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House Tour: A Constant Dreamer’s Cotswold Home

Sarah Moorhouse, Instagrammer behind A Constant Dreamer, opens the door to her beautiful home in the Cotswolds.

Standford Medium Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Images of Sarah’s light-filled and sophisticated home attracted not just our attention, but thousands of followers who lust after her timeless and effortless style as much as we do. The four bedroom home exudes a modern farmhouse feel, mixing warm neutral shades and textures with investment pieces, statement art and beautiful accessories to create a space that you’d expect to see in a glossy interior magazine.

HOUSE AT A GLANCE

Who lives here: Sarah & Tim & their two pups, Pip & William

Location: Cirencester, Cotswolds

Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

TYPE OF PROPERTY

A Georgian townhouse located in the centre of town arranged over three floors with a cellar. Sarah was drawn to the house because of its room proportions, ceiling heights and location. They purchased the property in 2014 and lived in the house for three years, doing only a basic make-over, until the Spring of 2018 when they started a full renovation.

On the ground floor Sarah’s focus was to restore the period features that had been stripped out. She renovated the kitchen first, adding new limestone flooring, then moved on to the living room, office and creating a new shower room and courtyard. She then worked her way up the remaining two floors, including redecorating three of the bedrooms, adding period features, such as coving, new curtains and blinds and carpets (twice!), alongside the family bathroom. The fourth bedroom is currently unused, but Sarah has her eye on converting it into a dressing room. “I love that from the outside at the front the house looks like a two up two down, but once you step inside it opens up and surprises everyone who first visits.”

KITCHEN

The kitchen is the hub of Sarah’s home and was one of the first rooms she renovated. It has a large sash window at one end with a lovely long window seat underneath, which creates a stunning focal point. The original cream units and orange coloured wooden worktop made the room too dark, so Sarah brightened it up by replacing the cabinet door fronts and end panels, adding a quartz worktop and a Lacanche range cooker, which along with our very own Standford Medium Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table, are showpieces for the room. “It took me 18 months to find the right table and it’s ‘the one’. I love the reclaimed sleepers; it’s the perfect marriage of old and modern and fits in perfectly with its surroundings.”

LIVING ROOM

Located at the front of the house and bathed in natural light in the afternoons, Sarah made the most of the light and space in the compact living room. She added a Georgian style marble fireplace and painted the walls in French Grey Pale by Little Greene. The 100% polypropylene carpet was one of Sarah’s best investments, especially with two small dogs! “Before that, we had 100% wool carpets which we had to replace after our pups destroyed them after 18 months. That hurt!”

MASTER BEDROOM

The master bedroom is still work in progress. Sarah painted the walls in Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball and bought a new king size bed to go with the mixture of ebay finds and upcycled old furniture to add colour. The window dressings is the next part of the room to complete with Sarah wanting to add curtains with colour and print.

“I love a mix of old and new pieces in homes to make it feel more lived in and I love colour, prints & texture.”

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?

My favourite room changes all the time and usually because of the seasons! At the minute I would probably say our top-floor bedroom because of the light and the views. We often go up there to sit and read and the sash window makes a real feature of the room. However, once spring hits you’ll usually find me in the courtyard!

What would be your dream property?

I would quite like a Georgian cottage in the future with a lovely garden. I love Georgian properties for their symmetry, well-proportioned rooms and high ceilings.

Whose interior style do you lust after?

I don’t lust after one particular person’s style but rather a collective of styles. I’m an avid Instagram user and love following interior accounts for inspiration.

For some more interior inspiration, check out Sarah’s Instagram account @aconstantdreamer

All images Sarah Moorhouse @aconstantdreamer

Create Your Own Beautiful Dinner Party Table

Just A Little Build founder, Sarah-Jane, shares her dinner table style

We’ve been lusting after the interior style of Sarah-Jane, the stunningly gorgeous and oh, so talented lady behind Just A Little Build, since she completed her build and renovation project back in February 2019. Documented on her Instagram and blog, her honesty, enthusiasm and love of interiors shines throughout, but it is her stories of family life (she’s a full time mum of three with a menagerie of animals and a career of her own) and how she juggles this with her wonderful style and design that makes us ‘just a little’ bit obsessed with Sarah-Jane.

With her love of entertaining and attention to detail, when it comes to creating a show-stopping dinner party table, Sarah-Jane is the lady to ask. So, we did just that.

Here are her style secrets for a dinner party to impress….

Fresh Flowers: never underestimate the impact fresh flowers can give to your table decor. Not only do they instantly lift the mood of the room, but they also lift the eye, creating height and interest.

Use seasonal blooms to add colour to your table or for an understated elegance, simple green foliage, such as eucalyptus, are a wonderful way to add a stylish bit of substance. Just be careful that they don’t obstruct the natural eye line, so you can still see your guests!

Accessories: when sourcing plates, placemats and glasses etc. for the table, I use the same design process I would for a room. It all comes down to the styling and what materials, colours, heights and textures work together. I coordinated the smoked grey water glasses to mirror the frames of my sliding doors and blue bottom wine glasses to match my kitchen island and cushions.

Placemats: these can play an integral role in helping frame the plate and tie in your colour scheme. Here I have layered two different styles to add texture and contrast. The silver woven mat ties in with the cutlery, whilst the smaller slate placemat on top brings out the smoked grey of the water glass, as well as highlighting the stunning natural cracks and grooves of the wood in the reclaimed wood table. I love how the varying sizes and contrasting materials add interest and dimension to the table.

And lastly, the final piece for a heavenly table setting is lighting, or more specifically, mood lighting. To make a dinner party special I love to bring in a bit of sparkle and atmosphere to the room. I do this by placing tealights in small glass votives along the table or by adding tall candlesticks with long candles. You can also introduce a small wired string of LED’s for a festoon of light. Weave the lighting amongst the foliage or flowers for a stunning table setting. And, don’t forget the rest of the room. I like to add additional candles for a subtle glow and floor and side lamps to layer the light.

Who would be on your ultimate fantasy dinner party guest list?

Michael McIntyre – for happiness and laughter; Prince Harry – to find out all the goss!; Bradley Cooper – my celebrity crush; Jennifer Aniston – I think she’s just fab!

What’s your signature dinner party dish?

A good one which I used to cook and was originally passed down to me by my mum is chicken breasts stuffed with Stilton cheese, wrapped in parma ham and served with a cream and port sauce. However, as I no longer eat meat I tend to serve fish these days – I love pan-fried sea bass with cider braised mussels.

Summer BBQ or cosy winter supper?

Summer BBQ – I love cooking with marinades and you can do so many lovely fish dishes on the bbq. A favourite of ours is this Sunshine Tuna recipe; tuna steaks marinated with orange juice, fresh coriander, chili, garlic and then barbecued – pure summer on a plate!

What’s your food guilty pleasure?

I love a Gu Hot Chocolate soufflé – with raspberries pushed into the middle!

Woman leaning against kitchen island with dog

When you’re not being a mum, blogger, Instagrammer, brand consultant, holiday rental manager and events organiser (phew!!!), what do you do to relax?

Ha! For me, a quiet night in with a lovely candle burning, some mindless tv and some sweet and salty popcorn is pretty much the ticket!

For stunning dining tables to create your perfect dinner party, take a browse through our wonderful wood dining table collection. It includes Sarah-Jane’s stunning reclaimed wood dining table.

At home with Cassie Nicholas, Interior Designer

Congratulations on winning 2019 BBC 2 Interior Design Masters. What did you learn from being on the show?

Thank you! I learnt so much on the show from both the other designers and the judges. One of the main things I discovered is that I am more organised than I think I am. I learnt that meticulous planning and communicating to everyone in the team helps, but also to be able to adapt and change the plans as inevitably nothing ever goes quite as you expect!

What’s your philosophy when it comes to good interior design?

I think interior design is very much entwined with how a space can make you feel, as well as what it looks like. I believe good interior design, especially in your home, can make you happier. Within the home, the process of growing your space and interiors from pieces you find and collect can help to make it really personal. By not being too trend focused, you can create something more timeless and unique.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

Describe your signature style in three words?

Romantic, authentic, timeless.

What tips do you have for bringing sustainable designs into the home

There are so many ways to bring sustainable designs into the home. When I started designing it was not my first thought, but I soon realised sustainable design is just how I think inherently . As well as an interior designer I have been an antiques dealer for the past ten years. I love antique, reclaimed wood furniture and vintage pieces and feel I get so much enjoyment out of the hunt in finding them. It is extremely fun and not only is it much cheaper, but it also means these pieces have had another lease of life. Plus, you are bound to get a more individual home.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

We try and buy a lot of our wood for making furniture or shelving etc. from our local Bristol Wood Recycling project. We love going there, getting drawn in by fabulous pieces of wood and trying to create a project around what we have found.

You’re quoted as saying your style is based around authentic character and imperfect beauty. How do you incorporate that into your designs?

I don’t like things to be too contrived or overly styled and I want most decorative things to have a purpose and feel natural. I aim for each space I create to have a sense of the people that use it, whether it’s a restaurant or a living room, and be authentic to who they are rather than what trends they like. I think this gives spaces more longevity and can grow with the clients. Crisp perfectionism isn’t my thing. I love real age, patina and pieces that show their history.

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?

The kitchen. I work at the kitchen table, love to cook and socialise in here too. It is forever changing and it always reflects our everyday. It is my total haven.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

Name three Modish Living products you are lusting over?

1. I love the classic feel to the Hudson Living Wycombe Dining Chairs. They could work well in so many different style interiors.

2. The Bordour White Woodchip Pendant Lights have a great look and I love that they are made out of waste timber! They are a great way to add texture to a room.

3. Linen is something I use a lot, especially at home. I love the texture it creates and how the colours change subtly when washed and used over time. I am always on the hunt for tablecloths and think they can really transform a space and table, making it feel very comforting, layered and cosy. I’ve got my eye on your Lovely Linen collection.

Do you have any design rules you never break?

No, I have tried my best to not to ever read what the rules are supposed to be, so I can just do things my own way.

Photo credit: Cassie Nichoals

What three things would you take with you to a desert island?

I am very practical, so I know I would want to build something. I think a saw would be useful, loads of seeds to plant some food and a radio, so I can still have some music.

Would you rather go back to age 10 with everything you know now or know everything your future self will learn now?

I think I’d rather know everything my future self will learn now.

Make the World a Brighter Place with Ju de Paula

With a passion for colour and a love affair with flowers, interior designer and founder of Blueberry Living & Co, Ju de Paula, is a joy to behold. We spoke with Ju at her technicolor home to talk colour (naturally), pattern and bold designs.

We just love the way you embrace colour and pattern! When did you first discover you had such a bright interior eye?

I was raised in Brazil and grew up surrounded by colour. My mum loved bright colours. Our house was very colourful, so it’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved interiors. I used to create furniture for my Barbie doll house when I was child!

What’s your philosophy when it comes to good interior design?

Be true to yourself and create a space that reflects who you are. I think interior design is about a feeling. When I work with a client my overall goal is to create a space that makes that person feel good. This can only be achieved by understanding the personality of the person.

You’re from Brazil. How has that influenced your interior style?

My love for strong colours definitely comes from Brazilian roots. We are a colourful nation and embrace colour. We are also blessed with an abundance of sunshine and I love the sun. I always try to add yellow into my designs as, for me, it’s a way of bringing the sunshine in.

What’s the key to getting colour and pattern right?

If there is a colour and pattern you like then go for it, there is no key to getting it wrong if it’s something you love. Decide on how you want the space to feel or what mood you want to create and then choose a colour and combination of colours. Understanding the colour wheel is great for bringing shades together. Pick different tones of the same colour and layer them or contrasting shades, such as blue and green or green and pink can look fantastic together.

We’re as passionate about reclaimed wood as you are about bright interiors. What advice would you give to combine your colourful style with reclaimed wood furniture?

I love mixing aged and reclaimed wood furniture with colour. For me it’s a wonderful combination. Reclaimed wood adds soul and character to a piece, which is how I feel about colour too. If you’re working with a new or modern space, reclaimed wood and colour gives it an instant personality.

Name three Modish Living products you are lusting over and how would you style them?

1. I love the simplicity of the Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Dining Table. It’s all about the beautiful wood. I would style it with some large plants inside jewel coloured crackle glaze pots.

2. I also like the Portobello Oak Console Table. I would style it with a pair of colourful ceramic table lamps, some plants and add a large ottoman upholstered in a floral fabric under it.

3. The Sabrina Curved Velvet Chair in canary yellow is gorgeous! I would style it with a patterned fuchsia cushion and a floor lamp beside it.

How important is sustainability and eco-friendly principles to you and how do you aim to incorporate them into your designs?

I’ve spent my life upcycling, repurposing and reusing old furniture and fabrics, so it comes naturally to me. I believe we should reuse what we already have and change it to fit with the space or room. Sometimes you look at a piece and it just isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it; you can change it. This principle is not only good for design, but the environment too.

What makes you happy?

Simple things make me happy. Like holding a hot cup of tea, eating ice cream on a summer’s day or carrying a bunch of flowers.

Talking of flowers, what’s your favourite flower?

Dahlias! They have such a beautiful shape and I love the different layers and colours.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To see your fears as arrows pointing you in the direction you should go. Many of the good things that have happened to me in my life have been as a result of following this advice. It’s how I got a place on Interior Design Masters. It was a cold February day and I had just launched my new online interior design course. I looked up at the sky to ask the universe to give me a sign to help me get my course in front of people. I picked up my phone and an advert popped up on Instagram asking for interior designers for a new TV show. Now, I’m an introvert and the thought of putting myself out there on TV was frightening, but I didn’t want to be ungrateful. I had asked for direction and been given it, so I had to follow the arrows.

Being on the show opened up so many doors and opportunities for me professionally. I can now do what I love and help more and more people learn how to design homes that make them happy.

If you could be anyone for one day, who would it be?

This is a tricky question! I try not to compare myself with others, so there isn’t really anyone I’d rather be. I quite like me.

What’s your mantra for life?

It’s a quote from Brazilian poet, Mario Quintana – ‘Don’t chase the butterflies, look after your garden and they will come to you!’

See more beautiful images on instagram @blueberrylivingco

Silo London – the zero-waste revolutionary

Bar area of Silo London with wall lights and cream bar stools

Back in 2014, Douglas McMaster opened the world’s first zero-waste restaurant in Modish Living HQ’s hometown: Brighton. Called Silo, the eco-chic restaurant focused on ‘closing the loop’ in the food production process. It became known for serving drinks in jam jars, using upturned crates as seats and, of course, offering a delicious menu of locally sourced produce, long before upcycling and sustainable living was a hot topic.

Fast forward to 2019, the award-winning chef has taken his revolutionary concept to Hackney Wick in London where he created an innovative evolution of Silo Brighton. McMaster’s vision was conceived from a desire to innovate the food industry whilst demonstrating respect: respect for the environment, respect for the way our food is generated and respect for the nourishment it gives our bodies. This means creating everything from its whole form, cutting out food miles and over-processing, together with preserving nutrients and the integrity of the ingredients in the process.

“we’re constantly raising the bar when it comes to up-cycling and zero waste”

Douglas McMaster

McMaster and his team work directly with farmers and compost any leftovers using the kitchen’s own compost machine. The continually changing menu includes inventive dishes such as grilled fantail squid, white kimchi and Douglas fir; Jerusalem artichokes cooked on fire and served with Cashel Blue and ruby kraut; and blue potatoes, barbecued sea kale and caramelised whey. Wines are British, sourced from artisanal producers including another Modish Living neighbour, Tillingham in Sussex, which specialises in biodynamic, zero-sulphite wines.

For something a little stronger, the cocktail list, made in collaboration with award-winning bartender, Mr Lyan, is thoughtful and interesting, as is the craft beer from Silo’s partner, CRATE Brewery.

But what of the interior? As you would expect, the design and furniture mirrors the restaurant’s ethical and sustainable approach, where less is more. Created from a desire to re-use, the open space was designed by Nina Woodcroft of Nina+Co, who softened the building’s original industrial features by using a few pioneering high-quality materials that are biodegradable. For example, the entrance pendant light is moulded from foraged seaweed, while the natural cork flooring is carbon negative. The dining tables were crafted using sustainably sourced English ash and the cocktail lounge furniture was grown to order from a fungus called mycelium. We also love the dining bar, which is wrapped in recycled leather and topped with a counter made from reconstituted food packaging.

As champions of sustainable and reclaimed wood furniture we applaud Silo London for its pioneering approach. Long may creativity and sustainability continue to thrive in all that we do!

At home with Lorraine Pascale

TV chef Lorraine Pascale with two dishes

During these dreary winter months, what better way to brighten up your day than with the lovely Lorraine Pascale. TV chef, speaker, author and emotional wellness advocate, Lorraine is devoted to helping us live the best life possible and her wellbeing advice and delicious recipes certainly feed our soul as well as our stomach.

One of our favourite go-to recipes at Modish Living HQ is Lorraine’s Blackened Honey and Paprika Salmon with Garlicky Kale and Peas – the perfect feel good dinner for these long dark nights. See her recipe below and after a cold winter’s day, gather around your reclaimed wood dining table and enjoy this quick, healthy, life-affirming and delectable supper….

“If it’s healthy and it feels good for your soul, do more of it this weekend”

Lorraine Pascale

Lorraine Pascale’s Blackened Honey & Paprika Salmon with Garlicky Kale & Peas

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Salmon fillets
1 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp honey
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice 1 lemon or 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 sprigs thyme
150g frozen peas
150g kale – broken into bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic finely chopped
80g pomegranate

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c. Put some oil in a frying pan. As this heats up, season the tops of the salmon with salt and pepper and sprinkle with half of the paprika.

Place the salmon fillets upside down in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until the salmon is blackening on top.

As this cooks, mix together the other half of the paprika with the honey, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and set aside.

Once the salmon is blackened, place it on to a baking tray, right side up and brush well with all of the glaze.

Place the baking tray into the oven with half of the thyme scattered over the top. Cook for about 10-12 minutes.

As this cooks, prepare the vegetables. Carefully wipe out the salmon pan, so there are no burnt bits in there. Drizzle some more oil in the pan, add the peas and let them sit over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until they blister and go brown. Then throw in the kale, garlic and rest of the thyme.

Keep the pan moving so the garlic doesn’t burn. Season with salt and pepper and when the kale has softened slightly (about 2 minutes), set the pan aside.

Once the fish is cooked, serve with the vegetables and spoon over any of the glaze remaining in the baking tray and sprinkle over the pomegranates.

Recreate Lorraine’s interior dining style

A fan of reclaimed wood furniture, Lorraine serves her delicious home cooked meals on our gorgeous Stanford Extending Reclaimed Wood Dining Table with matching Stanford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Bench. Style with natural table linens, bamboo pendant ceiling lights and plenty of houseplants.

Stanford Extending Reclaimed Wood Dining table & Bench

Photo credit: @lorrainepascale, Table: @modishliving, Skillet pan: Utopia

A cup of coffee with That’s So Gemma

Interior stylist That's So Gemma positioning storage baskets in a bedroom

We sat down with Gemma Gear, freelance interior stylist and author of esteemed blog, That’s So Gemma, to discover more about her career, home and interior design.

How would you describe your style?

Believe it or not, this is a tough one to answer! Being an interior stylist, I have to be quite versatile in my designs with many varying projects and briefs to work on. I think I almost always fall in love with something different about every single style, which is reflected in my own home. I have a very eclectic mix of things that I love, which in effect makes my own ‘style’ quite unique. I think it’s safe to say that I absolutely love colour and vibrant mixes of patterns and textures, so I always try to bring a little bit of ‘me’ in that way to each project that I work on.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I quite often find inspiration from things when I least expect it, even more so when I’m not actually looking for it! Even just being outside in nature is a great source of inspiration for colour and texture. I found huge inspiration when travelling to India and Marrakech last year, again for the clash of colours and patterns. I also love to visit design exhibitions for research on upcoming trends. Decorex and the Design Centre is brilliant for this.

What do you think makes a house a home?

Well, they say ‘Home is where the heart is’ for a reason. I believe what truly makes a home is a place that you feel most comfortable in. It should be a space that you curate from things that inspire you, and make you feel happy. Whether that be on trend, or not, it shouldn’t matter! Everyone has their own personal taste and style and your home is the one place where you can truly show that off to make it feel like your own.

What do you think will be big in homes & interiors in 2020?

Plants are most definitely becoming more of a popular trend, not just because of their leafy-green aesthetic, but because of their ability to improve wellbeing too. I’ve always been a huge plant hoarder, so I’m pleased to see they’re being appreciated more in interiors. Sustainability is becoming another huge factor in people’s homes and design ideas. Organic materials such as reclaimed wood furniture is being favoured for its durability. In terms of colours, deep jewel tones are definitely on the ‘up’ this year. Emerald greens, teal and amber is a great combination for 2020 trends.

What pieces at Modish Living are you lusting over at the moment?

The Standford range definitely has me swooning the most. I absolutely love the combination of wood and metal as it makes a really modern aesthetic. The reclaimed wood dining table is brilliant too as it cleverly extends so that it can be more compact in a room. The bamboo pendant ceiling lights are another huge fave of mine too. I am a proud owner of the Bamboo Manta Pendant Light which hangs perfectly over my stairwell!

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?

Funnily enough I have recently spoken about this with my partner as we moved into our new house just a few months ago. We’ve put so much love into each of the rooms in our home, but I can safely say that my favourite room in the house is our bedroom. It feels very warm and cozy, and is filled with lots of sentiments and pictures. It really does feel homely and I genuinely believe it’s because we’ve filled it with things that all mean something. I also have a lovely chair by the window which I enjoy sitting in to relax, and the original cast iron fireplace gives the room tons of character.

What’s the trick to pulling together an interior scheme?

Mood boarding is a great way of planning a scheme. If you’re new to designing/planning interiors for a room then it’s really useful to gather your ideas and see it all in one place. Use paint charts, fabric/wallpaper samples and cut out pictures of furniture pieces to create a collage of materials for the room you are planning; it will not only help you decide what things you prefer but also make you aware if something is not quite right. I’m a visual learner, so it’s important that I do this prior to any project I work on… it’s also a lot of fun to do!

How did you become an interior stylist?

I started as a visual merchandiser in home retail stores such as Laura Ashley and Zara Home. I always knew I had a passion for interiors and creating visual displays, so when I found out more about interior styling it was like a ‘light bulb’ moment in my head as I realised it was what I wanted to do. I reached out to a few editors of various interior magazines, and I was lucky enough to get some work experience and assist on a few shoots before being confident enough to go solo. It took a lot of motivation, endless emails and copious amounts of coffee whilst building my online website and portfolio, but here I am now, with no turning back!

What’s a typical day like for you?

Just recently I became a very proud dog owner, so my day now always starts off with a long dog walk, which is brilliant for my mental health and ensures I start my day feeling fresh and energised. The type of projects I am working on will determine what my day will generally be like. Quite often I’ll be mood-boarding or curating plans for a photoshoot, and other days I’ll be out prop shopping or visiting press shows. It’s safe to say that my day-to-day life is quite spontaneous as I rarely have two weeks the same, but I very much enjoy working in different places with different people each week, so it suits me perfectly.

Your dream house is on fire. What three items do you grab?

Great question! If we are not including my partner and pup, then it would have to be the following three things: Firstly, my storage box filled with sentiments and photographs – I’m pretty sure everyone has one of these tucked away that they couldn’t walk away from! Secondly, my colourful pouffe from Marrakech that’s hand knotted and made from different types of fabrics. It reminds me of a fantastic holiday and I would be gutted to see it go up in flames. Finally, my giant peace lily plant. I’ve been keeping it alive for 8 years now and it’s probably one of my most proudest accomplishments! It always gets commented on… How could I let that burn?!