At Home With Emma @lifeathomewithemma

This week we are at home with Emma. The lovely lady behind the very popular home interior and Spanish lifestyle Instagram account @lifeathomewithemma where she shares beautiful images of her home in Ibiza. Read on to discover more about the creative Emma, her home and her top home styling and tips.

 

Tell us a bit about you

 Hi! I’m Emma from @lifeathomewithemma. I moved from the UK to Paris 17 years ago. When our daughter, Eleanor went to university, we decided we wanted a change and moved to Ibiza 4.5 years ago, where we had been coming on holiday for many years. Mark’s job is based in Cannes so technically, I’m meant to be living between the two places but since COVID struck, I haven’t left Ibiza! 

 

Tell us about your home 

Our home in Ibiza is 20 years old and was very typically ‘Spanish’ when we first moved in. We have terracotta tiles throughout the house and every inch of the bathrooms, toilets and kitchen are tiled too! Having two houses, our budget was zero for renovating this house so I have done everything myself as cheaply as I possibly could! 

 

How would you describe your home? 

I’m quite unsure what my home style is (obviously the Gemini in me!), as I like so many different styles! In my head I’m a minimalist but my home probably says differently!!  

 

Which is your favourite room in the house? 

 

The snug is my favourite room! We made some built-ins out of IKEA Billy bookcases and then colour-matched Benjamin Moore’s Salamander @decoratingcentreonline. We painted the entire wall including the cabinets and door and it worked really well! This is also home to my favourite boucle chair which only I am allowed to sit in! 

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests? 

I love being outside so this year we started work on the garden. We’re slowly getting there with it but unfortunately, living on an island means materials are eye-wateringly expensive so we’re having to do it bit by bit. 

 

What are your favourite items in the home? 

I absolutely adore the shelves in my kitchen that were made at our local wood yard using Sabina wood which is native to the island. The grain on the wood is just divine and the smell when I first got them was something else! 

 

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

When we moved in, it was like moving into the Marie Celeste as the previous owners left everything – and I mean everything!! It was completely furnished and had everything you could possibly need right down to crocheted tea pot warmers. Everything was original and not to our taste so over time we have been replacing furniture and doing up the rooms bit by bit. 

 

What renovation and decorating have you done?

Thanks to instagram and specifically @mishkashoe, I have most definitely developed a love of DIY and decorating. The first DIY project we did was in our Cannes house where we built a barn door to cover our utility area. Since then, I have laid a concrete patio in our house in Ibiza, renovated the kitchen, made built-in wardrobes to name but a few. My birthday presents this year included an electric saw and work bench! 

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters? 

Hmm, not yet that I can think of. I have changed my mind several times on the style that I wanted which has resulted in about 50 cushion covers being stored under the spare bed, but so far so good with regards to the DIY.  I hope I haven’t just jinxed myself now! 

 

What is your top home styling tip? 

Go with your gut. No matter how lovely something looks in someone else’s home, it doesn’t mean it will suit your home. I love and appreciate lots of different styles and homes but know it wouldn’t always work for me. 

 

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

Obviously my husband but apart from that most definitely air conditioning. Ibiza is hot, hot, HOT in the summer but equally gets chilly at night in the winter. The homes aren’t very well insulated here so you definitely need some type of heating during the winter whatever the Estate Agents tell you. 

 

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

Oh, I do so hope it says ‘Welcome’!!! Pre-COVID we always had a lot of visitors so I have always tried to make my home as comfortable and welcoming as possible with added little touches in the bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone who stays. It’s definitely a home for entertaining!  

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in or showhome?  

Showhome! I like things to be orderly and everything having a place. 

 

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

White. I like to have them as a blank canvas and add colour and texture through furnishings. 

  

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

 Worktops not wiped down. I’m specifically looking at my husband and daughter here.  Oh, and fingerprints all over the fridge. Use the flipping handle!

 

Favourite front door colour 

 Anything pastel although I’ve only had white upvc doors... :( 

 

Carpet or Floorboards  

Floorboards! When you’ve had floorboards and see all the dirt that accumulates on them, you’d never want to go back to carpet!  

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Both! I always like to eat at a table and love setting them whether it’s a formal or informal meal. 

  

High gloss or rustic? 

I’d have to choose ‘Rustic’ as I can’t deal with the fingerprints on high gloss.

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls? 

Wallpaper. I’ve recently got in to wallpaper again having decorated my dressing room in Cannes. The smaller the room definitely the bolder the wallpaper can be.

 

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 popular instagram account here.