As the days shorten and the last rays of summer sunshine stream through the windows, do you wish you could recreate a feeling of festival-style chill or bohemian decadence in your own home? I remember going to my very first festival in my late teens and returning to a rented flat with the idea of bringing home some of that back-stage cool I’d experienced. I sought out squashy bean bags with ‘sink-into-me’ allure, mounted vintage posters of Jim Morrisson in battered, reclaimed frames and added piles of Indian fabric and cushions collected from incense-scented dens. It was the start of a long term love affair with bohemian homeware and certainly honed my tastes for the future. I’ve lived with bare plaster walls covered in fairy lights, walls scrubbed with bright uneven colour and gold stencil work, oh and let’s not forget the paisley sofa, an absolute favourite at the time.
At a recent festival I experienced a sense of nostalgia for those days of eclectic purchasing and naive, hand-made, bargainous style. Nowadays I’m still unashamedly bohemian in my tastes, but it’s more grown-up and curated, plus I veer towards a paler palette to suit the cottage. The thing is, I’ve unwittingly become a ‘personal stylist’ to my own home. It’s a passion and a pleasure, and this month it’s come to fruition with The Stylish Stuff’s latest collaboration with innovative new website, Decology.
The Spirit of Wilderness – just one of the summer festivals that channelled the Bohemian Spirit that myself and partner Giorgio adore. Photograph/Louise Worrell
Launched in early 2016 Decology’s aim is straightforward: simply to deliver gorgeous, affordable and bespoke interiors in four easy steps. First, just sign up and select your specific design package. Next, input all the relevant information – your lifestyle, budget, dreams, inspiration and pictures of your space as it is. The more tear sheets you include of what inspires you, the better. Next up, the site will match you with up to five of their talented ‘decologists’ who will then prepare a specially tailored concept board for you: just check out their portfolios and choose your favourite. Once you’ve chosen ‘the one’ the process really begins and you’ll see your design come to life. By collaborating with them online you ensure you get exactly what you’re dreaming of and when you’re happy, your very own ‘personal stylist’ will prepare a finished room plan, visualisation board and a styling guide. The cherry on the cake is the shopping list of all the items featured in the design that you can pick and choose from and that’ll be delivered straight to your door. Yes, THAT simple. The packages start from as little as £250 and with over 60 designers on hand, it’s an exciting way to see your interior goals come to life.
Now for the competition bit.Yours truly is turning ‘decologist’ – meaning one lucky winner will win the opportunity to have a room in their home styled by me. All you need to do is upload your project to Decology and select Shelly Vella as your chosen decologist. Then post a photo to Instagram tagging @decologyuk #styledbyshelly and share on Twitter and Facebook. The competition is open until the 30th September so plenty of time to start collecting inspirational ideas. Simply CLICK HERE to enter.
To celebrate this exciting link up, today’s post pays homage to the styles I love and may just give you some ideas for your very own design. First stop on the interior tour – my house.
A word or two about my style – I’m a romantic at heart and love to incorporate textiles and treasures from my travels into my home. It can start with a Mexican striped blanket strewn on a sofa and end with piles of multicoloured trilby hats balancing on an old wooden door. Along the way you’ll find fairy-lit statues, Indian woodwork, rusted metalwork and Moroccan wedding blankets used as rugs. I’m also sucker for TipTree jam jars full of dried hydrangeas
Photos/Shelly Vella
I don’t even sit on this bench in our bedroom, instead it’s used to store favourite throws, cushions and piano shawls. Anything bead or sequin strewn will find a home hanging against a wall or jazzing up a plain blind.
Old potion bottles, dried flowers, battered straw hats, Balinese frames, metal work doves of peace and religious iconography from Mexico have all found a good home chez moi.
One of my first ever Balinese woodwork purchases – a mirror. The reflection it gives is far from flattering but I was seduced by the frame. I’m also drawn to figurines and love the statue of Mary in the bathroom. Buddha presides over the hallway and my Wilderness festival headdress takes pride of place on the bathroom cabinet. Well, why not.
From Bali to Morocco to India to reclamation yards. There’s a feast of collected treasures in my living room. Even Venus is wearing a pair of vintage Chloe sunglasses, proof that stylists just can’t help themselves. Ahem.
When you can’t keep a good stylist (or sunglasses obsessed one) down. Venus got an update with a pair of SS16 Chloe sunnies.
Winged wine and beloved Mackintosh table.
Fairy lights and collage. Everything starts with a mood board, including the office wall.
Now for some inspiration from other quarters. Shown below my dream dining room, boasting vintage Moroccan and Ikat rugs, antique furniture, lush foliage and reclaimed Indian and junk shop finds. It’s LOVE.
Following photos/Pinterest
An illustration that the perfect bohemian space doesn’t always need to be filled with colour. Key to the look: roughly white-washed brickwork, bare plaster, Balinese white-washed woodwork, diy designs (go on BE BRAVE), piles of throws and hits of green via plant life. Yes you can hang your favourite clothes on the wall, embrace fairy lights AND paint on your staircase. (photos/Pinterest)
A tree trunk as a coffee table? Industrial lights turned statement – hell yes. The more eclectic your wall art the better. (photo/Pinterest)
Green always brings a sense of calm into the home. From bolder forest tones to gentle Cotswold washed out hues. Cacti are a popular way to inject colour and imbue an environment with a sense of well-travelled exoticism. Ferns and palms look fabulous in front of windows and really glow when the light streams in. (photos/Pinterest)
My go to for colour inspiration. Basically ANYTHING Indian. (photo/Shelly Vella)
More is more. From the hand painted allure of Turkish crockery to piles of cushions collected hither and thither, don’t be afraid to inject bold hits of colour. A white washed room comes alive this way, so too rooms with feature colour walls and eclectic wallpapers. (photos/Pinterest)
Bohemian boudoir designer to the stars, Sera Hersham Loftus is renowned for creating intimate spaces that celebrate sensuality. With draped vintage fabrics, 70’s style Peacock chairs, lush greenery and piles of her own-designed cushions,wallpapers and lampshades. It’s the stuff of fantasy and an opulent form of escapism for the romantic soul. As always it’s in the detail, dark walls, gilt mirrors reflecting backlit space and secret corners.
Photographs / Shelly Vella
The juxtoposition of futuristic silver leather with a dark and broody boho interior. Sera uses exotic wallpapers, fabrics and atmospheric lighting to create her signature boudoir style.
Love these looks? Check out the following websites for more inspiration and boho shopping;
Collection Souk – Moroccan Rugs, cushion and interiors. Pricey but the real deal.
Maison Du Nomade – a great source of authentic nomadic items
Bohemia – less ethnic, more lifestyle tailored. Big fan of the pom pom garlands and bright enamel plates.
Sera of London – here you’ll find more examples of Sera’s beautifully designed rooms (we’re talking serious rock ‘n’ roll budgets need only apply) and her stunning cushions, wallpapers and lampshades.
Some light reading for fellow boho lovers from the Assouline Gypset collection. (photo/Shelly Vella)
If you’re after an all new look at home and are seduced by any of the above, don’t forget to enter the DECOLOGY & THE STYLISH STUFF competition.
All you need to do is upload your project to Decology and select Shelly Vella as your chosen decologist. Then post a photo to Instagram tagging @decologyuk #styledbyshelly and share on Twitter and Facebook. The competition closes on the 30th September. Simply CLICK HERE to enter.
By Shelly Vella