At Home With Rebecca @rebeccaavalentina

This week we are at home with Rebecca. The lovely creative lady behind the very popular inspirational lifestyle, fashion, and home styling Instagram account @rebeccaavalentina where she shares beautiful images of her country-styled, new-build bungalow in Cheltenham. Read on to discover more about the talented Rebecca, her home and her top home styling tips.

 

Tell us a bit about you

My name is Rebecca and I am 30 years old. I am currently living in a newly built bungalow in Cheltenham. We are really tucked away and it’s only a twenty minute walk into town which is perfect.

 

Tell us about your home

My home is a new build and is all on one level. It has two beds and two bathrooms with an open plan kitchen/living/dining space with bifold doors out into the garden.

 

How would you describe your home?

I love mixing rustic with modern interiors. I find the balance quite challenging at times and I have been on a journey with knowing how to get character into a new build. Rather than focusing on a room at a time, I have learnt to look at the whole property which gives your home more fluidity in terms of your interior style.

 

Which is your favourite room in the house?

My favourite room is our open plan kitchen/living/dining room. The room is light and bright when we have the bifold doors open but it can also be really cosy in the autumn and winter.

 

How does your home reflect any passions or interests?

I really love the countryside and we do a lot of walking in the Cotswolds. There are lots of house plants in every room and I like to bring touches of terracotta and wicker into my home to make it feel more rustic.

 

What are your favourite items in the home?

I love all of the finishing touches. The cushions, candles and ceramics bring everything together and give that homely feeling. I really enjoy finding timeless pieces which I know I can use again in another property too.

 

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

My other half owned this house before I bought into it and it was certainly a project. Let’s just say it went from a bit of a bachelor pad to a cosy, country living space.

 

What renovation and decorating have you done?

We have really only done some painting and dug out some flower beds in the garden. It has been a learning curve and I would certainly do things differently but this isn’t our forever home.

 

Have you had any DIY or styling disasters?

I think I must have painted one of the bathrooms three times before I was happy with the colour! I have also learnt to be a little more patient when choosing pieces like wall art. It can be really tempting to pick things to get something up on the wall but I have learnt to take a step back and really think about it before adding to the basket and checking out.

 

What is your top home styling tip?

Look at your home as a whole. When I started choosing furniture and decor for the house, I didn’t do this and it quickly became mismatched and there was no flow throughout the house. Take a colour scheme throughout your home or have similar style decor in every room. You also have to style your home according to its architecture. I would love nothing more than to panel every room in this house but it wouldn’t look right in this property. I also love a mood board. This puts every idea I have for a room in one place and gives you an idea of what it would all look like together.

 

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

My gorgeous oak mirror from Dunelm. I didn’t know what to put on one of the walls in the open plan kitchen/living/dining room but this circular mirror is the perfect addition to the room.

 

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

My home would say a lot about how much I clean it! I think it is also reflective of how calm we are and how happy we are in it. It might say ‘Stop faffing around all the time!’ but that’s what keeps me happy and a little change around here and there is quite fun!

 

 

The Home Edit

 

Llived-in or showhome?

I think you can have a good balance between the two.

 

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

Dropcloth by Farrow & Ball

 

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

Not plumping up the cushions after you’ve finished sitting on them.

 

Favourite front door colour

Sage green

 

Carpet or Floorboards

Rustic wooden floorboards

 

Kitchen table dining or formal dining room?

Kitchen table dining

 

High gloss or rustic?

Rustic

 

Wallpaper or Brick Walls?

That’s a tricky one. I think there is a room in the right home for both.

 

Want More?

If you enjoyed being at home with Rebecca, 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 Rebecca's amazing instagram account here. We love this account.