LIV Chats To… Vibrant Interior Blogger Hayley About Her Patterned Paradise
This week we're chatting to Hayley from @walbirchmansion - her style mixes plenty of prints, an array of energetic colours and heaps of personality!
Hi , first things first, please can you introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Hayley and I’m half of the team behind @walbirchmansion. My husband is the other half, he helps to make all of my visions a reality in our home.
Please tell us more about your stunning home and how @walbirchmansion came about?
Our home has evolved over time. It was very neutral when we moved in, then we had a grey stage (everyone does right!?) which now is really hard to imagine… then it exploded with colour, patterns and prints. I’d looked to Instagram for a lot of home inspo before I started @walbirchmansion. It must have been about a year before I actually built up the courage to start the account and I didn’t tell my husband for weeks as I was worried about what he would say. But I had nothing to worry about, he was totally on board from the start.
Please could you describe your interior style? has it always been the same or has it evolved over time?
Our interior style is definitely bright, bold and colourful with lots of clashing patterns thrown in. It’s still continuing to evolve as time goes on and we’re getting a lot braver with experimenting with brighter colours and patterns. Everything is also done on a budget too.
What brands or trends inspire you or your home purchases?
We like to upcycle and put our own spin on things. We have lots of old items that have been given a new lease of life using brightly coloured paints and patterned sticky vinyl. I tend to get an idea in my head of what I want but can’t always find the items available (or in budget) so we get together and create them ourselves. I find it really satisfying.
What interior Instagram accounts inspire you, could you name your top 3?
There is so much inspiration on Instagram and I’m thankful to be part of such a friendly and supportive community. I started @walbirchmansion when I was going through a difficult time and found it was a much needed distraction for me… it helped massively, along with the support of my husband. It’s hard to choose 3 accounts that inspire me as there are so many, it’s amazing how much creativity is out there, but if I had to choose 3 they would be;
I’m always drawn to colourful homes that aren’t afraid to break the decorating rules.
What’s your top tip for styling bold prints and bright colours?
When styling bold prints and bright colours I just go for it in the hope that it works, haha! I’d like to say I’m organised and lot of planning happens before… but it doesn’t.
What is your go-to interior trick… if you have one?
I’d say one of @walbirchmansion’s diy specialities is painting woodwork in the same colours as the room. We’ve been gradually banishing all of the white gloss in our house and painting it in bright and bold colours. We find to get the best finish it’s best to remove all of the old paint first with a heat gun, sand, prime and then paint. It’s a lot of hard work but totally worth it (my husband takes most of the credit here for all of the hard graft on this one).
What's your favourite home purchase you have made recently and is there anything on your Wishlist?
Home purchases and big projects have been on hold for the time being as we have recently welcomed a baby boy into the family. Our last upcycle was a wooden chest we were kindly given that we painted and personalised for our son.
If you had to change one thing in your home, what would it be and why?
One thing I’d like to change in my home is the back yard. We live in a terraced house and find that it’s quite overlooked, we’d like to create some kind of privacy out here but we’re not entirely sure of a way to do this that actually works and is budget friendly.
And finally what does the future hold for @walbirchmansion, is there anything left up your sleeve?
I’ve got some projects in mind for the future including adding some colour into the garden, updating the fireplace and we have one more room that has white gloss in it that we want to get rid of. I’ve seen some hacks to spray paint the kitchen sink which I’d like to have a go at, oh and add terrazzo chips to the kitchen floor. I’d also like to paint or wallpaper some of the ceilings but my husband needs some convincing on that one… watch this space!
IF YOU HAVE ENJOYED READING ALL ABOUT Hayley’s BEAUTIFUL HOME, HEAD OVER TO HER INSTAGRAM PAGE @walbirchmansion TO KEEP UP TO DATE.
