Home Style: Bold, Brave & Beautiful

A colourful and creative home full of hidden surprises and cleverly up-cycled vintage pieces, this lovingly restored home is full of personality and passion

When interior designer Meg Forbes walked through the door to view her future home, she immediately understood why she was one of the few who actually followed the estate agent over the threshold: “The entire house was in chaos, it was filthy and almost impossible to see any potential in the small, dark rooms over-flowing with piles of possessions,” she shared. It took some time for Meg to share her vision with husband Adam and to convince him that the house could become a beautiful family home, but they moved in with children Matilda, Ella, and Bertie on Valentine’s Day 2018.

The detached house was built in the 1930s with a side extension added at the turn of the century. “I loved the interesting features, such as the bay windows, the open staircase and wide hallway, the internal archways and the house, despite its state, had a lovely homely feel,” explained Meg. Resisting family and friends that wanted to knock through many of the small downstairs rooms and make it into one large open-plan family space, Meg decided to retain the lay-out: “I like small rooms and little dens. It also meant that I had more rooms in which to express all my different interior design ideas!”

In the largest of the rooms a big internal chimney dominated the kitchen where the previous owners had used a haphazard collection of mismatching units to create the effect of a fitted kitchen. Meg knocked out the chimney, adding a new steel overhead for structural support which gave her the space to add a breakfast bar where the children love to perch.

The kitchen flooring is the original wooden floorboards, all painstakingly hand-sanded by Meg and her husband to achieve the natural yet aged effect she wanted. They have been finished with a whitewash and matt oil to stand up to the wear and tear of having three young children. They chose a calming green fitted kitchen with reflective vintage style splash backs in foxed glass which bounce the light back into the room and give the illusion of greater space.

Meg’s eye for detail is reflected in the beautiful ceramic drawer handles, small details like this have created a home that has both wow factor and a welcoming feel which was exactly what Meg hoped to achieve. “Many people say they wouldn’t have the bravery to pick such strong colours and put various things together, so I hope I encourage people to be more confident. I also hope they feel that this is a home and not a show home; it’s very lived in and that is hugely important to me. I never want to have rooms that are only designed for adults or children, but to have a house where everyone feels welcome and at ease”.

Throughout the house Meg has created bold architectural statements such as the lofty double height ceiling in the master bedroom which was made by opening up the space into the attic above. This room is Meg’s favourite: “I love the contrast between the femininity of the bedroom with its pale pink walls and pretty Matthew Williamson Lyrebird wallpaper, and the dramatic dark walls of the en-suite”.

The couple view the house as a long- term project, completing one room at a time which hasn’t always been easy. “We are both pretty impatient, but we are trying to do things gradually which forces us to think creatively so we can live with temporary solutions,” said Meg. A great example of this is the chipboard flooring on the landing which she has painted in diagonal colour blocks, which adds a sense of fun and interest to the upstairs space as they wait to put down a wooden floor.

Meg’s work and skill as an upholsterer is on display throughout the family home; nearly every piece of furniture has been found in vintage and second-hand shops and upcycled using bright and patterned fabrics. “I am passionate about sustainability and don’t understand why we need to buy new furniture when there are so many beautiful pieces waiting to be given a new lease of life,” she explained.

Meg’s signature style which she describes as ‘grown up shabby chic with a modern edge’ centres around bold colour and texture choices against a neutral backdrop. Alongside this, her upholstery focuses on transforming vintage pieces of furniture into unique new items with a contemporary twist. She also loves to add little details such as the unexpected buttons which are often found on her cushions and chairs, designed to catch the eye and invite people to stop and properly contemplate the piece. Meg likes to mix colourful fabrics with tactile textures and interesting patterns to make cushions, reupholstered furniture and even artwork for her home and for her clients.

When Meg can’t quite find the fabric which she is looking for she works with a local textile designer to design and produce a new print: “I am so grateful to have met so many talented designers and makers who live in the area, I love to support small creative businesses and to learn from people,” she shared.

Meg has been brave with her interior design choices, adding statements to each room, from the dark walls of the snug, hung with contrasting gilded vintage picture frames, to the neon pink pops of colour in the hallway. She is also masterful at mixing materials to bring texture and interest to their home.

Meg has also made great use of statement wallpaper to bring drama to her rooms. Downstairs a plain room in the modern extension has been transformed into an enticing haven by covering an entire wall in a bold hunting landscape print. An eclectic collection of vintage furniture and interesting finds, alongside layered soft furnishings, adds further wow factor to the room.

Where most people would have reached for the white paint to cover door frames, Meg has gone for bold colour statements such as the deep blue archway which leads from the hallway into the music room downstairs. This colour is picked up again in the patterned fabric of the hall door curtain which Meg made herself and is continued along the skirting and architrave of the hallway, deliberately creating dramatic entrances to rooms rather than blending in.

There are also tales of the unexpected: all is not as it seems in this creative home, for example a curious guest browsing the bookcase in the sitting room may unexpectedly reveal the secret doorway into the snug beyond. “The builders thought I was mad, I was adamant that I didn’t want any architrave on the other side which made it harder to achieve, but we got there in the end and I love the surprise on people’s faces when they discover the hidden entrance!” shared Meg.

The builders had a similar reaction when Meg described her vision of creating a Narnia style en-suite in the master bedroom. “I didn’t want to be able to see the bathroom, but I wanted it to be a part of our bedroom. I had originally planned a walk-in closet leading to the en-suite, but there just wasn’t the space so we came up with the idea of creating a floor to ceiling fitted wardrobe with a hidden doorway to the bathroom beyond,” explained Meg.

The result is a creative and beautiful design which combines a striking wall of custom-made cupboards, painted pale pink, which conceals a secret entrance into a hidden en-suite. “I love the calm, feminine style of our bedroom, but I wanted the bathroom to be an unexpected contrast so I painted the walls in a deep blue black and I love the drama this brings to the small space,” Meg shared.

Photography: Cathy Pyle/Living4media

Words: Kay Prestney/Living4media