Decorating a Home from the 1970’s

Keeley Usher has developed a real passion for DIY and interior design through the renovation of her home built in the 1970’s. We got in touch to find out a little bit more about the Yorkshire lass and her renovating journey!

Where has your love of interiors come from? 

I have a creative background, so it felt like a natural progression into interiors once we started to renovate our first home. I love to transform spaces with colour and architecture, and luckily, I'm not fazed by having a go at most DIY tasks. I just think that you spend so much time in your home that it should be beautiful.

What inspires your colour choices?  

I think I am very aware of how I want a room to feel. The living room I wanted to feel relaxing and cosy so I chose a deep dark blue, whereas the hallway will be more like an art gallery so white walls with a black staircase adds drama to a space you pass through. I also think you should really decorate in colours that you love. I love blacks and blues... and pink it seems! 

Why did you use Farrow & Ball and Little Greene when decorating? 

I am very particular when it comes to picking colour so the depth of the colours that the brands offer is exactly what I look for in a paint. It is a bonus that I find that they both have amazing coverage and are lovely to work with. I also have to say the Little Greene's all surface primer has been a game changer, especially when painting over furniture boards and Ikea furniture. It also helps that both are eco-friendly. 

What’s your favourite part of the house? 

This is so difficult to say as it really depends on what mood I'm in. I love our bathroom as it was the first room we finished and is like a sanctuary away from the chaos of renovation, and the hallway is such a beautiful transformation to come home to, but I would have to say overall our living room / dining space. There are so many memories and trinkets on display that it feels very personal to us. It also has 12 different walls (quirks of a 1970s build) which adds character but has also allowed me to have a play with the colour. It was just a fun space to decorate and style.  

Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

Oh yes! The house renovation is always ongoing, but the next couple of projects will be the spare bedroom, which may have a pink painted ceiling and the kitchen. The kitchen will be an upcycle, so painting the cupboards, making the worktops out of micro-cement and continuing the tiles through from the hallway.

The staff at the Brewers in Leicester have always been so amazing and helpful, it is one of the reasons I can’t stay away!

We wish you all the best with your future projects Keeley, we can’t wait to see what’s next!