Real Homes, Real Customers: An Interview With Hannah Newman

Tue 22 Aug 2017 Amy Kilvington

There’s nothing we love more than seeing our products in action, enhancing our customers’ homes with exceptional style and functionality. But it’s particularly exciting when we discover a customer whose home is worthy of a double page spread in Ideal Home!

We want to introduce Hannah Newman, interior design extraordinaire, Westie mama and Wooden Blinds Direct customer. Hannah and her husband recently purchased a selection of our white wooden blinds, and have been kind enough to let us share some of their snaps. We think you’ll agree, Hannah showcases her beautiful home in the most aesthetically pleasing way. Her Instagram grid is a must-see, with fresh white backdrops punctuated by sumptuous textures and rustic touches, not to mention her adorable Westies, who make regular appearances!

We got in touch with Hannah and asked her some questions about her lovely home, her interior style, and their next plans for their home…


Real Homes, Real Customers: An Interview With Hannah Newman

  

1. Hannah, how would you describe your interior design style?

I would say Monochrome Minimal sums it up. I like clean lines and neutral colours.

2. What was the first design project you undertook in your home?

Our home was previously tenanted for 15 years by an older guy who seemed to have a passion for wood chip wallpapering every wall and ceiling, and then painting them odd colours. When it became ours, it all happened pretty quickly, and as you can imagine, the whole place needed ripping out and redoing!

Designing the new layout was my first task. The kitchen was a room inside a room, so I knew I wanted to knock the walls down and make it open plan. The bathroom was tiny, sitting next door to a first floor bedroom, so I knew I wanted to move the bathroom inside and create an additional utility room. We also decided to put an ensuite in one of the two bedrooms upstairs.

3. Can you tell us about a particularly exciting or challenging part of doing up your home?

I found the whole process exciting as it was our first home. Having free rein to do whatever I wanted felt amazing! It was challenging though. After not having much pre-planning time (and Instagram/Pinterest not really being a thing then!) I was designing our home based on what I thought would look good. This meant I was constantly questioning if I was making the right decisions. Time was a challenge… it was a pretty big job, and towards the end we were just desperate to move in, so some decisions were rushed meaning a few things went wrong.

4. What are some of your design inspirations?

I get a lot of my design inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest. They’ve been really useful for finding my style! I’ve always loved white walls – sometimes I wish I was a colour kinda girl, but it’s just not right for me. I’ll stretch as far as a really light grey living room, and even then at least once a week I think to myself: I must re-paint this room!

My main inspiration is the Scandinavian/Nordic trend. I love how clean and uncluttered everything looks. I used to think the more you put in a room, the cosier and more homely it would make it, but it’s really not the case.

“Having the right textures, lighting and colours that complement each other is what makes my home feel welcoming.”

5. Where are your favourite places to shop for homeware?

You can’t go wrong with Ikea, I love it! H&M Home is also a huge favourite; they have some lovely bits and it’s all really reasonably priced. Swoon Editions is another brand I love – their furniture is something else! Homesense and TK Maxx have some gorgeous bits, and I really like how every location has different things on sale, so you can pick up  a truly unique piece.

6. What are your next plans for your home?

My next plan is to do something with my utility room. It’s a really small room, and it’s also the room my back door is in. At the minute everything feels really cluttered, and the small space is definitely not being maximised storage-wise. I’d like to get the washing machine and dryer in a housing to make them look a little tidier, and hopefully find some storage solutions that can hide the typical utility room mess! It wouldn’t be so bad if the back door wasn’t in that room, but because it is, I feel like it needs to be a lot more organised.

7. If you had £10,000 to spend on a piece of furniture/accessory/decor item, what would it be and why?

I’d probably buy a bed. I can’t even imagine what a £10,000 bed looks like, but I’m thinking ultimate comfort! I love a good night’s sleep, and a statement bed can make a room. It’s definitely worth splashing out on.

8. What influenced your decision when selecting window dressings?

With our home being a maisonette, our living room is on the first floor and the two big windows look straight out onto the high street. As you can imagine, for privacy reasons alone our window dressings would need to be practical. I knew that wooden blinds would be perfect, giving us the option of having them tilted or closed. I did worry about how much it would all cost, as our windows are all big.

I measured our windows and entered the measurements into the Wooden Blinds Direct site, selected the colour and style (white, 50mm slats with tapes), and I was pleasantly surprised at the cost! This made my decision for me. I knew they would look amazing, and I was already aware of the quality of the blinds as my mum had recently replaced all of the blinds in her house with Wooden Blinds Direct.

“I ordered straight away, and I’m so glad I did. White wooden blinds are perfect for our home.”

 


We’re so pleased that Hannah chose us to manufacture her bespoke wooden blinds. Her Instagram account is now a firm favourite in the office, and we’re sure you’ll want to start following her too!

Are you on the look out for new window dressings? Discover our full collection of wooden blinds here. You can also take advantage of our FREE Interior Design Service by contacting our Interior Design Specialists directly: [email protected] or 01924 848739  (8:30-4:30 MON-FRI)


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