Next in our Q&A series with our favourite artists and interior designers, we’re excited to chat with Sharon Hornsby, a very talented UK based interior designer and blogger. Despite being busy with her latest renovation project, she has answered some questions for us on her interior design inspiration and what makes her new home ‘home’. The latest thing on her to-do list – hang her dining room wallpaper. She has chosen to use our stunning Oh La La wallpaper for a second time to create the perfect look. Over to you Sharon!
You can find out more about Sharon’s projects and style on her blog and instagram.
I’m Sharon married to Jim who is a Pilot (and my diy whizz) we live in west sussex and have three children, Liberty 20, Isobel 16, and Tom 14.
Our first house renovation project was in 2006 and we are currently completing our fourth and biggest renovation project yet.
I have always loved interior design, even as a child I would spend hours rearranging my dolls house! When we decided to buy a house in 2006 to extend and renovate my passion for it really grew. I left my job, as we had also just had our third child, when we bought the house and took on the project managing of the build and design of the interiors. I took a diploma in interior design and have since carried out the interior design and project management for our 3 subsequent homes.
In our latest home I designed the house from top to bottom including the extensions as well as the internal layouts. I launched my blog in 2017 and alongside documenting our home renovation and creating content for brands on Instagram, I also carry out styling and photography for interior photoshoots and small business’ websites, which is something I love to do.
My style is a bit of a mix of different styles I love – I guess I’d describe it as a mix of Scandinavian, hygge with a bit of industrial chic thrown in for good measure! I am also a great lover of Biophiliac design and have plants in every room of the house.
We painted the walls here white as a base and I love it so much I’ll be keeping most of them white pairing it off with warmth and texture from natural materials such as brick and wood, and tactile fabrics and of course, lots of plants.
We are lucky that the location of this house is lovely, we look out onto trees and garden from every window. We are planning on staying here for the next 10 years or so until the kids have (maybe) left home and then we plan to downsize, the dream is to be able to self build, and travel as much as possible.
For me the most important factor is light! Be that from an initial design point of view of bringing in as much natural light as possible, to ensuring the correct amount and type of lighting in the room. I feel too often rooms rely on a central pendant light without thinking about ambient and accent lighting such as lamps and wall lights which is so important.
I love Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration and also magazines such as Living Etc, I also make sure to take photos of things I love when out and about such as in restaurants or when traveling abroad. I think it’s great to take inspiration from others but also important to let your own style evolve within this and remember your house is a home, it has to work for you and your family as well as being beautiful. Go for a classic design which you can add your personality to with colours and accessories that can be changed easily as tastes change
I think the thing to do is strip it back to basics and just live in the space you have for a while seeing where the light falls and thinking about how you want the room to feel… When it comes to decor I make mood boards and use Pinterest to get ideas of rooms with similar décor, I also have a folder on my phone of photos I’ve taken of rooms I love from magazines or when out and about which I refer to. I make sure I get the basics like flooring, tiles and also kitchen and bathroom fittings right first as these are the things that are expensive to re-do.
I usually decide on the flooring downstairs before thinking about adding décor as I like the floor to flow through the whole house. This time as it was a big build with two 2 story extensions and every room stripped back with walls removed and ceilings replaced along with every door and window replaced I started with the style of windows and doors I wanted and went from there. As they are black I decided on white walls in the main rooms which make the beautiful crittal style doors and windows stand out and then I’m adding colour and texture in materials and furnishings.
I also always try to add a hint of décor from the time the house was built… This was originally a 1920’s lodge for the manor house so I’m sourcing some 1920’s light fittings. Also, don’t be too quick to get rid of old items of furniture that might not be to your taste any more – paint them or revamp them. The older things in our homes are what give us memories and add to the homely feel. I also like to pick up antiques or reclaimed items to add character. Homes with everything bought new can be a bit soulless I think.
For me it adds a stylish slightly industrial vibe… I absolutely love the colours and the textures in the wallpaper and it adds a real wow factor to the space without dominating the room. I also love that it looks beautiful next to my oak floors and plants.
The kids are allowed to decide what they want in their own rooms and I’m lucky that Jim lets me get on with the design of the other rooms and usually agrees with everything I run past him thankfully…. He is not sure about the colour I’ve chosen for the kitchen Island this time though, but I’m lucky he trusts my judgement and goes with the flow…. He is a diy whizz so we make a good team!
The open plan kitchen/diner is the next big project, the dining area is where the wallpaper is …. We hope to get it finished by the end of September as we are doing everything ourselves. Then it’s finally on to the family bathroom…. I can’t wait to have a kitchen with a sink again and a bath!
It’s fascinating for us to have been a fly on your oh so glamourous wall. Wishing you many happy moments in your fabulous new dining room!
If you want to create the same style as Sharon, you can shop the stunning shabby chic wall mural “Oh La La” used in her project.