Interior Design

with Gill Greenwell

Watching the finals of Grand Designs House of the Year 2022 reminded me how recycling and re-using things is costeffective and good for the planet. The idea of reclaiming is not new and is even more on-trend with the current focus on sustainability.

Volunteering in a charity furniture shop has also opened my eyes to the possibilities of breathing new life into old things, so here are some ways you can be more creative with your interior style and save money.

Architectural salvage yards are good hunting grounds for creating a modern rustic look. You can find anything from reclaimed floorboards to old vintage tiles. Get creative with natural wood. Two friends of mine have made stylish dining tables by adding new tabletops to old table bases, using a single beautiful piece of timber and industrial style wooden planks.

Image: Lucie Annabel

Changing Rooms expert A quick and easy way to add Micaela Sharp advises using vibrancy and colour to a room good quality fabric, mixing is to paint an old piece of patterns and adding some furniture. It’s really not difficult, trim. Check out her easy-toall you have to do is trawl follow online course. online sites or local charity I love rooting through remnant shops for interesting-shaped bins in fabric shops for pieces, invest in a good gorgeous pieces of material. paintbrush and some beautiful Start a new hobby and create Stylish looking lighting can be paint. something unique. expensive, but you can pick up Farrow and Ball match-pots Personalise with muchsome fab vintage pieces in charity shops if you love a midcentury or modern look. Electrical items are carefully checked by experts and you’ll be amazed at the variety and prices of lamps and lampshades, often in perfect condition. If you like a more industrial are great for smaller items, and Annie Sloan’s easy-to-apply chalk paint comes in a wide selection of colours. You will find plenty of videos on YouTube showing you what to do. Re-upholster and recycle loved vintage pieces Adding authentic character to your home is easy if you fill it with the things you love. A chair from your granny’s house that sparks childhood memories, or things that have travelled with you through feel, I came across retro Why not give a pre-loved chair your life and say something lighting company Skinflint at a or ottoman a new lease of life about you. design fair in London and I was by re-upholstering it? A good With a little bit of ingenuity impressed by how sustainability way to introduce some pattern and creativity, you too can is at the heart of everything and a pop of colour to a room. create a home that is stylish, they do. For a bespoke designer look, individual and joyful. The Local Answer To advertise call 01242 510500 Page 33