AT HOME...with Louise

Welcome to Louise's beautiful "villa" that dates back to 1896. Louise is no stranger to home improvement projects. Whatever needs to be done, she isn't afraid to take it on. From painting and sewing to stain glass window repairs and heavy sanding, her projects are well thought out and reflect her charm and sophistication.

We sat down for a coffee with Louise one morning to find out more about what inspires her and hear about her latest relooking success story.

AT HOME: Where do you get your inspiration for all your decorating ideas?

Louise: Magazines like Art et Decoration and Elle Deco. I also look at my friend's homes and sometimes steal their ideas or come up with a variation that suits how I want my room to look. I'm very methodical, I take on one room at a time and see it to completion before starting to think about my next project. I take my time to develop the future style of the room. I shop around and compare prices (and bargain when I can). I set a budget for the project and when possible I reuse what I already have by repainting it or transforming it to fit into the new decor. I don't like throwing useful furniture away and usually I can find a spot for it somewhere else in my home.

AT HOME: What aspects do you love about your interior?

Louise: For starters, the architecture of my home. When we toured this house over 13 years ago there were so many charming elements that made me fall in love with it. I love how much natural light it has and the sense of volume due to the high ceilings. The touches of stain glass on the windows, wood floors, and the stone fireplace were the icing on the cake. I have tried to maintain this feeling of light and volume by using a neutral color scheme throughout the house. To me, this creates an overall harmony rather than separating spaces by using different colors.

AT HOME: What was your last relooking project?

Louise: The master bedroom. I wanted to create a cohesive bedroom with good color and style flow. Matching furniture was important for both. In addition everything had to fit into place without making the room feel crowded. We set a budget for the project, 1200€, which I felt was reasonable for all we achieved. It included not only the cost of renting a heavy duty sander and all the materials we used (paint and varnish) but also all the furniture (headboard, console, mirror, dresser and bench) in addition to the lighting and accessories. When I look around and see how much we accomplished with the allotted budget, I'm pretty satisfied!

AT HOME: What challenges did you encounter while relooking this room?

Louise: It was an involved project. We had to rip up the carpet and sand down the existing hardwood floors. 2 coats of varnish later, I was ready to start the painting and decorating. The challenge was finding furniture small enough to fit in the available spaces. This room has 2 large windows on one wall, a radiator taking up space on another and a wall of closets on yet another. Once you put the bed in place, the options for other furniture are limited. I managed to fit some elements into this room that I didn't think possible at the beginning, like the bench at the foot of the bed. I love the choice of colors and the style of the furniture. This is exactly how I envisioned the room to be. I set out to create a light and comfortable bedroom with charm, like in an elegant English bed and breakfast and I think I achieved just that.

AT HOME: What future projects do you have for your home?

Louise: Our next project is the master ensuite bathroom. Yet another challenge space. Storage is an absolute as well as good lighting and a decent size shower. But, I'm not worried, I already have some ideas up my sleeve.

AT HOME: I bet you do! Judging from the rest of the projects you have taken on in your home, I am sure this one will be yet another success for you. Good luck with it and thank you for having us over today.