At Home With Hannah @tallboysandme

This week I'm delighted to be at home with Hannah, the lovely lady behind the fabulous instagram account @tallboysandme where she shares beautiful images of her wonderful country farmhouse. Read on to learn more about Hannah, her home, lifestyle, family and also some top home decor tips.

 

Tell us about you

We live in quite a remote part of north Yorkshire and came back to live here almost two years ago because it’s where my husband and I both grew up. We fell in love with the house because of its location and the amazing views we get from every single window.

After a very varied career I now coach others in their careers and life transitions. The environment here is a source of inspiration every day, and it fuels my work.

 

Tell us about your home

The house was built in 1846 by a local stonemason. He built a small ‘studio’ building first – which is in the garden – and he and his family lived in that until the main house was built. I think the fact that he was building his own house explains the little touches of grandeur like the giant window in the stairwell and the stone columns at the front door! It’s made of Yorkshire stone (of course) with a slate roof.

I’ve always loved farmhouses since I lived in quite a few growing up. These types of houses have a constant stream of animals and muddy boots going in and out.

With this house we started with a very blank canvas and kept it all simple, but I’m really enjoying injecting more colour and texture through the textiles and accessories I choose.

 

How would you describe your home?

It’s a country farmhouse so quite rustic and simple in design. The rooms aren’t big but they’re well proportioned. I always think it’s quite a practical house and designed for its location. You want to be able to look out, admire the views and stay warm… and it’s built with those things in mind!

I always think it looks like the sort of house you learn to draw as a child – four windows, door in the middle, fence around the front garden.

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

At the moment it’s the kitchen because we had that done for us by a local cabinet maker and so it’s beautiful and bespoke to the house. If I was writing this in another year, I’d like to be saying the boot room. It’s the next project to do and I can’t wait.

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests?

My passion - if you can describe it as that - is for the outdoors and the more rural the better. I would happily live in wellies and fill the place with donkeys, sheep, chickens, maybe a goat or two and some more dogs! Watch this space…

  

What are your favourite items in the home?

We’ve inherited some beautiful antique pine furniture from my parents, which I love, and it really goes well with the type of house and the period it was built in. The wardrobe in my youngest son’s room was the wardrobe I had in my bedroom growing up. It’s that sort of thing that’s lovely to hang onto.

 

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

It was easy to move straight in so not a total project, but we knew there were things we wanted to do. We’ve changed the windows – which was a huge investment but totally transformed how the house looks so it was worth it. It’s also improved our ability to keep it warm!

There are many more things on the list and the list never seems to get shorter, but I’m sure everyone feels the same, especially living in old houses. They’re a commitment and always need work.

 

What renovation and decorating have you done?

I’m a much better sander and painter now than I was but that’s probably as much as I’ve done. My husband has done loads of things and we’re both a lot more confident at giving things a go than we were. I think my new skill is being more patient and knowing that things rarely end up exactly as you’d envisioned, but you love them because they’re your work!

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

Not really disasters but the walls are full of holes where we’ve tried and failed to put up pictures. We battle with the Yorkshire stone and the stone often wins.

 

What is your top home styling tip?

Take your time and stick with your instinct.

 

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

The super-king bed we bought when we moved here. I could never go back to anything smaller now.

 

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

That I’m a country girl at heart and always will be.

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in look or showhome?

Always lived-in.

 

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

Farrow and Ball Wimborne White

 

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

I wish we had a hallway to walk into but houses like this just didn’t have them. I’m still not used to walking straight into the main room.

 

Favourite front door colour?

Totally depends on the location and style of the house, whether you have brick or stone. Country I’d go green, something like F&B Green Smoke perhaps. City I’d go a deep burgundy or maybe a yellow to keep everyone cheered up.

 

Carpet or Floorboards?

Floorboards

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Kitchen table – can’t remember the last time I did any formal dining!

 

High gloss or rustic?

Rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Wallpaper – but I’ve never had it. The walls are always too bumpy and wonky. But one day I’d love some wallpaper, even just a bit in a downstairs loo would do me.

 

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Hannah, 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 Hannah's instagram account here. It's well worth a look!