It’s no secret that I’ve been seriously bitten by the decluttering bug lately; anyone who is friends with me on Facebook will have been inundated with offers of craft equipment, furniture, pots and collectables (what do you mean, you don’t want my dusty old crap?!), and we’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time shifting black bags out of the house, trying not to burst them as we go.
I’ve always been a hoarder, but then something in me just clicked and I realised that ‘stuff’ didn’t make me happy – in fact, quite the opposite. It left me feeling suffocated and more than that, it was a bloody nightmare to dust!
I’ve found my interiors style has changed as well – I used to adore bright colours, loud, retro patterns and as much vintage china as possible, but over the last few years I’ve been leaning more towards a neutral pallet with lots of earthy tones. Lots of greys, natural wood and beautifully crafted furniture that doesn’t only look good, but is built to last; the whole planned obsolescence thing is something that really grates on me – having to keep buying and re-buying furniture isn’t just expensive and irritating, it’s an absolute environmental nightmare. I’ve always loved everything country-related, and somewhere in my future I’d like to believe that there’s a lovely old farmhouse, lots of land and a self-sufficient lifestyle miles away from society – but for now I’m concentrating on filling our rented two-bed semi with beautiful things that I’ll still be using when I’m old and grey.
According to the internet and magazines, my style is apparently ‘contemporary rustic’; defined by clean lines, lots of wood and simple furnishings. It’s all the comforts of home, but without too much fuss. Heart of House have nailed this in their latest AW2016 collection, and I’ve picked out the key pieces that you can use to create this trend.
1. Durham Sideboard, £299
I love this sideboard, purely because the style reminds of a set of old-fashioned alchemists drawers, that could just be filled with interesting potions and jewel coloured glass bottles. In my house, it would just be full of yarn and crochet hooks!
2. Hudson Textured Cushion, £10.99
First of all, I love this because it’s slate grey, which is basically the best grey of them all. Secondly, I really like the textured linen-style fabric – it’s not linen though, which means none of those pesky creases.
3. Salisbury Leather Footstool in Tan, £199.99
I’m not keen on leather sofas or chairs (we do have an armchair, but I’m desperate to replace it!), but I do like these traditional old footstools. I think it’s a nice way of adding a little more rustic to the room.
4. Coles Cloche Glass Table Lamp, £24.99
I absolutely hate harsh lighting, so a table lamp like this is right up my street. Plus, I’ve got a bit of a fascination for the early 20th century and all things Victorian, so this is perfect!
5. Ketton Wood Quad Table Lamp, £24.99
I’ve been hankering after a tripod lamp for the lounge for ages, and like that this one is still a good size – a lot of them seem to be absolutely huge!
6. Azure Fabric Chair in Light Grey, £299.99
I mentioned above that I’m looking to replace our tired old leather armchair, and this is pretty much exactly what I imagined would take it’s place. The colour is perfect, and I love the simple tapered wooden legs – plus there’s plenty of space underneath for a little extra storage.
Many thanks to Heart of House for collaborating on this post.