We’re coming up to our 3rd house anniversary, and I’m not entirely sure really where that time has gone? It’s mad really, as it easily feels less than a year since the ordeal of moving in, and the blood sweat and tears of redecorating. Whilst that might be a bit dramatic, the memories of moving in and the excitement of the experience I can still feel.
One of my favourite aspects of the house though is seeing it evolve and change, the feel and rhythm of rooms, how they’re used and the flow we create between them all. When you first move into a house, you have an idea of how the rooms will be used, but only after a while do you naturally see the movement and how the rooms are used.
It took us such a long time to decide how we felt our bedroom was to look, and thankfully we were in no rush to complete, as the finishing look is right up our street.
Over time, this also influences how you feel about the rooms, the décor, the vibe and this is what I feel brings beauty into getting to know your home. Since moving in and redecorating within that first week, we haven’t done a big overhaul (yet) but I have loved upcycling and adding to each of the rooms.
My go-to thing is one-off pieces that perfectly fit into the style of the room, a special find that just works. Whether it’s the perfect miss-match look, eclectic or styles that shouldn’t go that just do. I love a good opportunity to find a little treasure, and often my go-to places are salvage fairs, reclamation yards and the occasional charity shop.
Since becoming a homeowner, I find so much more pleasure in accessories that stand out, anything that has an interesting shape, colour or pattern. My eyes always dart to any driftwood, clay pots or Persian patterns, especially for our wooden floor downstairs, I feel they truly complement the rooms well.
Naturally, our hallway has a high footfall, but it’s a much-loved spot for the dog as it’s one of the cooler rooms in the house. For me, this room has never felt quite finished, but I guess as a homeowner, is a room ever really finished? As one of the narrowest rooms in the house too, it makes accessorising the hallway tough as we’d like to give ourselves and Flo as much room as possible without feeling cramped.
The previous owners had the cutest church bench lengthways across the bottom of our stairs, sadly didn’t leave it behind, which I’ll blame for my lack of inspiration, bedazzled by the former beauty of the bench.
At the end of the hallway is our porch, and its doors have beautiful stained glass inside them, and then when the daylight comes through, it just feels magical and is the most beautiful. What I needed was something narrow and long to keep the room feeling as big as it could be, which also directed the vision up and along to the glass windows.
I found the perfect puzzle piece for our hallway, it was another rug, and in this case, a fabulous Afghan rug that fits like a glove. The vibrant colours and bold designs in the rug perfectly match the patterned glass in the door, and couldn’t be a better match for the room.
Based on centuries-old styles and designs, Afghan rugs use mainly bigger and bolder designs, with the likes of red, dark blue and cream, perfect at brightening up dark rooms.
And not only that, it gives the hallway a cosier feel, especially with the colder weather coming in and we’ve even caught the pets getting comfy on the rug.
We find Flo most morning almost completely covering the rug, and Cuthbert using it as a springboard to jump up into the stairs. And on a positive note, he hasn’t attempted too many times to pluck it either.
I’m so pleased with the impact this rug has on the room. The long and narrow design adds perfectly to the atmosphere in the hallway without comprising size and space, and it’s another room that feels complete with a simple tweak.
How do you like to change up your rooms?
Charlotte xox
Charlotte Corner
Lifestyle blogger & cat mother
