Herefordshire barn - my UK home, as featured in the Mail on Sunday ‘You’ magazine and 25 Beautiful Homes

After spending 11 adventure-packed years in Melbourne I moved back to the UK and set up home in this grade-II listed, timber-framed barn conversion in a sleepy hamlet just outside the cathedral town of Hereford. I love to mix and match styles, so I knew the rustic beams, wooden floors and dark slate tiles would be a great backdrop for my whimsical treasures. The aged wood, pitted with marks, brings character and warmth to the space, while the clean lines of my mid century furniture add an edgy, contemporary vibe. Being here has been like living in a tree house, watching the different phases of farming life unfold around me, and following the subtle rhythms of nature. I didn’t ever expect to live in such a quirky home but I’m happy I managed to merge my colourful, modern style with this ancient, nurturing space.

When we first arrived it was the middle of the UK winter, with never-ending rain. The barn cocooned us in its woody loveliness, and I felt like I was bringing some Australian sunshine, with all our cheerful cushions and paintings. My arc lamp survived the journey from Australia and brings a mid-century coolness to this rustic space. Here I’ve chosen an uplifting palette of pink, yellow and mint which is echoed around the room to create a sense of cohesion.

I bought this mint blue sofa especially for the space and love how it’s contemporary lines contrast with the rustic beams in the sitting room. A thread of hot pink, mint and yellow runs throughout this room, with a mix of our bold paintings and cushion designs. I’ve added an African vibe with some of my quirky finds, including paper mâché bowls, tin can cars, a turquoise wire bowl and a Nguni cowhide rug.

The reading nook in the sitting room offers a quiet spot to relax. Having this extra space with all the shelves was a real bonus, especially as we have so many books. I picked up the retro 1960’s lounge chairs, with tubular steel legs, at Camberwell market in Melbourne and had them recovered in a Moroccan inspired fabric by New Zealand fabric house, Mokum. Taking inspiration from this peacock painting for the colour palette here, I hand painted the orange Zig Zag lamp shade and added mint cushions to the vintage chairs. The framed horse and pineapple screen prints propped on the bookshelves are my own designs.

I’ve teamed a sleek Fritz Hansen style dining table with Wishbone chairs in fresh colours, which bring an element of fun and light heartedness to the dining room. For an added eccentric touch I’ve hung a Tractor Home wire and paper deer head next to a wooden moose head. I’ve styled the table simply, with one of my most prized possessions, a frilly Lightly perspex bowl.

I fell in love with the quirky beams in this house, which are particularly wonky upstairs in the upstairs bedrooms. I’ve kept the styling simple in the main bedroom with a streamlined four poster bed and crisp white bedding. I’ve added a splash of colour with my cushion designs in pastel shades and a duck egg blue metal bedside table. I’ve found the perfect spot for my African wire ‘It’s Beautiful here’ sign, which was originally used to display bags in our homewares store, Curio & Curio, in Australia.

A freestanding bath is positioned next to a little window so you can lie back and look out at fields and countryside. I loved having a bath in the evening here, hearing the owls hooting and catching a glimpse of them flying past the window, in silent flight. I’ve added a pop of colour with an orange foot stool and striped Country Road towel.

I acquired this striking Zebra painting for a styling job in Australia and fell in love with it, so I kept it. I purchased the 1950’s vintage armchair at a yard sale in Melbourne. Originally an office chair covered in black vinyl, I re-covered it in a fresh chartreuse green. Never one to leave a surface bare, I’ve added a ceramic cockatoo lamp and pair or dog ornaments from Jones & Co, plus a hand painted Mexican candlestick from Market Import. The striking African Lady cushion is one of our own designs.

This woven, pod shaped Globewest coffee table travelled with me from Australia and always brings a cool, contemporary feel to any setting. I love to style it with a selection of my coffee table books, flowers, and cute wooden animals. These beautiful images were captured by photographer, Penny Wincer in the spring-time, so of course I had to feature sunny yellow daffodils. Going with this make-you-smile yellow theme, I added my ceramic MUD bowl, vintage yellow vase and Douglas & Hope bird mug. Coffee table books featured here include a biography by iconic British fashion designer, Paul Smith and a hardback book version of Domino magazine (my all time favourite magazine).

Here I’ve paired my partner, Nick Young’s Giraffe painting with one of my own cushion designs to echo the vibrant orange and blue tones.

I created a sewing nook in a bright corner of the dining room, where I could get creative with my old Singer sewing machine. Here I paired a classic mid-century, moulded plastic Sebel Hobnob chair with a utilitarian trestle table from Ikea. The starting point for these two portrait paintings, by my partner Nick Young, came from a magazine article I found. I loved the photographs of these two quirky, country characters and suggested to Nick that they would look good turned in to a series of paintings.

The kitchen runs off the dining room, with natural slate tiles throughout, creating a seamless look. Nick perches on one of our metal Tolix bar stools in front of a wall painted in blackboard paint, which is a great spot for a spontaneous chalk drawing, writing a message or compiling a shopping list. I’ve added nods to the countryside location with a resin deer head on the wall, and rabbit ornaments.

I’ve positioned an Eames style rocking chair in this corner of the main bedroom, with one my signature colour-pop cushion, designed by me. Wooden pegs jutting out of the beams proved to be the perfect way to display some of my many chunky necklaces. The 3D Kids paintings are by Nick.

Set in two thirds of an acre, the barn has a beautiful undulating garden with ancient damson and apple trees and views stretching out over the Black Mountains. In the Spring, from the upstairs landing, birds can be spotted nesting and rearing their young among the branches of the trees. Dating back to the 15th century, the building was converted into a two-story house in 2007. The barn has a peaceful atmosphere and I like to think it’s because, in its first incarnation, it was home to horses, cows and other livestock.

A room above the garage at the bottom of the garden proved to be a perfect studio space to work, with delightful views over the fields, and only the occasional tractor, pheasant or neighbour disturbing us. Seen here are a selection of acrylic and spray painted artworks by Nick, plus a stack of cushions from our Curio & Curio range. As this space was filled with so much light, thanks to the skylights, it sometimes doubled as a little photography studio where we photographed our work. To read the full feature in the Mail on Sunday ‘You’ magazine click here.