I’m thrilled to be back with a super inspiring home tour of the wonderfully talented Aisling Kelly aka @saimhin_so. Aisling happens to be our @eclectically_made May winner which came as no surprise as her home is inspiring on so many levels. It’s also filled to the brim with ideas to steal especially if you have a young family. So without further ado let’s hop on over to the Emerald Isle and take a look together, shall we…
The Creative Eclectic Family Home of Aisling Kelly
About Aisling Kelly…
Aisling lives with her husband and three children, all of which are under six. Their family home in Kilkenny, Ireland, has been their home for the past six years. Together they have transformed it from a dark and uninspiring house to a family home that oozes personality, style and the unique, especially with Aisling’s creative skillset and ability to pull a room together using colour, pattern and accessories. Aisling’s also a master of textual detail that adds a warm and welcoming vibe to her home. Perfect for cosying up with little ones and spending time together as a family.
When we viewed the house – although structurally sound – it was dark, dirty and grotty,”
Aisling Kelly – @saimhin_so
Aisling’s First Steps To Creating Her Family Home
Aisling and her husband first steps to creating a home that they could call as their own was to initially paint the whole house white. It’s a great approach if you’re unsure as to how you are going to utilise each space over a period of time. It also helps make life more aesthetically pleasing if you should have inherited dated decor choices.
DESIGN TIP: If you’re unsure as to where to start decorating your new home, painting your walls a neutral colour such as white allows you to create a blank canvas. It can also help prevent knee jerk impulsive decorating choices that may not work with you and your family in the long run and saves you time and money!
Aisling’s Style
Aisling’s home has evolved over time as has her ability to pull together different era’s and styles to create a home that is truly unique to her and her family.
Pops of colour, clean lines, functional, up-cycled, mid-century modern and Ikea furniture, gallery walls, lots of texture and plants can be found throughout our home.
Aisling Kelly – @saimhin_so
Each space has been carefully curated proving that functionality and good looks can work in harmony together when you have little ones.
I also love how Aisling has used colour throughout her home creating pockets of interest that allow the eye to linger before moving on to the next.
Aisling gets most of her inspiration for her home from Pinterest and Instagram. Both are great platforms for sourcing ideas for your home and garden.
Paint Effects To Create A Sense of Space
Aisling’s hallway is a great example of how paint can be used to create interest and make a small space feel larger than it is. It’s something you may want to consider if you have low ceilings and/or are restricted on space.
When you introduce colour all the way up to the ceiling, your eye is instantly drawn to the edges of a room. By painting to the midway point or lower, you can prevent the eye from travelling to the edges of a room. Aisling has used one of my favourite shades of green on the doors, skirtings and lower wall (including the cupboard), creating interest and ultimately making it feel larger than it is. Her use of patterned tiles laid at an angle further draws the eye outwards rather than lengthways which also helps create a sense of space to her hallway. These tiles are also super practical with her little ones too!
Family Room…
One of Aisling’s favourite rooms happens to be their living room. It’s where she has created a screen-free space that allows her and her family to enjoy time to read and enjoy each others company. It’s also home to treasured pieces that they have collected over the years. From old photos to quirky prints and trinkets that they’ve picked up on their travels. It’s a space that holds true to those that live there offering personality and speaks of their journey so far as a family.
This room is a screen-free, book only zone. It’s also the room that has evolved the most. When we viewed the house for the first time there was a bed in this room and the walls were a horrible green colour.
Aisling Kelly – @saimhin_so
One of Aislings most recent additions to her living room is the parquet flooring. It adds texture and depth to the room. And, as a mother of three little ones conveniently hides dirt quite well too.
Aisling also continued the parquet flooring into the dining room creating a feeling of connectivity and flow from one room to the next.
Design Tip: Herringbone flooring is a great way to achieve a sense of space as your eye is drawn outwards. Particularly good if you have long narrow rooms.
We’ve invested heavily in storage in an attempt to have places to hide things. I’m a big believer in the ‘hide the mess’ principle so if you’re coming to visit, give advance warning and don’t open any doors!
Aisling Kelly – @saimhin_so
Childrens Bedrooms & Hand Painted Murals
One of Aisling’s latest achievements is this AMAZING mural. Aisling handpainted this fabulous design during lockdown for her daughter. It makes for a great feature wall and one that I’m sure her little one will love for years to come.
I’ve been painting my way through this pandemic. I haven’t painted in decades. Inspired by @lucytiffney I decided to give my daughters room a refresh using paint we already had.
Aisling Kelly – @saimhin_so
Aisling’s boy’s Batman-inspired bedroom is just as creative. It’s a sunny fun-filled bedroom that they shouldn’t tire of anytime soon. I love that Aisling hasn’t been tempted to go overboard with a theme as it definitely helps to when they change their mind as to who or what is flavour of the month in terms of characters/interests.
I also love that Aisling has considered the fifth wall aka the ceiling for her son’s bedroom too. It balances out the wall decals and curtains perfectly.
Design Tip: Don’t forget the ceiling when considering your decor choices. The fifth wall as it were allows you to play with colour and pattern to a room and creates unexpected interest that adds the wow factor.
Aisling has also created a cohesive look and feel to this room. By replicating the angular form of the wall decals design with her painted chalkboard mountain range. It also allows the boys to create their own masterpieces and follow in their mum’s footsteps.
The Creative Eclectic Family Home of Aisling Kelly
I hope you’ve enjoyed having a look around Aisling’s fabulous home. And don’t forget, you can follow her home over on Instagram here. You can also have a chance to be featured by heading to @eclectically_made and following all of our lovely hosts.
Thanks for stopping by! Until next time…
Maria xx
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