About your house: Anne Marie Stoltman

It’s that time again! I’m going to introduce you to another interiors blogger, that I know you’ll absolutely love. Today I’m chatting with Anne Marie Stoltman from Very Me Interiors blog about her home.

Anne Marie describes Very Me Interiors as a blog for all the interior design fanatics. She says ‘It’s where I share my ideas for creating a beautiful family home on a budget. It’s full of little DIY projects, crafts and things that inspire me and hopefully will inspire my readers too’.

ABOUT YOUR HOUSE – ANNE MARIE STOLTMAN

What type of home do you have?

We live in a terrace house that we bought five years ago. It was a council house in the past.

Who lives there and how long have you lived there?

I live here with my partner Rob and our two kids: Zuzanna and Kasper (ten and five respectively). We’ve been in this house for five happy years.

Describe your interior style in 5 words.

This actually keeps changing. I don’t follow one style; I follow my heart and add things depending on the mood and the season. But if I had to describe my style in five words I guess they would be: ECLECTIC, COSY, VINTAGE with a bit of SCANDI and lots of COLOUR or just simply in two words VERY ME : )

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

Hahaha… That keeps changing too depending on what new things I add and where. I think at the moment it’s the living room, even though it’s not finished yet. I like my hallway as well and the stairs I’m particularly proud of as being one of my latest projects.

But one room that unchangeably is one of my most favourite places in the house is the kitchen. It’s where we spend most time as a family and socialising with friends. It’s where our life happens!

Is there anything unusual about your home?

I don’t think there’s anything unusual about my house. It’s a little terrace house with a small garden. I guess what could be considered as being unusual is the fact that we spent as much on decorating and updating the whole house as most people spend on just one room! And that’s what prompted me to start a blog. I want everyone to have a beautiful house and be happy with where they live, even if they don’t have the money to spare. If we did it, everyone else can do it too!

What’s your favourite home gadget?

I’m not a big gadget fan so you won’t find any colour-changing lights or built-in speakers in my house. I like simple things. But when the time comes to replace our old boiler (probably very soon) I will definitely invest in that smart option to control the temperature of the house from my phone. I think this is genius!

What’s your best tip for decorating your home on a budget?

You need to look at things from a different perspective. Forget about things you want to buy and concentrate on what you already have in the house and how you can reuse it or re-purpose it. And when you do need to buy something, try car boot sales or charity shops, you will be surprised at what can be found there and for what price! I’m also a big fan of using free wallpaper samples around my home – the possibilities are endless, and not so tacky as people think.

Where do you like to shop for home decor?

Definitely car boot sales and charity shops are my favourite places for something unusual and on a budget. I’m also an Ikea addict; you can find me there picking up candles, cushions or just for inspiration. I also like shopping at Home Sense and TKMaxx and at my local independent shops like Glorious Homes in Sandiacre.

What’s the last item you bought for your house?

I bought a pink cushion and a blanket for my bedroom but I just wanted to check how they would look in my living room and that’s where they stayed… they just belonged there (together with ten other cushions and some other blankets). This is actually very typical of me!

What is your next project in the home?

Well… actually I have two projects planned for this year. First will be a little bathroom makeover and then the next project will be the biggest of all. We plan to knock down a wall between the living room and a hallway. We will also have a special alcove built to hang our coats and to separate the entrance from the main living area. After that I’m planning to enjoy the house for a while because it seems like there’s been project after project and there’s barely any time left in between to just sit down and relax in our beautiful home : )

Where do you get inspiration for home decor?

Everywhere! Home magazines, internet, TV home programs, friend’s houses, Pinterest, nature, travels, and sometimes the inspirations come suddenly when I walk, when I eat or even in my sleep… but mainly they’re just reflections of my life needs and solutions to our family living problems.

If you had a spare room in your house, that you could do absolutely anything with, what would you do with it?

I once tried to answer that question just for myself and as soon as I said that I would like to have a utility room, another idea pop out of my head: a guest room, a home office, a gym… I guess it is in people’s nature to always want more. So I think if I could have just one spare room it would have to be all this in one: my very own utility/guest/study/gym room. I hope my dream room could have dream measurements too as this one needs to be quite big : )

I hope you enjoyed hearing from the lovely Anne Marie this week. I love her kitchen tiles!

Be sure to check out her fantastic blog Very Me Interiors for interior inspiration on a budget. 

Would you like to take part in the next about your house feature? Drop me a line at hello@girlabouttownhouse.com