At Home With Lily @lilsbloomsandbakes

This week I'm at home with Lily, the lovely, baking mad, flower loving, creative home styling lady behind the very popular instagram account @lilsbloomsandbakes where she shares beautiful images of her home and some amazing images of her delicious looking home made cakes as well as floral arrangements.  Read on to learn more about Lily, her home, lifestyle, family and home styling tips. 

Tell us about you and your home

Hello, my name is Lily and I am a wife and stay at home mum of two little boys, Dylan (three) and Freddie (one). We live in Alton, Hampshire along with our dog Alfie so I am very much outnumbered by the boys, but I absolutely love it.

We live in a 1970s semi detached house that we rent from family friends, they are very kind and let us have the freedom to decorate to our taste and style.

When we moved in three and a half years ago the house needed some attention; we added new carpets, painted all the walls, ceilings and skirting boards in the house, new light fittings were needed in every room as well as some tiling. It was very much a blank canvas so now it really feels like our home. We also did a lot of work on the garden to make it a safe and enjoyable space for the boys to play, adding a Wendy house that we upcycled, a sandbox that we also upcycled, building some planters and of course planting many flowers for colour.

 

How would you describe your home?

I would say our home style is lived in, homely and pastel. I used to keep the house immaculate until I had two toddlers and now, I can’t keep up with their mess so I have adapted my style to be more shabby chic over the years! That way a bit of chipped paint here and there doesn’t matter too much. I have also discovered wipeable paint which with the boys is a life saver. 

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

My favourite room in the house is the kitchen/ dining room as it is a lovely open plan area which gets lots of evening sunshine in the summer months. It is also my happy place as I am a passionate baker and It’s also the place where I display my collection of pottery that I really love to collect.

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests?

My passion is baking, my husband very kindly got me a beautiful pink kitchen aid mixer for my birthday/Christmas this year and so I decided to paint the kitchen pink to match, and I absolutely love it. I’m hoping it will feel nice and bright come spring. I do tend to get bored easily and like to switch up wall colours or move furniture frequently, I always did this as a teenager and it would drive my mum crazy, this I find helps the house feel fresh and so I can have different set ups for different seasons.

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

I would say that my favourite items are my pink kitchen aid as I’ve wanted one for years and it allows me to bake so many things with ease (plus its pink), I also love our pink velour bed because it looks luxurious, is a great focal point to the room but also is very comfortable and practical.

 

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

When we moved in the house was definitely a project, as the carpet (that was over 35 years old) had all but disintegrated, there was a hole in the kitchen ceiling, and it was in desperate need of a deep clean having been empty for almost a year. Thankfully with some help from family and a handy husband we soon got it looking much more presentable and then we slowly added homely touches.

 

What renovation and decorating have you done and have you learnt any new skills?

I think my husband has acquired many skills in the process of renovating the property including tiling, installing dado rails, patching holes in ceilings, fitting new light fixtures to old wiring, plaster boarding and mixing and applying glitter paint (his idea of course).

I have learned that my preference is to a pastel colour scheme, how to make the house feel like a home by adding touches like candles, fairy lights, personal photos, and displaying precious keepsakes from the boys.

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

Our boiler had been leaking for a while without us being aware (its in the loft) as a result the entire landing ceiling fell down one afternoon. It was incredibly messy with soaked insulation hanging, dust everywhere, wallpaper ripped and peeled down and pieces of the ceiling all over the landing and stairs. It needed everything stripping out and replacing which was a sharp learning curve including re-wallpapering walls and the ceiling which was more challenging then we had anticipated.

 

What is your top home styling tip?

My top home styling tip would be don’t be afraid to let your home reflect your personality and your personal style preferences, I see lots of trend led home interior styles which is completely fine, but I try to stay away from anything that I would not normally buy myself if it were not a trend. I love finding one off second-hand pieces at car boot sales (they are great for finding unique home décor accessories).

A general home tip for any parents with little ones like me, is to try and stress less about the mess. I used to get very overwhelmed and frustrated when my boys would empty every single toy out on to the floor, throwing the sofa cushions off, lunch usually ending up on the floor, but I now try to let them have their time with their toys out and tidy up later in the afternoon. This way they get to have playtime with their toys, but you can also tidy up ready for a relaxing evening once they are in bed in a tidy room.

 

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

I couldn’t live without my creative corner in our spare bedroom, I have half the room painted in my favourite pale pink and my husband has the other half painted in blue. He has his computer for gaming and collection of trading cards displayed and I have my desk that he built for me with compartments for embroidery tools and thread, paints, clay and general crafting equipment. This is the room where we escape to once the children are in bed to unwind and enjoy our different hobbies but still in each other’s company.

 

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

I think our home probably reads chaotic, welcoming and love filled.

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in or showhome?

Lived in

 

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

Pink

 

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

Too much grey or colourless

 

Favourite front door colour?

Pale green or blue

 

Carpet or Floorboards?

Carpet

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Kitchen table dining

 

High gloss or rustic?

Rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

Wallpaper

 

Want More?

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