At Home With Emma @emmas_achilty_home
This week we are at home with Emma. The lovely lady behind the beautiful home instagram account @emmas_achilty_home where she shares inspirational images of her amazing home on the edge of a forest in Scotland. Read on to discover more about the very creative Emma, her home and family life. For anyone who loves all things interior and country living, her instagram account is a must see. It's certain to inspire and is packed with decor ideas that you will love.
Tell us a bit about you
My name is Emma Brown and I am 34 years old, married with 2 beautiful children, (Harris age 4 and Aoife nearly 2). We live on the edge of Culbin Forest which is a beautiful forest stretching over 8 miles along the Morayshire coastline. We are incredibly lucky as we can reach the gorgeous sandy beaches less than a 20 minute cycle from our house. We enjoy endless beautiful walks in Culbin with our black cocker spaniel Holly.
Tell us about your home
Our home is a self-build which we completed over 7 years ago. It was hands down the most stressful experience of our lives but looking back was all worth it in the end. We never intended to build but after stumbling across the plot of land, we just knew we had to. Our home is a 4-bedroom, modern country style home with vaulted windows, dry stone walls and wooden larch cladding.
How would you describe your home?
Our style is very much modern country. I am obsessed with Farmhouse decor as I was brought up on a farm. So, our home has lots of nods to this with our wooden beams (reclaimed from a Speyside Distillery), a Rayburn in the kitchen and wooden latch doors upstairs.
Which is your favourite room in the house?
My favourite room in the house is the kitchen. We have a vaulted ceiling, the wooden beams which add so much character and my beloved Rayburn. When designing the house, we wanted to create a bright open family area where we can all be together. We have achieved this with the addition of the cosy snug area and a large farmhouse kitchen table.
How does your home reflect any passions or interests?
My home definitely reflects my passion for interiors. Growing up my mum always had a beautiful home so well put together, so this has always been something I have taken great joy in creating here in my home. I love to 'faff’ as my husband calls it. I always have the next renovation project in my head before the previous is completed.
What are your favourite items in the home?
One of my most favourite items in my home is the gorgeous blanket box i have as a coffee table in our living room. This was actually my brother and I's toy box from when we were young so it holds special memories and has lots of character.
When you moved into your house was it the finished article or was it a project?
It was very nearly finished. We moved into our house on the 23rd of December and I was determined to host Christmas dinner for all the family. Crazy I know but it was almost liveable, and we managed.
What renovation and decorating have you done?
We have done lots of redecorating over the years slowly introducing colour, one room at a time. When we moved in the whole house was done in Natural Hessian as I was told you are better to live there first before making decisions like colour choices.
The biggest renovation has been just recently with the completion of the extension of our utility room. This was a big project and took so much longer due to the pandemic. However, the result is quite simply amazing, it’s everything I have ever dreamt of and more. We had a tiny utility before and soon realised once kids came along it was just too small. Now we have the most amazing space, and the old utility is now a Laundry room. We had a joiner do most of the work however hubby did all the block work and then discovered a new skill of plastering.
Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?
Thankfully we haven’t had too many DIY disasters. My hubby is very talented and can generally turn his hand to most things. My only disaster has been painting and not having enough paint going back to buy more and finding out only after I had done all the touch ups that the batch number was different. I certainly won’t be doing that again.
What is your top home styling tip?
Styling tips.....be brave!! Go for the dark colours or the bright colours. If you don't like it, it can always be painted over. I have given up on buying testers now I just go for it. You can never have too many throws, cushions or baskets they instantly can transform a room and they don’t need to be expensive either. My favourite shop is TK Max I love picking up bargains!
Is there anything in your home that you couldn’t live without?
I couldn’t live without the Rayburn. It really is my pride and joy for cooking, warming up on a cold day and for drying clothes....it’s the best!
They say that every home tells visitors a story about who lives there. What do you think your home says about you?
I like to think our home tells the story of a happy family, it may look tidy on Instagram but there is always toys lying here, there and everywhere and I wouldn’t change that for the world. It’s a lived-in happy home.
The Home Edit
Lived-in or showhome?
Lived-in
If you could only paint your walls one colour, which one would it be?
Hands down Farrow and Ball’s French Grey
What is your pet hate when it comes to your own or other’s homes?
Clutter (I really hate clutter lying around)
Favourite front door colour?
Cuprinol’s Willow
Carpet or Floorboards?
Floorboards
Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?
Kitchen table dining
High gloss or rustic?
Rustic
Wallpaper or Brick Walls?
Ooh tough I have a couple of wallpaper renovations on the cards at the moment but overall if I could have it Brick walls.
Want More?
If you enjoyed being at home with Emma, 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 view Emma's beautiful instagram account here It's well worth a look!