This week in thoughts: just for fun; a journey through my 'perfect house'...

(If money was no issue!)

I’m going to preface this week’s post by saying that I already live in a nice house, and for that, I am (incredibly) lucky.

It’s warm and safe. It’s pretty. It’s a decent size (not massive by any stretch, but plenty large enough for my family of three and dog.) It’s in an ok area; not exactly the Cotswolds, but it’s low on crime and there’s countryside nearby should you want to access it.

In short, there’s nothing wrong with it.

It is, a great house…

…But alas; that doesn’t stop your girl from dreaming (aka; fawning over completely unaffordable houses on rightmove. We all do this though right?) about what would make my most “perfect house”.

After getting my ADHD diagnosis last week, it hit me just how much I value environment, and how important my surroundings are to me. It also helped me reflect on why certain spaces, and locations make me feel good, and others seem to impact my sense of wellbeing. The beach for example, is a place I never tire of-on the contrary, being by water helps me to feel grounded, serene and to stay focused.

It is generally agreed that a clutter free home is most beneficial to those not only with ADHD, but also to neurotypical folk. We’ve all heard the saying, “tidy home, tidy mind” right? And in my case anyway, it is bang on the money.

Clutter makes me feel uneasy and overwhelmed. Firstly because it is triggering-I lived in desperate chaos for years, incredibly untidy and massively disorganised and thus, the sight of a messy space *really* bothers me- I feel dysregulated and irritated (just ask my husband.) And secondly, a messy room or surface seems to add extra ‘noise’ to my already loud internal life-that is; my busy brain.

Having calm surroundings helps to regulate my nervous system and crucially, aids my ability to concentrate. It is also less distracting.

I’ve spoken before about my disdain for the blue walls in our living room and I now realise that actually, colour makes me feel overwhelmed, overstimulated and anxious.

I tend to consider the following factors when designing a room, and think it’s interesting that I did this almost subconsciously before I even knew I was neurodivergent. Clever huh?

• I like order and symmetry (especially symmetry! But it’s also a staple of great design in my opinion.)

• I enjoy clean, straight lines (although I do also love a little nod to maximalism and the odd circle occasionally.)

• I prefer a paired back, or ‘tight’ colour palette (my kitchen/ diner is a good example of this where the dominant shade is ochre-which is then repeated in varying saturation throughout both rooms.)

• I also prefer earthier, organic colours.

• I like things to be put away, but I also need important stuff on display otherwise it literally ceases to exist.

• I am obsessed with textiles and I love every room to feel cosy and cocooning.

• I like to incorporate lots of negative/blank space especially between, or next to areas that are ‘busier.’

• I am more about texture than colour. I love friction and contrast above all.

• I like a lot of stuff but it has be grouped, otherwise my brain sees it as clutter and I stress out.

• I love to light candles and have a scented home on most days; but especially at the weekend in order to mark out that time as ‘different’.

My kitchen is an example of a space where essentially only one colour is used and then the saturation is ‘dialled up’ or down. Basically, different tones of the same dominant hue are incorporated for a calm and cohesive look. This stops the space feeling too busy despite the many patterns and textures.

But my actual house aside, and in terms of what would make the ‘perfect’ home for me, if money, work and schooling wasn’t an issue- I think we would need to start off with a coastal location.

A clear view of the sea is my idea of bliss. Who wouldn’t LOVE this? I imagine the sound of the water and instantly feel calmer. I often sleep with wave sounds on and find it so restorative.

Something like the image below would be a delight. I love the exterior and positioning. Can you imagine living here, and having those views?…

I love the stonework, and decking. The contrast between the external materials; the roughness of the stone set against the newer glazing is my favourite type of friction. There’s something undone and wild about it, whilst remaining neat and orderly. I imagine sitting out at dusk on that decked area, book in hand with a cuppa or a mocktail.

The crispness of the walls with the roughness of the wood provides a really satisfying contrast. I also love the windows!

I’ve had the above living room saved to my Pinterest for a while now and I just adore it. It’s a room I look at regularly and it makes me realise that our blue living room, whilst pretty, isn’t really me. It is a simple room where the materials do the talking.

The room below (also a pin of mine) is similar in its composition- the texture via the beamed ceiling (something we have in many of our own rooms and love) which contrasts so beautifully with the plainer walls; which crucially, are very pale. I personally think larger rooms look better painted in lighter tones and these two images are examples of where the wooden elements takes centre stage. I want our living room beams to stand out and be more of feature but at the moment I feel like they are being overshadowed by the wall color- just another reason to repaint it!

A moody, muted palette is something I come back to again and again. It is timeless and so easy to live with.

I also love the depth in these images; the earthy textiles and moody tones, and pinch of black adds a quiet strength which really ‘anchors’ the rooms.

The image below speaks for itself-the way it is so connected to the outside world, and to nature, makes for an incredible space whereby the landscape acts as inspiration for the interiors (which are organic and super simple.)

You don’t need much going on in when you have THAT in your back garden.

Now that we’ve found our perfect living space; how about we move onto the kitchen? I am not a cook by any means- I actually don’t particularly enjoy preparing food, and often find the multistep nature of the process a struggle- a huge kitchen with loads of gadgets and equipment isn’t something I’d necessarily gravitate towards.

I do love to eat though, and I’d be more inclined to go for style over substance.

I would happily sip a coffee in a space like this. The DeVOL Haberdasher’s Kitchen is my ultimate dream come true. I ADORE how it is styled in these images-the shiplap ceiling adding additional depth and interest, and the informality of the Scandi Rustic vibes stops it feeling stuffy.

The fluted wood of the cabinets is incredible, especially contrasted with the marble counter. We were really tempted to strip our kitchen at the cottage but, feeling that the project would be too time consuming decided to repaint instead. It’s not something I would rule out in the future though as I think an all wood kitchen looks stunning.

The DeVOL Haberdasher’s kitchen is sheer perfection in my opinion. It cleverly strikes that balance between chic and informal/ relaxed.

The whole space is a triumph-SO much texture, but with a very restricted colour palette. It is neutrals done exceedingly well.

And finally, let’s fantasise over these bedrooms. I have so many images saved of bedrooms because we are currently working on ours. I have really dug deep with this room, all distractions aside and have absolutely gone with my gut.

I have honed into what I really, truly love in a bid to listen to my instincts and hopefully create something that feels just right. I’ve spoken before about how difficult current unlimited access to inspiration can make our own decisions feel, which is why I advise tuning into your own thoughts before even looking online.

Like many people, sleep is something I often battle with-whether it’s a lack of good quality rest, or, that I am so burned out that I need lots of it.

Having a bedroom that aids relaxation and recovery is really important to both myself, and my husband. In our old house, we left decorating our primary bedroom until last-we focused on other spaces first, and were keen to not make that mistake this time round. I really want to keep the bedroom reveal a secret but suffice to say that the following visuals are a big clue as to the direction we’re going in.

This Amber Interiors bedroom combines a visually interesting ceiling with pale walls and lots of texture via fabric and furniture. It is busy, but the very gentle colourway helps it to feel super calm. I adore it. The little seating area would be a dream!

This room incorporates my favourite combination; simple light walls intercepted with deeper, moodier hues. Again, depth is created with the ceiling beams which help the room feel cocooned.

And with these lovely images in my mind, I am off upstairs to work on a little project in our bedroom. I am feeling motivated and inspired to make this space a little haven and can’t wait to share it with you soon.

And just remember, you don’t need a *huge house* or million pound mansion to have your dream home… but sometimes it’s fun to imagine…

See you next week.

Nina x