Content creator Sarah Battle – whose Instagram account @housebythewhitethorns inspires with its classic-country home style – talks all things interiors …
Tell us a bit about your interiors journey with your new build.
I started documenting interiors when we were building our house, a new build in Ballina, around five years ago. I liked how Instagram was so good for getting inspiration, or for showing before and after transformations. Before Instagram, I was using Pinterest which can be largely USA or UK based so it’s been great to see an Irish side of things.
How would you describe your home style?
My style is homely, traditional and cosy. There’s lots of throws, lovely fabrics and patterns.
What’s the most recent item you bought for the home?
I went to Caffrey’s Gallery in Ballina and I got beautiful ceramic plates to hang on the wall, made locally. I’m in the process of doing up my kitchen and I’d like these to be part of the update. I’m going to repaint the kitchen as there are a few different colours used in there at the moment, and I’d like it to be a unified neutral colour instead. My favourite paint brands are Colourtrend and Farrow & Ball – the pigment in Farrow & Ball is amazing.
Favourite room in your house?
My favourite room is our snug that’s off the kitchen. It’s the perfect place to read a book and watch TV. The decor is moodier than the rest of the house, I painted it a dark shade of grey from Zoffany paint. There’s a window that looks onto a courtyard that’s built in the middle of the house, it’s very calm.
Your career as a home economics teacher means food – and a well-designed table – are an integral part of your home. Tell us a bit about what makes the perfect tablescape.
I don’t have any hard and fast rules for tablescaping but I don’t like anything too fussy, I want it to be homely and to put people at ease, an informal kind of mood. My twins are nearly three and for their christening I used a load of blue hydrangeas (my neighbours kindly donated some from their garden) all over the table with some lemons. Once you have some nice table linen as a base you can get creative from there. You can make something lovely by just using foliage or what’s around you, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. When it comes to baking I love the classics; bread, scones, and a good Victoria sponge cake.
Any DIY projects on the go?
I reupholstered a chair recently. My house is busy, I’ve got five kids, so I can’t be precious with anything. I saw a ticking stripe on Instagram by the British brand Colefax & Fowler and I sourced the fabric locally at a shop in Ballina called Trevor Morrow, and used a local upholsterer.
Which are your favourite Irish shops for homewares?
Foxford Woollen Mills is a local business that’s a favourite, the brand’s bed linen is designed by Helen McAlinden. The Gaiety Antiques and Vintage Store in Westport is worth a visit. I love Signature Editions for accessories like vases. CA Design is great and Helen Turkington is fabulous. Panfili Interiors in Galway is great, too.
What’s the one thing in your house build you’d do differently?
We are all obsessed with maximising light when building, but sometimes it’s worth considering whether the aspect of the room is fit for purpose. We have a south-facing house, with our kitchen to the the back and it’s all glass with a roof light. From 1pm in the day the room is basically like a sauna (sometimes it reaches 40 degrees!), it can be hard to work in. While it’s lovely, I would reconsider using as much glass or perhaps have put another room there.
The one interiors trend you’d like to try?
I love arched doorways, or just archways in a room with no door. I have been inspired by Mallorcan interiors lately and it’s very much about archways, white-washed walls and lots of wood.
Top tip for brightening a room?
Colour drenching – paint your coving and skirting boards the same colour as the walls. I’ve also seen bedrooms with ceilings in textured wallpaper similar to the colour of the walls, it’s a luxurious effect that makes the space feel bigger.
With five kids, you must be an expert at decorating kids’ bedrooms! What’s your secret?
I don’t have one! I did the nursery before I had my twin boys, who are 33 months old, I decorated it in a textured herringbone wallpaper in turquoise blue which was special. I worked with Helen Turkington on a bedroom that my daughters Isabella and Matilda share too which was lovely.
Sarah Battle is appearing at the DFS Interiors Inspiration Centre at the Permanent TSB Ideal Home Show which runs at the RDS, Dublin from Friday 21 April to Sunday April 23. Book your tickets at IdealHome.ie where you can avail of an offer on adult tickets for the show.
Follow Sarah on Instagram @housebythewhitethorns.