A relaxed houseplant consultation at the Surrey home and studio of Esher based artist Parul Tolentino: light, colour, texture and a shared love of nature.
Some consultations are formal. This one was a creative, relaxed morning between two old friends who share a love of art, design and strong coffee. Parul Tolentino is an established interior designer, a renowned artist and a cofounder of BlueHouse Artspace in Esher. Her home sits in the tranquil Surrey village of West End, near Esher.
Two Old Friends and a Pot of Strong Coffee
Every houseplant consultation is different. This one was a creative, relaxed morning full of laughter and reminiscing. Treasured time between two old friends who share a love of art, design and strong coffee. Parul Tolentino is an established interior designer, a renowned artist and a cofounder of BlueHouse Artspace in Esher. Her home sits in the tranquil Surrey village of West End.
A Home That Is Also a Studio
This is a family home first. Murphy, the family’s pet golden retriever welcomes every visitor. There are always loved ones dropping by, whether they’re local friends or family flying in from New York. The light filled home is also home to Parul’s private studio, and not normally open to the public. So every plant has to earn its place in a house that is lived in, worked in and above all loved.
A Walking Conversation
We never really sat down. The consultation became one long walk through the house, talking about light, position, materials, colours, shape and texture. A deep, dark stairwell with a single tall window. A dusky pink bedroom. A warm peach sitting room with a sculptural branch bookshelf. Each space asked something different of a plant: a trailing habit to soften a window ledge, bold patterned leaves against a plain wall, real height and structure beside tall glass doors.
The Sea Meets the Houseplant
Parul loves the sea. I love plants. It could seem an odd pairing, but it isn’t. We both look to nature first, and we both care about how a thing sits in a room. Nature and style brought the conversation together, and you can see it throughout the house: organic shapes, soft colour, and living things given room to breathe.
What Comes Next
Botanical Workshops by Cybill and Jones at BlueHouse Artspace are coming soon. Enjoy and purchase Parul’s work here. And if you would like the same thinking applied to your own home, room by room, book a Houseplant Consultation.
If you’re not sure which plants actually suit your space, light, scale, style, that’s exactly what a Houseplant Consultation is for. For a fuller room-by-room scheme, our Design and Installation service takes it from recommendation to finished result. Not local to Surrey or London? Our Video Consultation covers the same ground remotely.