At Home With Helen @myconvertedschoolhouse

This week we are at home with the talented Helen, the lady behind the popular and beautiful instagram account @myconvertedschoolhouse

Helen shares stunning images of her 1896 converted schoolhouse home and is keen on interior design.  She has recently purchased an other property and will be sharing images of the conversion work as it happens

 

Tell us about you

My name is Helen I live at ‘My Converted School House’ with my husband Andrew and my son Richard, I also have a daughter, but she lives in Bristol.

I am an Executive Assistant for a construction company but luckily, I only work four days a week.  I studied interior design at college many years ago and I also used to make curtains and had a little curtain business at one point.

My house has recently just sold, so I am hopefully moving to Cheshire to be able to live closer to my family and friends, we have found a house so hopefully the house moving process will all go to plan 

The house we have found does need some work doing to it, and we are looking to extend it so a bit of a project, which I will share with you all soon.

 

Tell us about your home

My Converted School house was built in 1896 and was an old school house/children’s home until about 10 years ago a builder converted it into several homes, it is modern contemporary living in a beautiful old building.

 

How would you describe your home?

My style is a bit of a mixture of contemporary with a traditional feel.

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

My dressing room is definitely my favourite room, we had the wardrobes hand made by @enquiries14 Old Farmhouse Furniture, who did a wonderful job, the wardrobes are built from tulip wood and painted in Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone, and I love them.  When I move, I am going to miss these wardrobes and I hope to replicate them in the new house.

 

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests?

My interests are interiors and interior design, and I love styling my home. 

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

My favourite items have to be my Neptune furniture, I love every piece I have bought, its great quality and I think super stylish.

 

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

Luckily it was the finished article although we have done quite a few jobs in the house, we converted a bedroom on the ground floor level into a utility room,  we had the wardrobes fitted in the dressing room, we have also replaced the en-suite bathroom, replaced the hob and the oven, had a log burner fitted and had the patio in the garden extended. 

 

Have you done any renovation?

As per previous question – I don’t do decorating! 😊 haha

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

No I am always careful with my choices, and do lots of research before I decide on anything.

 

What is your top home styling tip?

I get lots of ideas from Instagram and Pinterest, always try and have your own style and go with what you love.

 

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

My log burner!  It’s a Rais log burner and just amazing it heats the room in no time at all, again I will be replicating this at my new house.

 

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

I hope my home reflects my style and my love of interior design. 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in or show home?

Show home

 

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

White

 

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

Clutter

 

Favourite front door colour

Farrow & Ball Railings

 

Carpet or Floorboards

Depends in which room

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Kitchen table dining

 

High gloss or rustic?

Neither really, not keen on rustic and not a lover of gloss.

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Depends on the room/setting I prefer plastered walls or panelling

If you enjoyed being at home with Helen, 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" interviews here