It’s no secret that my preferred decor style is mid-century modern. Over the years I’ve shared countless articles about the interior of my own 1950s home, which is packed with original furniture and retro reproductions. So, when I first saw lawyer Sarah Nielsen’s house in Columbia, I was blown away.

I loved every single view – from the sleek single-storey exterior to the impressive vaulted ceiling – and every single detail – from the restored built-in cabinetry to the Prescolite light fittings. It was my dream home.

And then I was lucky enough to write about it. I chatted with Sarah on Instagram and she agreed that I could write a feature article on her home for issue 84 of Reclaim magazine. So, I got to deep-dive into the story of her home, from it’s 1950s beginnings to the latest (original) additions she has brought into the interior.

The building was designed in 1955 by architect Maynard Pearlstine, and was built for the family of Edwin and Shirly Coplan, the couple who owned the grocery store in the local town. Construction was completed in 1957 and much of the interior has been untouched ever since.

In fact, the property has been recognised by the American Institute of Architects and is an AIA Merit winner. Not surprising really – it’s a perfect example of a Southern single-storey property from the mid-century modern era. Just look at the original terrazzo flooring in the entryway and gorgeous wood panelling.

Harbouring the same passion for mid-century modern as I have, when Sarah Nielsen bought the property, she was determined to repair and restore every element, describing herself as ‘a mid-century purist’. She jokes that she bought the house for the Prescolite chandalier in the breakfast room but, if that was the case, I totally see why – it is outstanding.

The transition between the spaces, both within the open-plan interior and from the exterior to indoors, with the floor-to-ceiling glazing and large entryway doors, is seamless. The dimensions of the rooms give the furniture space to breathe and makes the space more functional.

Sarah’s most treasured piece of retro furniture is the 1950s Drexel Declaration dining set by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall, the first vintage piece she’d ever bought, which kick-started her love of all things MCM. Her second dining set in the breakfast nook is the Tulip set from Knoll, designed Eero Saarinen in 1957, making it perfectly era-appropriate for the property.

The way Sarah has furnished the home ensures it feel lived-in, not just like a museum or film set. I personally love the long linen curtains – a look I’d love to recreate in my own interior – and the hallway divider is a thing of beauty.

If I ever get to build or renovate a single-storey home of my own, I’ll be steating this idea, along with all the other authentic mid-century modern design details from this home. In fact, I’ll just move into this house… good plan.

Let me know what your favourite part of Sarah’s house is in the comments below and if you’ve got a similar MCM property I’d love to see it so please drop me a message on Instagram @Cassiefairy. And don’t forget to follow Sarah @1957housedownsouth to see her latest projects and more design details of this epic 1950s home.

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Today I’m sharing the beautiful home of my friend Kelly from @Southern_Charm_Cottage. I was lucky enough to interview her for an issue of Reclaim magazine many years ago and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

I love her classic style – it’s classy and clean; simple yet layered. The combination of antique furniture, beautiful artworks and inherited items on display tells the story of her family and her home, which is something I’d love to recreate myself.

So I thought I would put together a few suggestions of ways to steal the style of this gorgeous interior so that you can achieve a similar North Carolina-style period look in your own home, even if you’re on a budget. Here’s how:

Impressive artwork

All around the house, the crisp white walls are decorated with stunning works of art. The plain backdrop allows the pieces to shine, whether it’s an ornately framed oil painting, a poster print, an unframed canvas or a decorative wall panel.

You can find classic and trendy canvas art from Desenio, like this Monet landscape above.

If you want to get the look on a budget, try large-scale canvas prints of your favourite artworks – it could be a Klimt or Monet landscape like the one above or you could choose something more abstract in colours that suit your interior.

The key here is to choose the right scale to suit the space you have on the wall – measure the space and try to fill a good proportion of it. A too-small artwork will become lost on a large blank wall, but it could look lovely when grouped with other pieces such as plates or photographs to create a gallery effect.

Antique furniture

A fast way to create a heritage interior is with antique furniture. However, not everyone can afford to invest in pieces that are centuries old. But don’t let that stop you from creating the authentic period interior of your dreams.

You can either choose modern reproductions of classic designs, which will be considerably more affordable than the real thing. Or you can shop for originals at bargain prices at car boot fairs, charity shops or online at places like Scaramanga – somewhere I’ve personally found lots of beautiful pieces with patina.

It’s easy to clean up old pieces that you find – in fact, I’ve previously shared my hacks for removing water rings from wooden furniture, with some surprising results! Plus, you can paint furniture with chalk paint and rub back the edges once it’s dry to create a chipped, vintage look.

Chinoiserie china

A collection of blue and white china always adds a vintage vibe to any interior. Kelly displays her decorative plates all around the kitchen and dining room, which delivers a charming country-kitchen vibe. Additionally, dotted around each room are chinoiserie touches, including ceramics and wall hangings. This brings a worldly feel to the space and definitely provides talking points.

You can easily pick up small patterned ceramics from secondhand shops or charity stores for low prices to add this kind of character to your own home. And the good thing about sticking to one colour is that it ties together any design or pattern, so you can mix and match them to form a collection.

Plus, the splashes of blue and white around Kelly’s home help to tie the rooms together, creating a cohesive interior that flows from room to room, which is essential in an open-plan ground floor like this.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour around Kelly’s USA home – please check out her Instagram page for more interior inspiration and updates @southern_charm_cottage. If you want to read more about the history of the house and Kelly’s renovation project, you can download a back copy of Issue 73 of Reclaim magazine online.

Let me know your favourite part of this beautiful house in the comments below and I’d love to hear what decor ideas you’ll be stealing for yourself. Feel free to check out my other Home Tours for even more interior inspiration.

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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content

Images by Julie Choi. The white laminate kitchen units were given a vibrant makeover using Lick’s Green 07.

I had long admired Julie Choi’s house before I got the chance to interview her about her playful interior. As a follower of her Instagram account, I’d often been inspired by her upcycling projects and was in awe of her use of colour.

This photo of Julie’s bedroom was the first image I ever spotted on her Instagram account @letsby.avenue. I was immediately impressed by the scale of the colourful wall mural and I love just how beautifully it adds plenty of personality to the master bedroom without being overpowering.

The light watercolour effect means it still looks restful and calm while also adding a magical rainbow vibe and a sense of flowing movement. This, coupled with the mid-century furniture, boldly patterned bedding and houseplants make it such a joyful space.

When selecting a colour to pair with Lick’s Purple 04 in the bedroom, Julie researched images of sunsets and lavender flowers in pots, leading her to choose the terracotta-pink hue Red 03 for the lower half of the wall.

She sourced her second-hand dresser from a charity shop for just £20 and painted it to match the terracotta pink walls. I love this upcycle and it just goes to show that interiors can look absolutely beautiful even if you’re on a budget.

When I got the chance to write about her home for a previous issue of Reclaim magazine, I was delighted to discover even more about Julie’s multicoloured interior and how she had decorated each room to make it a fun space for her family.

Proving that it’s possible to add personality to even the smallest rooms, Julie has added the brightest cherry red to her bathroom on all the woodwork. She also repainted an old magazine rack in deck chair-style stripes (using Lick Red 04 and Beige 01) and added strawberry-coloured art and accessories to create the most fun WC ever.

Plus, I think her family bathroom might be my dream room, with its freestanding tub, vaulted ceiling and Johnstone’s Tangy Sherbet pink walls. A mix of baskets that Julie has collected provides plenty of practical storage to keep toiletries and laundry stowed away in style.

Even in the rooms that have cosy dark walls, Julie has injected splashes of colour with her soft furnishings, original artworks and painted furniture. This vintage side table with a wavy edge (below) was the perfect candidate to be painted in a psychedelic pattern – I love the bold combination of pink and red too.

Julie has collected a variety of second-hand furniture for the whole house, leaving some in their existing wooden finish and painting other pieces using leftover paint from other decorating projects.

If you want to achieve a fun, colourful look but you’re on a budget, take inspiration from Julie and keep an eye out for secondhand accessories and old furniture in charity shops and reimagine them in your favourite colours and patterns.

It’s amazing what a difference some colourful cushions, eye-catching art and sparkly accessories can make – it really helps to add character to a room and make it feel more like an expression of your own personality. Go for it; you can’t fail if you surround yourself with your favourite things!

If you’d like to read more about Julie’s fabulous home, check out Issue 89 of Reclaim magazine, which is still available to buy in print or download through the back issue archive. And be sure to check out her Instagram account @letsby.avenue for all her latest interior projects and upcycles.

I’ve also shared some more home tours of beautiful unique homes so be sure to have a look at those for even more interior inspiration.

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You know when you’re scrolling through Instagram and spot a homeowner with exactly the same taste as you – except they’ve done it really well? That’s how I felt when I first saw Katie Rowe’s incredible mid-century styled home.

Check out Katie’s Instagram account @therowe and you’ll see what I mean. It’s a grid full of refreshing interior ideas; there are Danish design classics, subtle mid-century patterns, abstract floral paintings and soft colours. All with an abundance of teak wood: my favourite.

In fact, all of Katie’s home is so close to my own style that I could happily move in there straight away and not have to change a thing. In my own home, I swing between completely minimalist spaces with white walls and almost no colour to mid-century furniture and retro touches in vibrant orange, mustard yellow and turquoise blue.

Her living room is pretty much exactly the style of my living room, complete with the McIntosh sideboard from Vinterior. The inspiration I’m taking away from this home is that it’s possible to combine subtle pale colours on the walls in contrast to the honey-toned wood of the retro furniture.

It’s about time I changed from white walls to something a little more soothing and Katie’s choice of Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball on the walls is a lovely warming yet peaceful background colour. It takes away the starkness of white and gently hugs the room to make it feel more inviting.

The kitchen is another triumph; Katie chose cabinetry in a warm wood grain to coordinate with the mid-century style throughout the home and, at the same time, it looks classically Scandinavian. All the bits and pieces are hidden away inside an impressive pantry cupboard for a mess-free kitchen. I love the sleek lines and simple styling, it appeals to the minimalist in me.

A sun-drenched table at one end of the kitchen really invites you to stop for a coffee and relax. Those softly upholstered chairs look so welcoming and who wouldn’t want to sit on the bench and stroke that gorgeous kitty cat? I imagine having doors like this opening onto my garden one day…

Even the kids’ rooms have got the mid-century-slash-Scandi treatment, albeit subtly and in a very contemporary way. The colour-blocked designs on the walls bring a playful touch and it’s a great idea to use a sideboard for storing toys and children’s clothing.

Finally, an E Gomme for G Plan sideboard has even made its way into the bathroom. Katie converted it into a vanity unit that provides ample storage beneath the basin for toiletries and towels. If I had a bigger bathroom, this would definitely be happening in it!

I hope you’ve been as inspired as I have by today’s home tour and be sure to follow Katie @therowe on Instagram for even more interior styling ideas to get a peaceful mid-century home. If you want to read the full article about Katie’s renovation of her Victorian terrace, it’s possible to buy a back issue of Reclaim Issue 83 online.

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Today’s decor tour is a whizz around Katie Sutton’s Midlands home, where pastels and patterns combine to create the prettiest interior in this 1930s property. How can you include pastels in your home? This lovely house will show you how…

Katie is a wedding stylist and floral designer, so she brings a touch of romance to everything she does, including when designing her home. The interior is packed with floral fabrics, bold stripes and lots of pastels so it really caught my eye when I first spotted it on Instagram @thevintagehousethatcould.

An expert in creating bespoke signage, stationery, props and decor for weddings and photoshoots, Katie utilised all her skills within her home to upcycle furniture and create custom pieces.

If you’re wondering ‘how can I upcycle my kitchen chairs?’ this project just goes to show what can be done with a tester pot of paint. Here Katie has used a variety of pastel tones to give each vintage chair around her kitchen table a fresh coat, instantly creating a cool mix-and-match look.

I love her use of stripes throughout the home to tie all the rooms together – stripes of various widths and sizes can be seen in the upholstery, rugs, bedding and even on the bathroom wallpaper, which was a vintage roll she sourced on eBay.

If you’ve ever seen photos of my home office (where I’m sitting right now writing this) you may have noticed that I’m quite keen on pastel pink in interiors. Katie’s home takes pastel interiors to a new level with three or four different shades of pink around the home – in bathroom, hallway, bedroom, kitchen and living room – ranging from fresh and peachy to barely-there nude.

So, should I paint my room pink? It’s perfectly subtle; fresh and pretty without being too sugary (although I wouldn’t mind that!) and it feels really warm and welcoming. What do you think? Would you use any of these beautiful rosy tones in your own home?

I’ve definitely been inspired by Katie’s home and I think the pinky hues work beautifully with the mustard, blue and sage green accent colours to create a Deco-inspired look that truly suits the style of the period property, which was built in 1936.

Let me know in the comments below which is your favourite room of Katie’s house. And be sure to have a look at Katie’s IG account @thevintagehousethatcould to see even more of her lovely interior and check out her website full of her expert floristry and wedding styling.

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I love a bold interior and this home tour from @Knackered Mavis is right up my street. The dark green colours on every surface, cheeky artwork, cool neon signs and fun furnishings make it look super-fun: the kind of place I’d love to celebrate the party season in!

I’ve gradually been filling my own home with neon lights and light-up signs and now have about six of them – ranging from text to a cactus. So it’s no surprise that I was instantly drawn to Claire’s house when I first saw it on her instagram account.

Luckily, she agreed to let me write about her fabulous interior for issue 82 of Reclaim magazine earlier this year, which you can still buy via the back issue archive. I learnt all about the ways Claire decorated her home and shared plenty of unique design inspiration.

When I spotted her collection of mid-century modern furniture, I knew we had plenty in common – I’m pretty sure I’ve owned some of those same pieces over the years! What I found interesting was the way that she incorporated them into a modern interior.

My own mid-century pieces give my 1950s home an authentic look but I only have white walls behind them. I find it inspirational to see similar furniture layered over colourful walls to see how my home could look, if only I was brave enough to redecorate!

One of the DIY projects I was most impressed with was Claire’s upcycled kitchen. She completely revamped the old melamine units and turned the kitchen into the coolest space imaginable – definitely a party zone with its neon lights and rock-star tea towels!

If you’re looking for home bar ideas to turn your own kitchen or living room into a party-ready palace, I think that neon signs are a great way to get that vibe in an instant. If you look through all the photos of this interior, you’ll find neon lights reading ‘light my fire’ and ‘this must be the place’ in the living room, one of my faves ‘but first coffee’ in the kitchen and, in the bedroom, ‘approach with caution’ – all very cool!

The bedroom is just as cosy and jungle-like as the rest of the rooms in the home, with snuggle textures like faux fur and velvet thrown in to create a glamorous look. And, of course, there are plenty more neon and quirky light fixtures too.

I hope you’ll agree that Claire’s home looks like the ideal party pad for New Year’s eve and that you’ve enjoyed this brief tour around the interior. Let me know your favourite design detail in the comments below and be sure to follow her on Instagram @knackeredmavis. (And keep an eye out for Betty, a gorgeous floofball rescue cat!)

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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content

Photos by @nicola_crosbiephotography and @coorie_at_corvisel

It was over a year ago that I got to see the festive rooms in the majestic Corvisel House in Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway. I’d previously followed Anne’s beautiful home account on Instagram @coorie_at_corvisel for years and have always been inspired by the period interior.

So, when I got the chance to write an article about her home for the January issue of Reclaim last year, I couldn’t wait to see the beautiful rooms. Luckily, I also got to see the house beautifully decorated for Christmas, which really inspired my own festive decor.

The estate property was built in 1829 and is full of period character, but had been unoccupied for eight years before Anne moved in. So she completed extensive renovations before turning her attention to the interior decor. You can read all about the renovation in issue 77 of Reclaim.

As you can see, at Christmas Anne’s floristry skills really shine, with foliage garlands and floral arrangements on every available surface. I’d love to include more real flowers and festive greenery in my festive decor this year and Anne is the inspiration behind that.

The exterior of the house sets the scene, with an impressive display around the stately front door. The entry hall is no less grand, with the ornate staircase decorated with seasonal foliage.

The whole house really comes alive at night with the addition of twinkling fairy lights strewn throughout the floral arrangements.

The large living room is made to feel extra cosy with low lighting, a large lit tree and squishy sofas. An asymmetric floral display highlights the fireplace and includes colours that link back to the tree and the room’s decor.

I just think the whole space looks so welcoming and it really is the dream period interior for Christmas. You can just imagine sinking into those gorgeous sofas with a mince pie and a glass of something mulled, can’t you?

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been inspired to decorate with foliage and florals this December after seeing inside Corivsel House. I’d love to know what your favourite festive design is from Anne’s beautiful home. And be sure to find her on Instagram @coorie_at_corvisel to see this year’s decorations, too.

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It was many years ago on a scorching hot summer’s day that I first met the owners of Moat House Barn, who invited me to check out their newly completed renovation project in Suffolk.

It may have even been before Instagram became popular for interior accounts – I remember my first glimpse at the barn was through an email with ‘before’ and ‘after’ snaps (below) – and along with it came a kind invitation to see the barn for myself.

I’m so glad that I went to visit Moat House Barn because not only did it spark a lovely friendship with Alex and Matt, the owners, but it led to us working together on many occasions to create beautiful interior articles for Reloved, Reclaim and See Suffolk magazines.

I’ve realised that I haven’t yet shared any of the photos we took of the reclaimed interior so I thought today would be the ideal time to share the airy yet wonderfully cosy space with you.

I can imagine it would be the best place to enjoy an autumnal evening, snuggled up under those blankets with the salvaged woodburner roaring.

The renovation of the crumbling Suffolk barn took around five years to complete and is testament to the couple’s patience and their determination to preserve the property. Prior to this, Alex and Matt had already spent ten years searching for the ideal spot for their dream project, hoping to build a horseshoe-shaped home around a central courtyard.

The site they discovered in 2012 originally had no access, electricity, services, water or sewage and the Victorian barn was built on earth floors with no foundations. After underpinning the buildings their budget ran out, but they luckily discovered some fallen outbuildings on the overgrown plot and were able to reuse the original bricks, pantile roof tiles, black weatherboarding and timber frames to restore the bare-bones of the original barn.

Reclamation was a huge part of this project, with old scaffold boards with a fire-retardant coating used to clad the walls and flooring rescued from a neighbour’s skip and a local hall. The couple enjoyed hunting for materials and soon gained a reputation as people who might be able to reuse something if it was going to be thrown away.

I personally love the plywood kitchen that Matt built – it’s a design idea that I’ve banked for my own future kitchen makeover – with a vintage butler sink and an old school Home Economics workstation.

In fact, I’ve already pinched their idea for a scaffold-board dining table – I made my own outdoor table using scaffold planks, albeit a little more rough-around-the-edges!

When I first saw the property, I was taken aback. Not only because the quality of the restoration and the unique interior full of vintage and handcrafted pieces blew me away, but also because the house was my own dream brought to life. I’ve always had a design in my head of building a courtyard home so it was incredible to be viewing one and imagining what it would truly be like to live there.

I think that would make me very happy – and I’m delighted for Alex and Matt that they’ve been able to live out their dream – and are still developing the site with a beautiful guest barn (which you can see in my festive blog post here) and a floristry business using flowers grown in the garden to create stunning arrangements.

Let me know what you love most about this home in the comments – what reclaimed design ideas would you try yourself? What’s your favourite piece of vintage furniture in the interior? Have you tried any scaffold-board hacks?! I’d love to hear from you below.

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I first chatted with Claire many MANY moons ago when I wrote about her fantastic projects for Reloved magazine. Since then, I’ve been an avid follower of her blog Pillar Box Blue and have often been inspired by her DIYs so I thought you’d like to see her projects too.

If ever a home could be described as unique or eclectic, this is it. Every room in Claire’s house is full of her colourful projects, each of them handmade by Claire and complete one-offs.

In fact, you probably won’t find a space in the house that DOESN’T contain an upcycled piece or one of Claire’s hand-sewn fabric designs. Just look at that patchwork denim throw above and the padded stags head below – fantastic stuff!

I love the way Claire uses denim to create fabric projects, including this storage pocket wall hanging below. Denim is such a durable material and we all have old jeans that are ripe for upcycling – it just goes to show that you should never throw a pair away!

I’ve long admired Claire’s use of maps in her decoupage projects – if you’ve seen my Map Geek category on my own blog, you’ll know how much of a map fan I am. So, you can imagine how exciting it is for me to log onto Claire’s blog and see another upcycling project featuring vintage maps.

I especially love the way that Claire uses colour in her home. Although the walls are kept fairly neutral, the wallpaper designs, patterned textiles and vibrant colours she uses in her upcycling projects inject an eye-catching dash of colour.

Decorating an interior in neutral hues and then changing the furnishings to create a new colour theme is one of my favourite money-saving decor tips. I love to completely update the look of my white rooms with a change of sofa cushions or the addition of a colourful lampshade.

Another idea to be inspired by is using a bright primary colour when upcycling furniture. There’s no need to restore something old to its ‘original’ look when you can give it a modern makeover with a bright pop of cherry red!

What do you think of Claire’s vibrant home? It’s such a lovely idea to personalise your interior with your favourite colours, patterns and textures – it makes for a much more interesting interior, that’s for sure!

One last project to mention is this pineapple side table below. It was featured in Reloved magazine and it’s one of my favourite upcycling projects that Claire’s competed, I love the traditional-meets-tropical look!

For more inspiration for unique sewing and upcycling projects be sure to check out Claire’s blog Pillar Box Blue and follow her on Instagram for regular updates @pillarboxblue.

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Photos by Damian Bramley and Clare Coleman

It was over a year ago that I first chatted with Natalia Willmott, a trained art historian and entrepreneur. A friend recommended her business Natalia Willmott Home Decor to me and I immediately got in touch to see if she’d allow me to interview her for issue 70 of Reclaim magazine.

I knew that her collection of antiques and unique decorative pieces from her international travels – such as this vintage Persian wood panel and self-upholstered wingback chair – would be so interesting to the publication’s readers and I soon fell in love with her home when I saw it for myself.

The barn is the perfect combination of airy and cosy – exactly what I would want to live in. And the location sounds pretty good too – it’s in the rural Yorkshire village of Stillingfleet, just eight miles away from bustling city life in York.

Many of the rooms have a cottagey feel, such as the rustic kitchen in the former stables, with its authentic terracotta tiled floor and a warming AGA stove. I love the beams and wooden cabinetry – all painted in chalky colours that I would personally choose.

The airy living space in the main barn is a dream for art collectors with ample display space on the walls and skylights bringing in plenty of natural light. Natalia has installed a professional hanging system in this room, enabling her to install artwork with ease.

This drawing room in the former barn was what first drew Natalia to the house, knowing it would be a great entertaining zone, as well as offering space for her business where she could showcase the items she sources. Take inspiration from the natural palette she’s used to really allow your favourite decorative pieces to shine.

Natalia’s background in museum and art curation is evident in the way that she displays her favourite pieces around the home. Everywhere you look is another vignette of antique originals or a considered collection.

Her business is sourcing decorative art, textiles and crafts for her clients to create eclectic and inspirational interiors. It must be difficult for Natalia to part with any of the beautiful pieces she finds but she always has her client’s interests at heart.

Let me know what you think of this gorgeous home in the comments below. Would you love to live in an airy converted barn too? Is the travel-inspired decor right up your street? Be sure to check out NataliaWillmott.co.uk to discover her latest unique finds and you can follow her on Instagram for plenty of decor inspiration @nataliawillmott. Natalia makes luxurious handcrafted silk cushions at mybilletdoux.com.

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