At Home With Belle @designermumetc

Each week we feature the people responsible for some of the best Instagram home theme accounts.

This week we are at home with Belle the creative and fun loving lady behind the fabulous home instagram account @designermumetc where she shares her love of interior design and day to day life

Tell us a bit about you

I live in an old Georgian farmhouse in North Nottinghamshire with my 3 boys and I co own a design consultancy with my husband. My passion is interiors and renovations and after 9 projects, I’m now settled in what I hope will be our forever home.

 

 Tell us about your home

We own a 5 bedroom Grade II listed Georgian farmhouse with converted carrot barns in Nottinghamshire dating back to 1800's which we bought in July 2014

 

How would you describe your home?

I’d say a mix of quirky and traditional

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

I currently love the cosy lounge. Its where we have the log burner is and it’s such a warm and cosy room, its perfect for a cup of tea in the morning or a glass of wine at night to unwind.

In the summer I do love being in the barn. The huge windows let in so much light and with all the art we have in there, it’s such a happy place.

 

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

Art plays a huge part in our home.  As you look through our house you’ll see we have many advertising posters dating back to the 50's as well as incredible paintings by very talented artists.

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

I love the art, antique shops for unique finds which I have so many of.  Nash Interiors is my place of choice for most of our furniture as they seem to have so many unique pieces. I believe that a statement piece of furniture which lasts a lifetime, is far more creative (and cost effective in the long run) than constantly changing to suit the latest buzz. I have so much admiration for those who upcycle as it makes it more personal and unique.

 

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

We wanted a property that had a big project attached to it, so the carrot barn, which is connected to the main house was perfect. We wanted to convert the barn so we could have a larger entertainment space for family gatherings and also a spare room for relatives to stay in.

Our intention was also to create an office space where we could work from. The house itself needed a lot of work when we first saw it, everything had to be stripped out, from the carpets to other types of flooring.

I knew what I wanted in the kitchen so I took on the design myself and had a joiner who had worked on fixing the sash windows in our office build the shaker style units with an island in the middle. The layout is the same as the original, other than the placement of the sink. However, I’ve added more storage space to the island while also making the unit narrower than the existing island, which the owners took with them. We also added a pantry cupboard in the far corner. I achieved this style by using recycled wood and an old slate pool table worktop, which has helped to create a vintage feel. I also found that using two different colours for the wood adds that depth to the overall look and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out.

I am really happy with all the work we have done so far. There is still so much to do, and I often think, is a house ever really finished? But the main structure is now in place so it's now just a matter of updating the decor in the different rooms.

 

Have you done any renovation?

I have stencilled some original tiles in our bathroom which have turned out really well and much cheaper than replacing the original tiles.

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

Many, especially with walls!

 

What is your top home styling tip?

When I look at a room, I always have a base colour. I then layer on top of this using lots of different textures, patterns and colours that tonally work well together and then occasionally add a striking piece to create a little disruption.

 

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

My logburner!

 

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

We are fun, outgoing and creative people and I believe you definitely see that when you visit our home.

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in look or showhome?

Lived in look

 

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

Off white. We have so much art that a good neutral base is best for showing them off and they instant bring such life to a room.

 

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

Having the same look and feel everywhere. It’s a little too boring for me although I do appreciate that others like that.

 

Favourite front door colour

Oval room blue.

 

Carpet or Floorboards

Floorboards

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Both!

 

High gloss or rustic?

rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Brick walls

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Belle, 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" articles here