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Sophie Robinson
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20 Feb 18

What makes a house a home?

I recently got asked this question, ‘What makes a house a home’ as part of a magazine interview. And I my reply was instant, “the people who live there”. It seems blindingly obvious but also maybe overlooked. But in the case of a house fire it’s my family and my dog Lucy who I would be rushing to save from the flames.

I’m mid renovation right now and the house is a mess. Bare concrete floors, wires and extention leads seem to be growing from every crevice, bare windows and most of my decorative objects like pictures and ornaments still in boxes after moving in two years ago. This is certainly a slow baked project and it’s made me realise that when your home is up and together it really does help and support you to go forth in the world! When it’s not it can really drain you. But then this time of year seems to be doing a pretty good job of that for everyone!

However I’m so blessed to have a great husband, a gorgeous son and possibly the cutest most cuddlesome dog. These are who I come home to after a hard day, that make me smile and feel loved and some how create a foggy glow around all the unsightly mess and builders dust. No matter how dissatisfied and at times frustrated I am by the state of the house- these three make my house feel like the perfect home.

 

However in terms of interior design, here are five ways to make your house feel like home:

Be your own interior designer

Daft as this might sound, I truly believe that a house really feels like home when you the designs and colours you use have a deeper resonance. For this you need to tear yourself away from looking at other peoples houses and pouring over Pinterest and dig a little deeper to find out what your true sense of style is and surround yourself with colours that make you happy. That’s what my Colour Workshops are all about.

Create a personal display

After you’ve picked the paint, the furniture, hung the drapes and laid down the floor you need to start thinking about putting your own personal stamp on a place. I find a display of a few personal momentoes does this better than anything. Find a surface- be it a small shelf, a console or side table and make a small display of a few of your favourite things that triggers memories.

Collect art

It doesn’t have to be a Picasso! But collecting artwork and and creating a focal point within your room can really help make a space feel unique. I like to mix shop bought prints with a original contemporary art and limited addition prints and even car boot sale vintage finds too. I’ve written a whole blog post on how to display your art here.

Add a little Hygge

The Danish think they have this look nailed but us Brits are great at creating cosy and welcoming spaces too. This time of year it’s all about the open fire for me. My husband has the ritual of chopping and stacking the logs while my son and I gather the kindling from the garden. We are surrounded by trees and so have plenty to call upon! Candle light is another great way to create the homely glow and I am partial to a scented candle to create a lovely homely vibe. Smell can be evocative too and I’m a sucker for a Rose and Geranium scent as I find it really grounding.

A few photo’s of those you love

Displaying photos of those you love or happy memories is a really powerful way to make a house feel home. My tip is to convert them to black and white if you are going to make a prominent display- it makes them look s much more cohesive. Which brings me neatly round to my first point- that what really makes a home is the people within it so we should celebrate that in all elements of our design.

Disclaimer: By looking at this image you might be fooled into thinking I have the perfect home already! Because I sometimes have to do shoots in my house so I decorated one corner of the living room- so this has been faked up for the camera, and photographed by the talented Alun Callender. The rest of the room is still bland magnolia! So remember next time you have house envy- the camera often lies! I should know I’ve made a career out of it!!!!

( CREDITS: Wallpaper is Prism by Cole and Son, Snowdrop sofa and footstool by sofa.com, collection of artwork all from John Lewis, Large lamp from Pooky lighting)

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Catch Sophie In All Her Colourful Glory On Instagram

According to some recent research 24% of us look t According to some recent research 24% of us look to friends and family for design Inspiration, 21% to makeover tv shows and 18% to instagram. But while it’s great gathering ideas and opinions, ultimately creating a stylish home has to come from you if you are going to love the home you live in. The extraordinary Colour Psychology framework helps you unlock the colour palette that is perfect for you and gives you the superpower to create rooms that feel as good as they look. Suddenly other peoples opinions, trends, and influencers no longer hold sway. Creating a home is deeply personal, an exploration of what makes YOU happy. For me it’s all about the pattern, texture and plenty of intense colour. Tasteful grey interiors leave me feeling flat, I love the energy of a colour clash! If you want to understand your relationship with colour and how to design schemes that affect your emotions in a positive way, this is the last weekend to enrol in my online course, Colour Psychology for interiors. You can find the link to learn more up in my bio. It’s my most popular course to date and has transformed the way thousands of people feel about their interior spaces. 
Let me know what your happy colours are down in the comments below. 

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📷 @aluncallenderphoto styling @katemcphee #colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebeige #ihavethisthingwithcolour #myeclectichome #patternclash #maximalistdecor #colourcourse #mycolourfulinterior #punchyhome #cosyhome #countryliving #bedroom
Did you know 50% of people use social media to fin Did you know 50% of people use social media to find inspiration on how to decorate their living rooms? I’m definitely one of them! That’s according to a study by Sky Glass, the streaming TV from @sky_uk . I’ve been investigating the latest interior trends we are lusting after, and how our living rooms are changing- as we say goodbye to three piece suites, and hello to sustainable vintage furniture, statement rugs, wall prints and cosy-ing up the sofa with throws and cushions. As you can see I’m all over the trends! If you head over to the @sky_uk channel today, I’ll also be answering some interior design questions all about styling your TV. Would love to hear what you think are the living room trends to watch. 
 #skyglass #ad 

#banthebeige #colourlover #livingroomdecor #livingroom #maximalistinteriors #livingroomdecore #livingroomdecorideas #homestyle #instahomedecor #chintz #colourmyhome #colourmehappy #cushionlove #styleithappy #florals #gallerywall #berberrugs #ihavethisthingwithpatterns #ihavethisthingwithcolour
Ah @the_rhs Chelsea! What a feast for the eyes! In Ah @the_rhs Chelsea! What a feast for the eyes! Inbetween biblical downpours, thunder and lightning, it was a wonderful day of colour, design and chatter with some wonderful women! I’m slowly falling in love with gardening and my phone roll is full of inspiration after being immersed in natures finest. Thanks @michelleogundehin and @hazelgardinerdesign @thesohoagencyuk for the company. And a big congratulations Hazel on this stunning floral installation. And don’t forget if you want to hang out and be inspired by all things colour then my FREE live webinar is on tonight (25th) at 7pm tonight! Hop on to my profile for the link to sign up. Cannot wait to share some inspirational colour filled time with you all 

#rhschelsea
This is the first room we decorated after our reno This is the first room we decorated after our renovations. The entrance to your home creates the first impression. It’s also the room you walk into first thing in the morning and when you return home at the end of a long day. It needs to create the right welcome and what that feels like is hugely personal. For me I chose my favourite colours, this powerful cobalt  blue has always been a colour I’m drawn to. My wardrobe is full of it. And the bright pink is another one that always makes me instantly happy. Together they are a striking combination and I think anyone who walks through my front door, immediately gets a sense of what I’m about. I’m passionate about creating interiors that authentically  reflect the people who live there. Studying the psychology of colour made it so much easier for me, giving me a deeper understanding on the affects of colour and streamlining my process. If you’d like to know how to unlock your colour super power, join me for a free webinar this Wednesday evening (available to up for 48 hours after). It an introduction into colour psychology for interiors and my hope is it inspires you to have the courage and conviction to know what’s right for you.  And for a deeper dive my online course Colour Psychology for interiors has opened for enrolment. All links to sign up are in my bio on my profile @sophierobinsoninteriors 
What does your hallway say about you? 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto 
CREDITS walls in lazuli by @zoffanyfw stair runner @roger_oates floor tiles @claybrookstudio door painted in rose ash @sanderson1860 

#colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebiege #punchyhome #hallway #boldcolourinteriors #colourlover
My kitchen, the heart of my home. The smallest, da My kitchen, the heart of my home. The smallest, darkest room in the house with no view, but that’s old houses for you! You’ll often find the kitchen in the worst place. So to amp up the joy I chose a forest green (hunters green by @zoffanyfw) for the cabinets to mirror the woodland outside. We sourced reclaimed school science lab work tops and I wrapped the room in one of my favourite papers, Rubarber by @borastapeter. Tom put in retro fit underfloor heating and we used reclaimed terracotta tiles from @ca_pietra_  so the floor looks as old as the house but feels so warm! . For the ugliest darkest room in the house it’s become our favourite because of the colours, patterns and rustic textures.that’s the power of great interior design! 
Next up in my series of posts about the psychology of colour is the Autumn personality. You’ll have a love of rich deep warm Colours, natural finishes, nature inspired patterns and period features. The autumn palette is warm, earthy abs rich and perfect for making spaces feel cosy and inviting. 
To learn more about the autumn personality, hop on up to my bio and click the link to be taken to the blog. And you can sign up to my FREE webinar I’m hosting next Wednesday if you’d like to learn more about this powerful framework. 
Meanwhile have a gorgeous weekend! 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto Styling @katemcphee 

#colourpsychology #banthebeige #autumnpersonality #colourpsychologyforinteriors #kitchen #greenkitchen #countryhomesandinteriors #countrykitchen #ihavethisthingwithcolor #myeclectichome #maximalistdecor
Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology next Wednesday 25th at 7pm GMT 🤩 hop on up to the link in my bio @sophierobinsoninteriors to register.
My brilliant online course, Colour Psychology for Interiors, is open for enrolment this month, so if you fancy finding out a bit more about this utterly game changing framework I’d love to have you join. It’s SO MUCH more than ‘ red is energising’, ‘blue is calming’ stuff you’ve all heard before. This is a deep dive into discovering how colours work, how to harmonise them and discovering your own unique and authentic style. Only then can you create a home you live and one that supports you emotionally. I LOVE teaching this stuff because the feedback I get from students is mind blowing! Don’t take my word for it, sign up for the free webinar today! 😍 and if you’ve already done my course, please share in the comments below what you loved about it. 

#colourfulhome #colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebeige #colourlover #confidentcolour #confidentcolourscheming
Have you found your design mojo? Do you gravitate Have you found your design mojo? Do you gravitate towards a style of interiors that just feels so ‘you’. Making a home is so much more than creating beautiful squares for Instagram. It has to FEEL right and this is where the psychology of colour comes in. Colour is light, it has an energy which directly impacts your brain and emotions. And we all have a unique relationship to it. So rather than follow the crowd, be swayed by trends it’s so important to understand your own authentic relationship with colour. Over on the blog today I’m starting a series of posts all about the seasonal colour personalities. First up is spring which is all the joy, uplift and energy. My bathroom, pictured above, is very ‘spring’ with light reflecting walls, energetic patterns and bright colours. The mood  is uplifting, fresh and feel-good. Hop on up to my link in my profile to read the blog post in full and discover if you are a Spring personality and how to create rooms that reflect this joyful mood. 
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📷 @aluncallenderphoto 

#colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebeige #colourfulhome #colourlover #ihavethisthingwithcolor #spring #springbpersonality #colourfuldecorchallenge #homedecor #myeclecticmix #bathroom #bathroominspo
So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who o So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who opens her house this weekend to showcase her artwork in her home as part of Brightons artists open houses. She’s always been a creative whirlwind and keeps the joy of colour alive in her paintings inspired by the sea, and the local woodlands that surround her home in Brighton. For Sophie, colour gives her life, she’s the ultimate joy monger and I’m so blessed to have her as my side kick in life. If you get a chance today, pop round to heed for a bolt if the feel good vibes

#artistopenhouses #brighton #colourlover #banthebiege #ihavethisthingwithcolour
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