This week in thoughts: how our childhood happy places shape us (my personal love of interior design and trusting my own instincts.)
Imagine a little cove, surrounded by steep and rugged cliffs. Sand, that is both shingly and smooth and views that feel at once other wordly and familiar. As the sun sets upon the sea, the light dances on the water and children play in the rock pools. I myself as a child, loved playing on the rocks (of which there are many) building sand castles, riding in a dingy with my cousin and forever beach combing with my beloved Aunty Pat. I was always enchanted by this little beach despite the fact that there are literally hundreds in Wales. If you haven’t guessed already, I’m talking about Pwllgwaelod Beach in Pembrokeshire. One of my favourite locations in the world.
Pwllgwaelod is rather a hidden gem. I always thought it belonged to my Aunty and Uncle because when I was a little girl, they owned the pub next to it. In the 1980s, when I was very young, this off the track, smallish pub was called the “Sailor’s Safety” (it has since been renamed the Old Sailors but I personally think the Sailor’s Safety is better-totally magical no??) and was at the time, the most fantastic place I had ever seen. My Aunty, and mum are both very creative, mum, excellent at drawing and Aunty, super talented at home design. The pub was decorated in a super creative way, with nods to the coast but in a really unique way. Trawler nets covered the ceiling and the vibe was cosy, dark and enchanting. You’d never, ever forget visiting the place. It was eclectic and totally unique and really stuck with throughout my life. The pub has since been redecorated, and I don’t have any pictures to show you of it pre-refurb unfortunately so you’ll have to take my word for it but believe me when I say it’s had a profound effect on me, and I think shaped my love of interior design and of all things home; especially a need for cosiness and a tendency for maximilism.
In fact, lots of things inspire my love of interiors; yes, I find a lot of inspo in the natural world; especially the coast, but I also love all types of architecture, and of course social media; with Pinterest being super useful (although I’m trying to avoid reliance on it.)
I’m not sure whether it’s an age thing but as someone who thought they definitely weren’t a nostalgic person, I am finding that I am now also drawn to anything and everything from the 80s; especially colour but also textiles, shapes, wood tones and chintz. This week I almost finished our cabin; drenching the windows in the most exquisite red I have ever seen. It feels at once modern, but also oddly familiar and I realise it’s because, thanks to my super stylish mum, my childhood bedroom had a lot of red (a colour that is seeing a resurgence in popularity this year but is always chic in my opinion.)
Childhood homes have definitely impacted how I decorate, and growing up in well designed spaces has taught me that environment can play a crucial role in how you feel about yourself and surroundings. My parents were massively house proud and had excellent taste'- my mum especially, a very-well honed eye. We had a pink and green kitchen in the 90’s which was like something you’d see on Pinterest today. It was pretty cool!
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Habitat UK have also recently celebrated their 60th anniversary of iconic design. I am a HUGE Habitat fan, and was almost moved to tears (dramatic but true) when at the anniversary event,I stumbled across a highly coveted collection of back catalogues from the 70’s and 80’s. I felt TRANSPORTED to another time looking at the hazy, soft focus covers (which were rightly locked in a perspex box because hello sticky fingers.)
The 80’s is often viewed through this naff, sort of ‘meh’ lens, but the interiors were really wonderful in my opinion; bold and daring and uniquely dynamic. When I think of the 80s, on one hand I see the maximalism that the era is often criticized for- (florals, chintz and wallpaper borders) and on the other, airy cool loft apartments and abstractism. Glass bricks (which I am eternally obsessed with but yet to have lived anywhere that would suit them) and postmodernist vibrant design punctuated with primary colour. Dark cladded ceilings and lots of mahogany furniture which is ironically having a resurgence in 2024. The 80s feels quite time stamped in some ways but in others, eels fresh and contemporary- even today.
I feel like Habitat are masters at accessible, timeless design (with a brilliant price point) and at this stage in my life, I could probably open my store I have so much stuff. Habitat vintage can fetch a lot on pre-loved sites because it is so well loved; you can also find archived products if you like a good mooch.
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There is always a push pull between maximalism and minimalism when it comes to design but I love both. I sway towards a fuller look because I just love stuff so much and hate things being hidden away because I forget they exist- but I can also appreciate a sleek, pared back look. As I grow older and my daughter is nearing her tenth birthday, I feel more confident in my design choices and find it easier to tap into what i really like. I think it’s impossible not to draw on inspiration where you find it, but important to ensure that you translate those images/ pins etc in your own unique way.
I think the cabin is a good example of inspiration taken from childhood (and other spaces) which has then been ‘re-framed’ using my own personal narrative of feeling and aesthetic. Rather than using pinterest for example to search for ‘cabin decor’ (which is of course; perfectly fine and can be really helpful for a beginner decorator) I actively avoided this and just thought about what we wanted; from furniture to colour. I knew I needed red for example, so I worked backwards from that starting point and trusted my vision and the process (which felt daunting!)
I am learning that really special, stand out design has to come from a place within, and you have to REALLY dig deep to find that thing that sings to you personally and try to ‘zone’ out everything else. It’s easy second guess yourself if you over consume interiors content and worry that your ideas are not good enough or ‘right’ when everyone seems to be doing something completely at odds with what you want but I also think that it is EXCITING. I want to be different and daring and bring something fresh every time I decorate a room or help someone to design their own spaces.
I don’t need to pinterest it or google it. I just need to follow my gut…and with that comes risk. Will anyone like it? How will it fair on instagram? What will my audience think if I paint this window red etc? and you know what? Not everyone will like everything you do and actually, I think that’s a good thing. It means you’ve achieved something that is unique and a little harder to decipher. It’s not cookie cutter or atypical. It is entirely YOU.
I think reconnecting with my childhood through interior design has also reminded me that I was once a little girl who was very imaginative, super creative and who did things in her own way and that she is still very much apart of who I am today.
She did things on her terms, and inspired herself like the tiny clever queen she was. I need to call on little me when I’m decorating and if I have a wobble or worry about a specific choice, remember her and how she approached creativity. Fearless. Bold. Brave and Intuitive.
Nina x
This is fantastic, Nina. I couldn’t relate more. My passion for DIY was born 35-40 years ago in my childhood bedroom. I spent hundreds of hours decorating the dollhouse my Dad built me, letting my imagination go wild, while spending no money at all. I am still that little girl, just on a bigger scale when it comes the house size. ☺️