At Home With Nicola @behindthefrontdoor1

This week we are at home with Nicola. The creative lady behind the very popular instagram account @behindthefrontdoor1 where she shares images of her  lovely home and her day to day life.

 

Tell us a bit about you

Hi, my name is Nicola and I live in a small town in the west of Ireland in County Mayo.  My home is situated in a small development in a lovely neighbourhood just outside the town.

I work part time in social media marketing by creating content for small businesses who are just starting out on social media. 

I also founded the hashtag page @caringtoshareyourfeed on instagram just over a year ago and it has been very successful. Myself and the other hosts work really hard at trying to ensure everyone who plays along gets to be seen on story shares as much as possible. I love every minute of it and have met some wonderful people, especially my co hosts, along the way.

Nothing feels better than giving a new account a shout out or share and helping them to grow and I really think we are achieving that on @caringtoshareyourfeed

 

Tell us about your home

We moved into our house as a new build in 2002. Its a five bedroom detached two story house with a good size garden in a small neighbourhood.

How would you describe your home?

I would describe my house as quite modern with some rustic styling added here and there for variation. I like traditional features and would like to add panelling to some of the bedrooms and possibly sitting room to mix up the interiors styles in the house. I'd ideally like a minimalistic look but with a house full of boys this isn't very practical, maybe when they have all flown the nest I can start all over again with a clutter free minimalistic look!!

Which is your favourite room in the house?

My favourite room in the house is the sitting room. It's where we spend most of our time as a family relaxing, watching TV or playing board games.

I recently redecorated by painting the units a dark grey to match the chimney breast and changed the floor to a light grey wood which has totally transformed the room.  It’s cosy, modern and I just love the dark colours.

I've contrasted the dark grey by adding in modern art, colourful accessories and scatter cushions which I think works quite well.

How does your home reflect any passions or interests that you have?

I have always had a big interest in interiors, particularly in my own home, anyone who knows me knows my love for redecorating and home decor. I do paint walls regularly so they may not be the same colours from year to year.  However the darker I have gone the less inclined to re paint as often as it is a lot harder to paint over dark colours!!

 What are your favourite items in the home?

I love my staircase because of its design, its quite simple but works really well. I didn't want a straight staircase. It has two turns, one at the top and one at the bottom which makes it a little different. I also left it open under the stairs which also gives the hallway a larger and brighter feel.

 

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

When we moved in first it was a new build and so we were able to choose the finishing interiors look.

The style at the time was pine doors, pine kitchen and terracotta floor tiles which had quite the country home style look which I liked at the time. Yellow walls were big back then too!!

Fast forward to 2015 when I started to renovate the house to give it a much more modern look.

 

Have you done any renovation?

The original hallway was the first to be renovated. The terracotta tiles were replaced by white porcelain tiles which have much fresher, modern look although they are not easy to keep clean!! But they immediately made the space look so much brighter and bigger.

The access to the kitchen from the hall was to the left which left the hallway very dark. I blocked up that door and knocked a new one straight ahead which was at the end of the hallway. A new glass door maximised natural light into the hall which was one of the main goals in redesigning this space. The pine stairs were painted bright white and the banister charltan grey from Farrow & Ball finishing off the modern look I was aiming for.

The pine kitchen was repainted many times, first white, then dark grey but was replaced completely by a brand new high gloss kitchen two years ago.

There are no handles or knobs on the doors giving it a sleek modern finish. A large quartz top island finishes off the kitchen which is off-set by wooden counter tops to give a rustic feel mixing up the two styles.

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

Luckily no, well I don't think so. Every time I do some DIY I am very nervous as to how it’s going to look, but I think I have been lucky so far, however I do tend to play it as safe as possible

 

What is your top home styling tip?

Honestly, I really don't have one. I go with what I like not what I think people want to see. I think it’s very important to be true to yourself and have your home the way you like it.

What one person may like another might not and that’s absolutely fine in my book. I'm a big fan of maximising light where possible because I like bright airy spaces especially in my kitchen.

 

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

Hmmm I definitely couldn’t live without my utility room. Its’ not very tidy so doesn't look too pretty but it homes the washing machine, tumble drier and the dogs!! I also have a second fridge/freezer there which is like a lotto win for me!!

 

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

I think my home shows that I am a lover of different types of interior styles and there are also signs that it is a very busy household.

My partner and his four children stay with us at weekends which means there are nine of us in total along with two dogs!! Its loud, messy, but filled with fun and laughter and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Lived-in look or showhome?

Easy I love a showhome but I definitely have a lived in look behind instagram pics

 

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

White, that way I could introduce splashes of colour with art, flooring accessories etc

 

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

Clutter I spend my life decluttering but things keep appearing so it’s an ongoing battle!

 

Favourite front door colour

I recently took the plunge and painted my front door bright blue!! I'm not 100% sure it’s here to stay but I like it for now. I've seen some front doors painted raspberry pink and they are absolutely gorgeous!!

 

Carpet or Floorboards

I love carpet in my bedrooms just because I love the comfort of them when I hop out of bed in the mornings!

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

I only have kitchen table dining but would love a formal dining room if I had the space

 

High gloss or rustic?

Both I love the two mixed, I think it works really well if done subtly

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

I don't have or never had wallpaper in my home. I like looking at it in other people’s homes it’s just not something I have ever done, but never say never!

I love a brick wall in a home but I definitely think it has to suit the home, it wouldn’t work in my house but I have seen some amazing homes with feature brick walls.

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Nicola, 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