I was saving my nicest things for people who don't live here

Bed with pink linen sheets, block pattern printed cushions, upholstered headboard and wooden bedside table — (Image credit: Lara Winter)

Home decorator Lara Winter is one of Ideal Home's Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on revamping a 200 year old cottage to make it right for modern family life. See the rest of her articles here.

For years, I had a cupboard full of "special" things.

A handmade mug I'd bought from a local ceramicist. A beautiful candle that smelt almost too nice to light. A fancy home fragrance I was saving for... well, I never really knew what. I'd tell myself I'd use them when people came over, or when we had friends round for dinner, or when there was something worth celebrating.

Latest Videos FromIdeal Home

Watch full video here:

Instead, I'd make my morning tea in an ordinary mug, leave the expensive candle untouched and spray the cheaper room fragrance. Months would pass before I'd open the cupboard again. The candle? covered in dust. The home fragrance? Lost most of its scent without ever really being enjoyed.

One day I looked at it all and thought: This is ridiculous! Who exactly am I waiting for?

These days, if I buy a beautiful mug, I use it every morning. If I find a candle I love, I'll happily light it while I'm folding laundry, making dinner or sitting on the sofa watching TV on a completely average Tuesday evening.

In fact, I almost enjoy it more when nobody else is around because it reminds me that my home isn't just there to impress visitors. It's there to make everyday life feel a little bit nicer.

Living room with burnt orange sofa beneath windows, opposite ottoman with woven tray holding vase of flowers

The funny thing is, I'm really not someone who spends lots of money on handbags or shoes. I couldn't tell you what's fashionable this season and I rarely buy clothes unless I genuinely need something. Home has always been my thing. That's where I choose to treat myself because that's where I spend most of my time. I also realised I was doing the same thing with crockery.

Growing up, lots of us had "good" plates and "everyday" plates. My grandparents definitely did. The nice glasses only came out when guests visited. The pretty serving dishes stayed tucked away in the cupboard for Christmas.

I decided that doesn’t make sense for us in the slightest. So now I don't own boring plates, or plain glasses. If I buy something because I love it, I want to use it. Every single day.

Of course, that means things occasionally get chipped or broken. We've lost more than a few glasses over the years and one of my favourite handmade mugs didn't survive an unfortunate meeting with the kitchen floor. Was I disappointed? Absolutely. But I'd still rather enjoy those things every day than have them sitting untouched in a cupboard for years because I was too worried something might happen to them.

Corner kitchen banquette with striped upholstery, round wooden table and open shelving holding framed art and vases of flowers

The same goes for bedding. If there's one thing I've become surprisingly passionate about, it's making our bed as comfortable as possible. Soft cotton sheets, breathable duvets, linen in the summer and a silk pillowcase have become little luxuries I genuinely look forward to every evening.

We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, so I've stopped seeing good bedding as an indulgence. It's something we get to enjoy every single day, and that feels like money well spent.

Bed in neutral bedroom, with dusky pink linens and patterned cushions, beneath two framed illustrations

Looking back, I think I used to believe I had to earn nice things. That beautiful mugs were for guests, candles were for special occasions and luxurious bedding belonged to some future version of me who had everything figured out.

But life has a funny way of reminding us that special occasions aren't always the big ones we imagine. Sometimes they're just a quiet cup of tea before everyone else wakes up, reading a book while the rain taps against the windows or sitting down for dinner with my family after a busy day. Those ordinary moments make up most of our lives.

Sunlit living room with burnt orange sofa, cream ottoman as coffee table with matching armchair, green trimmed glass-fronted cabinet, houseplants and sheer curtains

So why shouldn't they happen with the mug you love most? Or the candle you've been saving? Or the plates that make you smile every time you set the table? Our homes shouldn't feel their best only when other people walk through the door. The people who deserve to enjoy them most are the ones who live in them every day.

And if that means I burn through candles a little faster or need to replace the odd mug now and then, I think that's a price worth paying. I'd much rather have a home filled with things that are well loved than one filled with things that have simply been well preserved.

Lara is originally from Germany, where she studied Special Educational Needs before moving to England in 2016. She now runs the instagram account What A View Cottage which has over 240,000 followers, who tune in to be inspired by her modern take on rustic style.

Lara has always had a creative streak and the urge to experiment with colours and different layouts made her rearrange the furniture of her childhood bedroom constantly. These days she lives with her husband, their two sons and their fluffy, ginger cat Gizmo in a modern cottage in Wiltshire. She loves to create cosy, lived in spaces with lots of texture and the use of colour. Her specialty is to give rooms that cottage feel with a modern and sometimes unexpected twist and she's not afraid to mix interior styles.