As we are in the final throes of packing away our first family home in preparation for the move into our “forever” abode, I’ve been wondering how all of our current furniture and decorative pieces are going to work with our new surroundings.
I’m not about to sell everything in a bid to start over, but I certainly want to bring more colour and pattern into our lives after living with a very muted palette for the last few years. Our living room and master bedroom are soft shades of blue and grey, my office is also grey but accented with monochrome and copper and the kitchen is essentially off white, with texture from materials (reclaimed wood and aluminium) adding extra details, rather than any alternative hues per se.
It’s only ever really been Mabel’s nursery that has incorporated more vibrant shades with splashes of pink, peach and mint green.
Our new home is significantly bigger – with one floor being the same square footage as our entire current Edwardian semi. That’s a lot of extra space to fill. We will therefore need to buy some new things unless we want to live with empty rooms, or truly embrace minimalism. As our new home is essentially top of our budget (once we extend the kitchen and turn the garage into a studio of sorts) there isn’t a whole lot of cash left to splash. I definitely need to get my frugal/creative hat on.
So far James bought me a lovely Mid-century mini desk from West Elm in “Oregano” as a late birthday gift that I have been lusting after for ages. I’m not sure where the ruddy hell it’s going to go, or if I’m going to use it for it’s allocated purpose or as a dressing table but I knew I had to have it. That drawer is crying out for dividers and to house my vast make-up collection no?
I would also love a pink sofa. But alas, James wouldn’t even hear of it. I’m wondering if I could get away with a small one in the snug and keep the main lounge more masculine? marriage is all about ahem, compromise after all. I am very much taken with the Loaf “Pudding” sofa in vintage rose linen. The cotton candy wool version (as seen in the header image above) is also rather lovely.
I am also having a moment with patterned bathroom tiles. Another lust of mine that James really isn’t keen on unfortunately. I’m subtly waving ideas from my interiors Pinterest board in front of him in the vain hope he’ll come around.
I’m thinking that I will introduce colour mainly with soft furnishings, pictures and the odd Ikea hack, I would love to copy Lauren’s chest of drawers makeover but perhaps choose a pretty duck egg or a green similar to my new desk. I say soft furnishings, I’m not a fan of curtains. At all. I would love shutters but wouldn’t know where to start with colours for those, should they all be the same throughout?!
Any ideas, tips or tales of your own experiences in making your life less neutral please do share in the comments box below. I have included some of my very favourite ideas in the gallery, how many I actually manage to implement remains to be seen.
Beautiful inspiration pictures! We pretty much have the same colour pallet throughout the rooms we’ve decorated at our house – White, grey, blue and green. The undecorated kitchen does have maroon tiles ALL over the walls though bucking the trend..
But I also want to add some colour – namely yellow and blush pink. Not together obvs. We’ve got a vintage footstool that I want to reupholster in mustard fabric for the living room and my daughter is moving in to the bigger spare room so that’s giving me all sorts of pintresting joy!
Having more space does mean you can use more colour I think. We’ve painted one of the walls in our bedroom a very dark green which I love because it’s colour and the husband is ok with because it’s manly! A pink sofa would be lovely though.. Good luck with it all! Xx
Jennifer perhaps I can get away with a wall if I call in “manly”…I’m loving all these dark blues at the moment too. Mabel also will have a much bigger room, I’m not sure where to start with that but very much looking forward to coming up with ideas x
We’ve just bought our first house and have about 3 weeks to put out stamp on it before moving in. I’ve never been a bright colour person so I’m doing it subtely. We’re painting every room a very pale grey, except the kitchen which will be white. The living room I’ve already started buying mustard cushions for our grey sofa. The kitchen will have hints of sage green and orange. So far our bedroom will mainly stay grey, I have some bedding that I need to take some colour inspiration from. My sons room will have hints of teal. The bathroom and spare room are the only ones that we won’t really touch for now, but I know I eventually want the Whitby wallpaper which I first saw on these very pages and still love – and apt as Whitby is where my family originate and I’ve spent many happy times there. My Pinterest has been going wild for the last 4 months! However I have found the best way to persuade hubby round to ideas is to try and show him them in real life! This is how I’ve got my kitchen tiles ? (Apart from the fact they were the only tiles we could both agree on)
Claire I’m doing my best to be uber persuasive! Your colour palette sounds lovely x
We moved into our new home over a week ago and as it was a lot bigger than our last, so we need a lot of furniture – our things were in storage too so I think I forgot what we had. After unpacking everything we now just have a massive pile of things for a car boot sale, I just feel like we’ve grown up a bit since our first little home together and also not sure our old things totally fit into our new home. I was desperate to paint the living room pink (Farrow and Ball Calamine) but my husband like yours has firmly vetoed pink. Now I have no idea what to do. I’m also stuck with ideas for our bedroom and just have no idea where to start, I was toying with navy blue but after years of painting our walls white I’m just not sure I’m ready!! I also don’t want to repeat ideas too much throughout the house but want some continuity, but what the hell do I want? Apart from pink.
I’m happy with one room – We bought what feels like the world’s largest dining table (Ikea Skogsta a cheaper version of one I’d fallen in love with on made.com) with some benches, wall mounted grey back cushions, white washed brick walls, loads of green plants and that gorgeous Gangster Delight picture from Lauren’s hall tour!?! Please keep the ideas coming ladies, I’ve got decoraters block…
Liz that dining area sounds amazing! We’re hoping for some exposed brick in our kitchen extension – I’ve always loved it x
My comment is slightly off topic but one I worry about……
Should we stretch ourselves and borrow the top of our budget like you Charlotte??? on top of that and the equity in our house we would have a nice sum to play with. Problem is my hubby does not like to take risks and stresses about jobs etc and wants to keep our mortgage smal. If we stay in our current house we’ll pay our mortgage off in 8 years. Such a dilemma??
Also love a bit of colour!
My husband and I come to headlock over this discussion often. We actually still have savings (that are going to stay as such) as you never know. My point is exactly how much do you keep hoarded away, when you really need things to actually live your life in the present as it were. Maybe I should do a post on it. I bought my first house when I was 21 and stretched myself to the max (had a lodger, lived off laughing cow on toast etc) but it paid off in that I bought before the boom and therefore ended up with a healthy sum when I sold a few years later. I think there’s stretching quite a bit and then there’s having no savings/plan B at all. It’s all about what lifestyle you want to maintain aswell – we’ll have to make some changes now our mortgage is so much bigger than before and I’m ok with that x
Would love a blog on this please Charlotte x
I cannot WAIT to see your new house when its all finished!!
That is all.
Hi Jane! Me neither 🙂 x
I’ve snuck pink into our bedroom in stages. Started with vases on the bedside tables. Then I got a lovely huge monet print above our bed (so romantic). Then went for blush and grey bedding. I don’t think he’s even noticed…. We have a generally neutral palette with either white or grey walls throughout but our hallway which wraps around the whole flat and is pretty big is deep green (Crown period in Promenade). All the rooms come off it and it makes them seem brighter and lighter by having the contrast. As our flat is a Georgian conversion we have the height to pull it off, and so decided to go for it. People always compliment us on it!
Anna I’m with you on the pink vase….I’ve already got my eye on one 🙂 Loving the sound of the hall way! Our new one is a decent size, as is our landing, I might even play with a bit of wallpaper x
Love the pictures you have chosen, so so gorgeous. The barn is all white, wood, glass, stone and slate so I am fighting for colour wherever I can. I love sea greens and duck egg blues, indigo tones and pinks, coral and gold. Goodness knows how that lot will come together and how much we will have left for lovely furnishings after paying for the build…. I can see us our 2 up 2 down furniture being like a tiny island in the new space.
Cannot wait to see the new house and garden- and the break in rented gives you a chance to really think about what to do and what will work. Roll on moving day.
Lucy I hope you will be sending us pictures of the barn when it’s finished, it sounds perfect. Also a fan of all these colours you mention but have no idea how to make them work together x
Beautiful inspiration pictures! So excited to see what you do with the new place!
An aside – do you happen to know what the colour is of the sage green room and door? It is THE colour I have been searching for for our lounge. Thank you! x
So excited to see the new pad and what you do with it! I nick loads of ideas from you and Laurens house pics ?!
We’ve been in a year just over and have gone for all neutral colors (whites/off whites) on the walls to give it a blank canvas and then as we settle in and get to know the spaces and what works etc we will add colours as and when. I’m not a risk taker though and like soft colours and neutrals and prefer to add louder colors through accessories so it’s easier to change if you get bored! We’ve spent a lot already changing two main rooms and are still saving for all the big furnishings (Loaf has a lot to answer for!)! I have my eye on a Pudding sofa but debating he colour as I’m afraid my taste will change if I go for a bold one and it’s too costly to replace in a year or so! It’s so exciting having plans and ideas but it’s balance and we want to travel and see other places as well as make our home lovely. My friend said to me, making a home takes time and you get ther gradually by living in it and adding to it bit by bit so I’m trying to think that way rather than be gutted I can’t go and buy everything I want and have the whole house turned around in a few years lol! We need a new bathroom (would love the retro tiles Iv seen everywhere lately for the floor) and potentially the best part of a new kitchen eventually and want to convert the cellar to a garden room ??! In it for the long haul! ?? Good luck with the move! Xx
I just love the pudding sofas too, perhaps we should all club together and try and get bulk discount!!!! I was set on either the orange or turquoise but now I’ve seen your picture with the pink……..
A bulk discount sounds like a great idea! x
Do it Charlotte! I’ve just ordered the Flopster in Dusty pink velvet from Loaf and I can’t wait for it to arrive, just in time for the nights to start drawing in! Surprisingly my husband wasn’t fussed at all about the pink – he’s more worried about what our dogs will do to it!
Jen I am VERY jealous. That is a good point though, Fathead does tend to leave his furry backside all over the living room ? I’ll have to make any pink sofa I buy a cat-free zone x
Can highly recommend shutters throughout if possible. They’re the best thing we brought for the studio and will defo be repeating them in the new house. As I’ve promised hubby this house won’t be all white I’m adding colour in other ways…..starting with the front door and gate being a bright mint green. I’ve also compromised on my love of soft pink and agreed to just have it in the bathroom – more painted roll top bath and not 70s bathroom suite though. I can’t wait to see your new home. Going to look gorge I bet xxx
Louise where did you buy your shutters from? And I’m loving the sound of pink in the bathroom! It’s the one compromise with our new home, the bathrooms are quite small. We’re going to see about extending the family one eventually but we’ll have to wait a while x
Our interior design spends have come to an abrupt halt when we found out that we needed a very expensive bat survey & CAD drawings for our new roof – listed building woes (#oldmanseproject )
But I did see this yesterday and thought I need to have it in my tv snug attic room (when i get it) https://www.therugseller.co.uk/sanderson-manila-rugs-46407-in-green/p-30-1059-27167-0
Slightly off topic, but can anyone recommend a lovely white paint for a bedroom which isn’t too clinical?
I always use Dulux Supermatt White these days. (You can see it in my bedroom makeover). None of the harshness of a brilliant white x
We use that and also Silica White is a family favourite from Fired Earth – slight touch of cream to it, very warm while appearing white. x
Love this post Charlotte! I’ve always liked your current place – it has a lovely feel about it but I know the new one is going to be incredible. I have every faith in your persuasion methods – you’ll get that sofa 😉
Obviously you are going to come round and assist with the interior design right? 🙂
I love colour in the home and you should fight your corner for some more feminine tones. I went to a lovely cafe several times in Stockholm as it was so bloomin’ gorgeous and your post just reminded me of it. One end is mint green with peach accents and a pale grey flooring. The same flooring and colours darken towards the other end of the cafe until it is teal with a more industrial and masculine feel. I found the decor really inspiring! Here’s a link https://www.yatzer.com/desert-colours-find-their-way-stockholm-interior-note-design-studio
How exciting Charlotte – your new place sounds amazing! Definitely a before and after post please xx
ps I’m personally not a huge fan of pink inside the house except for my daughter (although I do like the idea!), however the exterior of our house is a peachy pink and I love it! Paired with Tempest for the front door to add a bit of contrast.
Oh Annie a peachy pink house sounds beautiful! I’m not aware of Tempest but going to google it right now! x
I have a bright yellow walled hall with soft grey woodwork. Very bright Farrow & Ball yellow but fabulous in our dark north facing hall. We also have a deep blue living room and deep red dining room which my husband hates, but is fine with the rest). Colour is so dependant on light so do patch test to see what works, but do be brave! I adore my colours (the bedroom is white and greys) and am very happy with lots of colour.
SO exciting to have a big new house to start from scratch on! We just renovated and I’ve been gradually buying things to go in it – it takes time (and more importantly, money!) ours is getting there slowly. I have brilliant white throughout the whole house – I just love white and a real blank canvas. Floors are white wood ? And we have white shutters. Lots of white…… I like to add interest with changeable things. Downstairs is open plan and we have touches of marble, gold, blush and brighter pink with lots of lush green plants. Our bedroom has white/pale grey wood floors, grey/blush bedding, a blush and gold chair from West Elm (got in BIG trouble for ordering that) and again I’ve added touches of gold. I need some artwork for more interest – this kind of thing I find the most difficult to find/fall in love with! My little boy’s room is monochrome superhero themed and the new babe will have mint, gold and white with a Red Indian theme when he swaps rooms.
We’ve just ordered a grey leather sofa as we have a dog so fabric is a no no for us, but had to mention that IKEA have a GORGEOUS pale pink modular sofa that I’m in love with. Fabric so not poss for us but please someone else buy it!
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