‘I love our home to sparkle’

style idea T u r n a r e c e s s e d s p a c e i n t o a d i s p l a y s h e l f

M y s t o r y

I’m always itching to put up the Christmas tree as soon as December hits. There’s nothing better than hanging baubles with my children and listening to some classic Christmas tunes with a mulled wine in hand. Although I like the colours to sit well with my home and style, there’s no limit on sparkle!

Our house wasn’t always as colourful as it is now. It was very plain, but as soon as we walked in, the house felt so interesting – it’s like a rabbit warren. I was intrigued by all the rooms leading off each other and quirky little details like the recessed area in the dining room. It had character.

I like to imagine the house when it was built in 1911, prime Arts and Crafts era, which is why I chose William Morris wallpaper for the hallway. Then I like to think about the house moving through the times – and different interior styles – into the Art Deco period, so that really came into my living room design. There’s a way to make all the styles work together! We’ve done almost all of the DIY ourselves. I tiled the hallway floor and the living room fireplace and Julian did all the plumbing.

Our house feels so homely and cosy now and it’s got a real sense of history mixed with modernity. The next thing on my wish list is to have a proper Edwardian-style stained-glass front door, but that’s out of our budget right now... one day!

A BIT ABOUT ME

I’m Anna Hill, 42, a freelance print designer for Farrow & Ball. I live with my partner, Julian Jackson, 46, who works in ocean conservation policy, and our two children, Bonnie, seven and Dylan, four. You can find me on Instagram @anna_likes_design.

WHERE I LIVE

I live in a detached three-bed Edwardian house in Molesey, Surrey, which was built in 1911. We’ve lived here for four years having bought it in August 2018.

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE

The house needed a bit of work and lots of love and attention. It had so much potential but was quite plainly decorated. I wanted to fill it with colour and personality.

HOW I MADE IT MY OWN

Although we haven’t carried out any major works, we’ve done a lot to the interior details. I replaced the missing period features, like Edwardian fireplaces, and chose décor from different eras for a sense of history.

MY FAVOURITE PART

Our living room feels like a 1930s salon room – all soft colours, plants and collected objects.

W e l c o m e t o m y h o m e

‘We have a faux Christmas tree as, although I adore the smell of a real one, I’m not keen on the dropping needles. This year I’ve gone for a mix of pink, mint and rose gold decorations to complement the walls, painted in Pink Drab by Farrow & Ball. The fireplace wasn’t here when we moved in – I found this old reclaimed cast-iron design, stripped it back and repainted it. It looks beautiful styled up with a garland and candles for Christmas.’

Make a bouquet go further by separating the flowers into bud vases, like Anna has done. A garland from Next and micro lights from Lights4fun add a festive finishing touch while the painting is by Anna. 'I wanted a floral picture but couldn't find anything I liked,' she says. 'I wanted something that would tie all the colours in the room together. I used pastels, oils and spray paint'

Colourful crackers from Cath Kidston add a sweet touch to the place settings. Each one contains a selection of body washes in three different scents Anna says the coloured cabinet from Barker and Stonehouse is the most useful piece of furniture in the house. ‘It’s great to have lots of drawers for organising bits, especially when you have children,’ she says. The little drinks table was a Facebook Marketplace find, which Anna bought for £10 and painted

‘I updated the kitchen units by painting them in Pitch Black by Farrow & Ball, and then added reeded film to the glass,' Anna explains

Hanging utensils, rather than storing them in a drawer, means they’re all close to hand when cooking

Mince pies from Aldi served on a marble chopping board are a delicious seasonal snack

This house had so much potential and we both felt it straight away

Kitchen

‘ The kitchen and what we call our “garden room” was already open-plan when we moved in, but it had plain white walls and little decoration. I liked the colour of the wooden doors that lead out into the garden, so I added some mid-century modern furniture to match. I’m in love with this area now I’ve wallpapered it – it’s definitely a rival for my affections.’

'Some of the rooms have low natural light so I have to really consider where I put the plants. I have faux plants, too so the darker spaces still have greenery'

shop

eclectic vintage p32

The shelving unit is a Facebook Marketplace find. ‘It didn’t come with legs, so I bought some mint green hairpin ones from eBay, says Anna. ‘It’s an ongoing labour of love to fill the shelves with little treasured finds. The walls are papered in Shouchikubai from Farrow & Ball and the sofa is from Wayfair'

‘My leather sofa is from Barker and Stonehouse, while the rug is from Wayfair. The mint coffee table is from Habitat and it started life in a royal blue colour. I just loved the shape and so I primed and painted it and bought a marble platter, which I fixed on top with strong adhesive. It’s the side table of dreams!’

Hallway

‘I learnt pretty quickly there was a lot I wanted to do in the house and to hire people every time would blow the budget, so I researched DIY tiling and did the hallway myself. I wanted to bring the drama of the Edwardian era into the hall and so I papered below the dado with Anaglypta (vintage textured) wallpaper and painted it grey, while the Simply Strawberry Thief wallpaper from Morris & Co brings colour and fun to the space.’

make this

beaded frame p34

Anna upcycled the frame to create a bespoke design that matched with her hallway décor. The picture is a Matisse print from Etsy Get Anna’s soft and sweet home style with these buys

Pastel LED taper candles, £24.99, Lights4fun

HOMESTYLE LOVES!

Seedheads wallpaper by Ohpopsi, £69 per roll, Wallpaper Direct

Christmas bow tree topper, £22, Next

A garland from Balsam Hill runs up the banister, while a Christmas sack from Cath Kidston brings extra colour. The floor tiles are from The Baked Tile Company and the Magpie stair runner is from Stair Runners Direct

‘My bedspread is from Oliver Bonas – I just couldn’t resist its wiggly, hand-drawn effect,’ says Anna. ‘I made the lampshades for the bedside lights using plain shades from Argos, which I then covered with a vintage fabric bought on Etsy. To finish, I added a velvet ribbon trim'

Maser bedroom

‘I’m a history lover so I’ve taken inspiration from the past for many of the rooms – National Trust properties have endless inspiration for me! This has influenced the colours I’ve chosen and the wallpaper pattern I’ve used in this room. Our bed was very plain – nice and solid, but with no personality. We’d had it a few years and instead of buying a new one, I decided to just work with it so I hand-painted the headboard. It was actually really fun just free-hand painting whatever patterns came to mind, and I added the wooden bobbin shapes for some texture. I also painted the bedside tables in a pastel shade and painted the ceiling in Farrow & Ball’s Calamine for a soft effect.’

How to update a lampshade

Brighten up your bedside table, like Anna, with this creative upcycle

Anna covered an existing lampshade in fabric, but if you’d like to make your own from scratch, try a lampshade making kit – there's a good selection online.

Choose a fabric to cover your existing shade and cut a piece that’s larger than the lampshade by at least an inch on all sides. Make sure the fabric is well ironed.

Using a specialised lampshade glue, stick the fabric to the lampshade. Apply glue to the lampshade and smooth the fabric onto it, bit by bit, to ensure you avoid creases.

Fold over the edges of the extra fabric at the top and bottom of the lampshade and glue neatly – it’s easier to do this with your lampshade off the base.

Add a trim to the bottom or top of your shade, using the lamp glue again. Press it down firmly to secure and leave to dry before using your lamp.

‘I’m really not a fan of bright, loud shades – I’ve always found them distracting – so any colours I use are on the pastel scale, without too much contrast. For Bonnie’s room, I went with Peignoir by Farrow & Ball. If your walls and ceilings have a soft balance, it’s much easier to layer up with brighter accessories. I added texture to the walls using beautiful Anaglypta wallpaper named Alexandra. It has a really subtle floral motif and just felt so fun for her room without being overpowering.’

'Bonnie's bedding is from TK Maxx and the velvet chair is from Homebase. In the trunk at the end of the bed are all of Bonnie’s favourite stuffed toys. The doll’s house is from Great Little Trading Co. I love that it matches the room so well’

‘The wall tiles are from Tiles Direct; the glaze shines as you move around the room'

Bathroom

‘As I’d already tiled my fireplace and hallway, I felt brave enough to rip all the wall and floor tiles out in the bathroom and re-tile it myself. I really wanted a mosaic style to give the space a bohemian, handmade feel and I knew a soft pink colour would warm up the space. It’s quite a small bathroom so I could afford to splash out on these beautiful Sakura floor tiles from Otto Tiles. I still love to just stare at them! I updated the base units by attaching wooden dowels and painting them in Farrow & Ball’s Dix Blue. The spot voile curtain is from The Range. I added it as a second layer on top of the waterproof shower curtain to give a soft, homely feel.’

The white tiger throw is actually a rug from La Redoute. ‘I love that it can be used as both,' says Anna

Dylan’s bedroom

When they first moved in, Dylan’s bedroom had damp damage due to chimney issues. ‘ There’s always something with an older house!’ says Anna. Once that was fixed, Anna got to work giving the room some love, painting it in Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue and papering the walls in Parlour Palm from Scion. Realising it would have had a fireplace at some time in its past, she found an Edwardian design on eBay. ‘It needed tons of work,’ she admits. ‘I had to fully strip it, sand it and fix a crack, before priming and painting it the same colour as the walls. To finish, I added Memphis tiles from Artisan of Devizes.'

The velvet mustard chair was a vintage eBay find and the swan cushion is from Franck & Fischer. Anna found the vintage mirror on Facebook Marketplace

What I learned

Think about your own taste and don’t get too caught up on what’s trending right now. You’re the one who has to live in your home and feel comfortable.

There’s so much inspiration to find from personal experiences: places you’ve visited and artworks you’ve seen in galleries.

White isn’t the only ceiling shade – treat it as the fifth wall and play with colours.