1. Add texture through textiles

Textiles on all surfaces make rooms feel so much more comfortable and cosy. I love finding ways to incorporate more softness to rooms, especially living in England where it’s chilly 10 months of the year. For me that is second-hand rugs, beautiful textiles on the walls for artwork and layers of quilts and blankets. 

2. Learn to love unfinished spaces

Even when rooms are unfinished, especially in a long-term renovation like ours, I find ways to hang art and make them ‘nice’ for the time being. Sometimes this prolongs getting the work done, but it does make me feel less depressed looking at awful rooms. The artwork is always the first thing I unpack when moving and will hang it up on existing hooks, just to have it feel like your space.

3. Treat every corner like a work of art

Art for me goes beyond pictures on the wall. Every surface in my house is fair game to being covered in something handmade, old or sentimental. This extends to just everything in the house. Most of the everyday objects I use I’ve picked up second hand, cost less than new ones and are far better quality, not to mention a lot more beautiful. I have a real love for particular objects and feel like it adds a little extra joy to the everyday. A favourite mug or spoon or pair of scissors is very satisfying.

4. Source second-hand

We buy as much second-hand as we can. If there is something we need, I go straight to Ebay and FB first. It makes for a more interesting interior every time. This extends to everything, sinks, taps, tiles, beds, sofas, stoves, TVs. Plus you can sell it on if for usually the same amount of some reason it doesn’t work for you anymore.

5. Build a diverse art collection

Our house is filled with artwork that I have been collecting my whole adult life. It’s a mix of things by friends, up-and-coming artists, things brought home from travels and vintage. It takes time and patience to build up a collection, but I keep an eye out all the times for things I love from local artists and online. And it must have been said a million times, but there is so much vintage artwork – ready framed often too – already out there waiting to be found.

I usually whizz in and spend 5 minutes in my local charity shops at least once a week rummaging the art piles, plus regularly go to boot fairs and antique shops. I only ever find anything good about 1 in 20 times, but it's always worth it when you find an original for a few pounds.

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