At Home With Alexa Weston @our_new_walls

This week we are at home with Alexa Weston the creative lady behind the beautiful instagram account @our_new_walls where she shows us her journey creating a modern, rustic style in a new build home and shares home styling projects

 

Tell us a bit about you

I live not far from the City of Bath in Wiltshire with my husband and our daughter Eleanor. We’re lucky enough to be surrounded by countryside but also close enough to pop to the shops.

 

Tell us about your home

We live in a brand new development and moved into our home over three years ago. We actually bought our house off-plan, so we were lucky enough to watch it being built over time. It’s situated on the corner of our estate and I remember getting very excited about having a wooden framed porch and a front garden.

 

How would you describe your home?

Although it is a new build, I’ve really enjoyed adding some rustic touches along the way. We have completed quite a fair bit of DIY inside our house over the past two years to add a more traditional touch. Panelling, wallpaper and a recent fireplace that my husband built for us has definitely helped to give our home a more rustic aesthetic.

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

Since building a fireplace, it would have to be our living room. It has completely transformed the space and has brought a touch of character to our bare walls. I also love nothing more than settling down for the evening under a blanket on our sofas. I remember choosing them in store and couldn’t resist how big and comfortable they were. They are still one of my favourite purchases to date.

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests that you have?

Good question! Interior styling is certainly my number one passion and judging by the amount of candles, accessories and vases I have stored in the cupboards, I think my home may reflect this. I am definitely one who has different interests on the go and I have a long list of ever changing passions. This is certainly reflected in my home as it’s changed quite a lot over the three years we’ve lived here.

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

I think it has to be anything that has come about since having our daughter. From the cot set we first assembled in her room to the mark she made on the back of the door when she found a felt tip pen after she started to walk. Although the latter is most definitely not a conventional favourite, it will always remind me of how little she was and that’s what makes a home so special isn’t it, the memories.

 

When you moved into your house was it the finished article or was it a project?

Being a new build house it definitely had a finished feel to it. However, for us it has been a project with different DIY ideas coming to light along the way. It’s wonderful adding your own personal touches whether your home is old or new.

 

Have you done any renovation?

We added traditional panelling to our living room, along with a fireplace feature to our lounge. I’ve definitely learnt to slow down and enjoy the process of decorating more as opposed to rushing to get it finished. When I did this I’ve ended up changing my mind a few times once the project is done!

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

I did attempt to put some shelves up in Eleanor’s room once whilst my husband was out playing football. Let’s just say three holes appeared in the wall by the time he came home and I was swiftly advised to step away from the drill.

 

What is your top home styling tip?

I think when it comes to styling your home my tip would be, it’s a lifelong quest and never quite finished. I read the best article once that said ‘the fastest way to a good life is to slow down’ and how the same can be said for the most successful interiors. The ‘not finishing’ aspect of a house is one of importance. If we thought we’d done it all and not continued to add different accessories, painted walls or styled old shelves, our homes wouldn’t be half as lovely as they are now.

 

Is there anything in your home that you couldn’t live without?

Tapered candles and my fireplace

 

They say that every home tells visitors a story about who lives there. What do you think your home says about you?

Another good question! I hope it reflects a love of styling as well as us as a family. Cosy spaces that are used by Eleanor when playing with endless toys but also snippets of art and flowers that bring me joy.

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in look or showhome?

Ooh, I do love a good showhome

 

If you could only paint your walls one colour, which one would it be?

Nutmeg White by Dulux. A gorgeous classic shade of creamy-beige

 

What is your pet hate when it comes to your own or other’s homes?

For me, it’s when my house gets too cluttered

 

Favourite front door colour

Pigeon by Farrow & Ball

 

Carpet or Floorboards

Carpet

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

It’s kitchen dining for day-to-day but how lovely it is to dress a dinner table for formal dining

 

High gloss or rustic?

Rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Wallpaper

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Alexa, you might like to take a look inside other popular home styling accounts on instagram and find out more about the people behind them. You can see more of these "at home with" interviews here