schemes. One is warm and intense, and the other is all cool, muted tones.” Again, all it took was a designer’s eye and a bit of editing. “We rearranged the seating a bit so it flowed better, moving the armchairs in near the green settee, which is actually a futon.” All that was left was to add the finishing touch. “I kept the living room more muted, with some of our neutral pillows. I love how it all came together in the end. The two halves are somehow cohesive and it feels warm and inviting. Challenge complete.”

A fully furnished home comes with its share of upsides, but the downside is that it can be hard to feel like the space is really yours. Even the pieces that fill the bookshelves behind the living room futon came with the house, so they connect to the space, but not necessarily to the occupants. “The strange thing about this home,” Hana confirms, “is almost none of the pieces are ours. So the challenge was making this temporary home feel like our own.” Focusing on the positives, Hana made changes where she could, bringing in textiles from her own brand to add the dual flavors of the family’s Brooklyn home and the designer’s Ethiopian heritage. “Mostly I just updated the accessories, the rugs, pillows, bedding and outdoors.”