How to add pieces to your home that tell your story, and how I ignored all the interior design 'rules' to make a house that felt like me

Home decorator Lara Winter is one of Ideal Home's new 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.

When we first moved into this house - a 200-year-old extended cottage in the countryside -I was eight months pregnant, deeply exhausted, and mildly terrified. The house had great bones, but it was... beige. Nicely beige. Respectably beige. The kind of beige that says, “Don’t even think about touching me with a paintbrush.” Every room felt pared back and polite. Cream walls. Neutral furnishings. Quite high end. You know the type.

And look, I adore those homes. But the idea of living in that kind of timeless, cream-on-cream setting long-term? I just couldn’t do it. I’ve always craved colour. Pattern. Rooms that feel like you, not like a catalogue.

But here’s the thing: I was scared to start. I didn’t want to mess it up. This house felt so grown-up compared to the modern flats we were used to. It had history, character, ceilings that weren’t level, and walls that seemed to whisper, “No thanks, I’ll stay magnolia forever.”

So, I did nothing for a while. (Well - nothing decor-related. I did have a baby, which I think we can all agree counts as fairly productive.)

Eventually, though, I’d had enough of playing it safe. After seeing yet another gorgeous, personality-packed home online, I gave myself a talking-to, put on my metaphorical big girl pants, and bought a tin of sage green paint. One statement wall in the bedroom - that was the plan. But oh, that wall. It was like flicking a switch. Suddenly I was painting in every spare moment, running wild with wallpaper samples, and thinking about my next DIY project while still brushing paint out of my hair from the last one.

In the beginning, I played it safe and copied what I liked online. Subtly green walls. A bit of panelling. That sort of thing. But as time went on, I stopped trying to replicate trends and started tuning into what actually made me happy. I made some questionable choices along the way - hello, dark green bathroom in an almost windowless, weirdly shaped tunnel - but that’s part of the fun.

Now? I completely ignore what a cottage “should” look like. And I love to play with different interior styles.

Our bedroom is a mix of vintage finds and modern comforts, drenched in dusty pink and layered patterns. The kitchen leans full cottagecore with pastel green walls, original beams, and a battered wooden table that’s seen better days (but serves brilliant breakfasts). The living room? Cosy, lived in, filled with plants and books and roughly Scandi-inspired. And then there’s my office. My room. A little pocket of joy, wrapped head to toe in ditsy green-and-pink floral wallpaper. It’s unashamedly feminine, a little over-the-top, and exactly what I wanted. Sometimes I go in there just to sit and smile at the walls.

Any wise words of advice, you ask? Mainly: just go for it. You like yellow? Paint a wall and see how you like it. Don’t want to commit to colourful paint? Envision how your tired old furniture would look painted in a vibrant new hue. Or just buy the biggest yellow armchair you can find, just because it will make you smile daily. Wondering what colours pair well with it? Start adding small décor pieces in different shades and see what clicks. You don’t have to blow the budget. Shop your own home. Make the charity shop your best friend. And if you come home with all the cushions in all the different patterns – don’t worry! They’ll look great cosied up together on your bed, no matter what the rules might tell you.

Add pieces that tell your story. Frame those concert tickets and posters that bring back memories. Display those photos that make you laugh out loud, the ones that remind you of the moments that matter most. Do you (or your little people) bring back mountains of shells from each and every trip to the beach? Paint a printers tray in a vibrant colour, stick the shells on and display them. Be brave. And forget about what’s “in.” Forget about what’s “right” for your home. Focus on what feels like you.

So, what happens when you ignore the traditional styling rules for period homes?You make something that doesn’t just look nice - it feels like home. And in the end, that’s the only rule that really matters.