At Home With Catherine @myhomestyle31

This week I'm at home with Catherine, the lovely lady behind the popular instagram account @myhomestyle31 where she shares incredible images of her beautiful home. Read on to learn more about Catherine, her home, lifestyle, family and also her top home decor tips. 

 

Tell us about you

My name is Catherine and I live in beautiful Wiltshire with my husband and three children. I’ve always loved home interiors and have recently become more interested in the garden too.

 

Tell us about your home

My home is a traditional, but now extended, 1930’s semi close to town but also within walking distance of the beautiful surrounding countryside. We moved here just over 20 years ago with three very small children in tow.

 

How would you describe your home?

My home style is a bit mixed where my tastes and current trends have changed over the years. At the moment I like the panelled walls and neutral shades look. I like accessories but not too much clutter.

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

My favourite room is currently the dining room as it is the room most recently redecorated so reflects my current favourite styles. I also love our hallway as it is a lovely size and is light and airy.

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests?

My home reflects that I change my mind a lot! We have a few bits of furniture that I have upcycled, which is a new favourite pastime of mine.

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

We have some lovely oak modular furniture that is great quality and very versatile. We’ve arranged it in various ways over the years but it is currently housing everything we need to make perfect cocktails!

 

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

Definitely a project! We didn’t realise how much needed doing until we had actually moved in. It needed a new everything really! There was a downstairs loo that was accessed from outside, a falling down lean-to and wash basins in the two main bedrooms, not to mention a kitchen you wouldn’t want to cook in and a bathroom you wouldn’t want to bathe in! But we knew it had potential.

 

What renovation and decorating have you done?

We gradually replaced the kitchen, bathroom, windows, woodwork, radiators, electrics, floorings and redecorated each room. We also added a single storey extension giving us a family room, a study, a cloakroom and a utility room. My husband has done the vast majority of the work himself. I have been known to make curtains, blinds and cushions and upcycle furniture.

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

I once took a big patch of plaster off the wall with a wallpaper steamer and dropped a heavy metal fixture onto a newly laid kitchen floor, cracking a couple of tiles!

 

What is your top home styling tip?

Go with neutrals for the main areas and larger pieces of furniture and brighten with pops of colour in items that can easily be changed up, like cushions, throws, towels and other accessories.

 

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

My husband and kids obviously! But I actually couldn’t live without my garden. We added a garden building and a new patio area just before the first lockdown and then spent a lot of time enjoying the space during the glorious summer that year and since. I love spending time out there. We’ve added a water feature and a pergola too now.

 

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

I’d like to think that my home says “Come on in, I’ll put the kettle on! Or would you prefer a cocktail?!”

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in or showhome?

A bit of both. I like to be relaxed but tidy.

 

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

Strong White by Farrow and Ball

 

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

Shoes left out in the porch and coats left hanging on the banister

 

Favourite front door colour

Black

 

Carpet or Floorboards

Carpets in cosy rooms and hard floors everywhere else

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

I like the convenience of a kitchen table but love to dress a dining table for entertaining or Christmas

 

High gloss or rustic?

Rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Wallpaper – my husband prefers hanging wallpaper to painting!

 

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Catherine, 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

You can catch up with Catherine's instagram account here. It's well worth a look!