Constantly evolving interiors

I've been spending every evening for the past few weeks poking about amongst old photos and aside from some of the hilarious outfits I've come across (worn by certain family members - say no more!) I noticed how my decor has changed over the years. Having lived in 10 different houses in as many years I've certainly had experience in playing with varying property specs, room sizes and types of home. Unfortunately I don't have many photos of the majority of properties I've lived in (by the time I get the camera out I'm practically moving out again!) but I know for sure that money has generally been tight when it comes to buying furniture and accessories as well as flooring, paint and wallpaper. Nevertheless I have never let this stop me from finding ways to create a home that works for me and that I have felt has its own style.

Ok, so what kind of looks have I had? There's been really cheap and really cheerful, I've got an example of that here;

This was the dining area in a kitchen diner in a house we bought on the outskirts of Birmingham. The house was so dull when we moved in and it was within a matter of just a couple of weeks that we decided to up sticks again and move back to Devon. So in order to get a quick sale and at least cover costs, if not make some profit, we gave the whole house a spruce up on a mega tight budget. We injected loads of colour by colour blocking walls and used plain white frames to mount co-ordinating wrapping paper. Up-cycled second hand furniture and junk finds filled the house with an elective bunch of items that despite their incongruity, pulled off a fun look, perfect for the young professional couple that ended up buying it.

There's been the pastel-y, vintage-y, country inspired look, which meant lots of pinks, duck egg blues and cream with painted and distressed furniture and neutral carpets. The photo of the main bedroom here is a good example of how I achieved this look;

I experimented with lilac and silver in my bedroom (not the photo above, which is obviously pink!), which once done and although it looked beautiful, I vowed never to do  again - I hate lilac but I wanted to give it a go and see how it turned out (it's always good to experiment, if you don't like the end of the result just do it again!). Laura Ashley fabric seconds and painted old car boot furniture were a bit of a go-to for this tiny new build house. Once I'd decorated the house I was completely bored of the look as it felt too twee for me so it was fab news when we managed to get our hands on a knackered, repo 4 bed house that needed a complete overhaul and a lot of TLC. Here are a few shots of that house;

In this house, I had wanted a simple, modern, white backdrop onto which I could layer bright colours. I had a burning desire to keep it entirely pared back with no fuss or complication. The downstairs was completely open plan, not a door in sight, except for the front door and one for the cloakroom. The upstairs was much the same, with multi-functional rooms for crafting, painting, lounging, sleeping, playing and working. This was my home office;

Colourful & busy but well organised!

There have been various homes between the ones I've shared photos of today, all of which have been decorated differently. Even though my tastes continue to evolve, there are a few key elements that always remain the same;
I love tidiness.
I hate clutter.
I love clean and clear surfaces and organised drawers and cupboards.
I hate personal photographs being on display.
I love fresh flowers and candles.

My current house is rented but I like what I have managed to do with the space;

Since moving into this rented house, I've been looking for the next house to buy and whilst doing so have been collating inspiration in my Style File. I just had a quick flick through it and noticed something quite remarkable...there's a lot of darker hues in it. Maybe my passion for white + bight has subsided and the next step of my constantly evolving interior style is going to take me to the dark side.

I suppose what I'm ultimately trying to say, is that no one look is perfect. Neither is a room ever completely 'finished', there is always a new way of styling it, adding to it, taking away from it, rejigging it...it's all about the constant evolution of it.

Ooh navy, sludgy greys, black raspberry and copper here I come *smile*

Yums! Peter Fehrentz's apartment in Berlin

www.homerestyler.co.uk