15 May 18

Creating a happy home

Following my previous post that finally showed you guys the reveal or my Mums Annex, I thought I’d follow it up to talk a little bit about the things I think are important when it comes to designing a home that makes you happy and enhances your general sense of wellness. I teamed up with one of my go-to brands La Redoute to style this shoot with my lovely Mum as we share our ideas on what makes a place feel like home.

Open plan spaces allow everyone to be together and are a top priority in all my designs.

Creating a home that makes you feel happy and healthy can mean many things to many people but to me it’s paramount that a home should FEEL as good as it looks. It’s a notion I explore in great depth on my colour workshops. It may be a sanctuary at the end of a hard day, or somewhere that lifts our spirits and gives us a reboot. Our home is the place that creates some of our best memories, so it’s important it hits the right note and the way you choose to decorate it can have such a powerful impact.

Pretty pinks and greens make a lovely spring time table setting. Nazama 16 piece stainless steel cutlery set in champagne, set of 4 akiva china dinner plates in white and pink, set of gogain earthenware dinner plates in green, set of adrio cotton and linen blend napkins white, renkli set of 4 graphic print dessert plate, set of 4 gogain earthenware dinner plates dusty pink, all La Redoute.

For me the kitchen is the heart of the home and wherever possible I try and make it open plan to the living area. Being able to share quality time by being altogether is key and I’m never happier while pottering in the kitchen while chatting to friends or family. Since we bought our new house in the country with my Mum next door in the annex, it’s increased my sense of well being a thousand fold having her so close by. And she’s an excellent cook to boot! We really relish cooking healthy nutritious meals together for everyone to enjoy and love nothing more than gathering everyone around ours. So creating a relaxed and sociable vibe in my home has always been a top priority and something I definitely learned from my Mum. Our childhood home was always buzzing with friends and family. People just loved being round our place and we loved to have them. My Mum was the ultimate agony aunt and our kitchen table heard some stories over the years!

Cosy rugs underfoot enhance the feel-good vibe on a rustic wood floor. Ourika wool berber style Rug, La Redoute.

Back to talking design, next I love to have lots of natural light wherever possible and so dress the windows simply to maximise the light flooding in. Decorating in a soft pale tone also helps increase the sense of light and a brilliant trick is to hang mirrors opposite the window to help bounce the light around. Next up you need to find your happy colours. This is different for everyone and I always urge people to follow their gut and never be a slave to trends or swayed by what other people think is good taste. My happy colours are bright and buoyant so I love to use these throughout as accents for cushions, vases, rugs and artwork.  Yellow is the ultimate happy colour it just radiates positivity while pink is soft and nurturing. Green is a great colour to introduce anywhere in your home, it’s the ultimate way to a feeling of wellness. But there is a green for you and a green for me. Picking out the right tone that resonates with you is what it’s all about.

I love to pick plenty of fresh greens and seasonal stems from the garden all year round. catalpa green vase, erledur brass pot, La Redoute.

On that note I feel it’s really important to have an element of nature in your home- it’s just a quick fire way to get the feel good vibe. Plants instantly give any space a positive lift and greenery is a really good way to add a feel-good dose of Mother Nature. In terms of design, think about having natural materials in your scheme too, the sense of nature and authenticity is really reassuring. I love to introduce wood, rattan, ceramic as well as natural textiles like linen and wool into all my schemes. The tactile quality of materials and surfaces is also so important to the feel good factor and I love to pick out rugs, textiles and ceramics that have a hand made quality. Finally fill your home full of the people you love. Have a spring clean (so therapeutic!), cook a simple meal and fling your doors open to the people you love the most, that’s the sure fire way to happiness for me. I am my mothers daughter afterall!

I introduce plenty of handmade elements and natural textures in my schemes for the feeling of wellbeing. ascaridiosis side board, uyova mini greenhouse in glass and brass, catalpa green vase, erledur brass planter,sakina blue plant pot tarsile square rattan mirror natural, all La Redoute.

My top tips on creating a feeling of wellbeing in your home

1. Create a sociable and welcoming space that can be enjoyed by friends and family. Open plan spaces are ideal for this is possible.
2. Maximise the sense of natural light, especially in the rooms you use in the day, like the kitchen. Paint in a cool recessive colour, like pale grey, and keep the windows uncluttered.
3. Choose to decorate in a colour palette that you love. Don’t be swayed by trends or by other people tastes, follow your gut and you can’t go wrong.
4. Introduce plants and flowers into your home for a dose of Mother nature. I think it’s really lovely to pick some foliage from your garden or the hedgerow as it keeps us in touch with the seasons which is good for the soul.
5. Seek out natural authentic materials like wood, stone, cotton and linen for a feel good vibe
6. Have a spring clean and a chuck out. A good de-clutter is great for the soul and will make your home feel more spacious and light.
7. When decorating your home, start by asking yourself the question “How to I want to feel in this room” before you leap towards how you want it to look. If you design a room to feel a certain way, chances are you’ll feel happy when you’re in it!
8. Rooms scents are always a great way to enhance the feeling of well being. I love to use scented candles or essential oils in a diffuser. You can change the scent depending on the mood you want to create.

This blog post was sponsored by La Redoute, who invited Mum and I to choose a few of our favourite things from their website to furnish Mums home for this shoot. All products selected were my own choice. All words are my own and the photoss are styled and art directed by me. Photographs by Tim Young