Christmas styling

‘Yes we are that family’......The earlier Christmas arrives in our house the better. After seeing so many people putting up their Christmas tree I just couldn’t resist, the children absolutely adore Christmas, (almost as much as I do). I try and get them hyped up about it as early as I can and make it as exciting and fun as I possibly can. We have booked to take them to see Santa in a beautifully decorated Manor House the second week in December so I will blog that for you. Also in our calendar we had the Christmas light turn on in our city centre which we just LOVED! And then we will be attending the Christmas market, nothing makes me feel more festive than this, Christmas really does begin when we have visited the market’ it is truly magical! 

This year we decided to purchase a new Christmas tree, the one we had last year was absolutely gorgeous however I felt we needed a bigger one, last years tree was put up in my salon last week shortly followed by our new one at home. We purchased our tree from ‘VERY’ and I have to say I was highly impressed, we decided to go for the 7ft emperor tree, it’s flocked, it’s bushy it was so quick and easy to put up and it’s just incredible. (I will attach the link for it below) 

https://www.very.co.uk/7ft-flocked-emperor-christmas-tree/1600176744.prd?_requestid=343387&Ntt=7ft%20christmas%20tree

For decorations we have a bit of a mixture from our local farm shop which I have mentioned previously (doddington hall) the range and b&m. I find when buying individual baubles to buy two or three of the same ones, it ties the tree in beautifully. Also adding little extras that aren’t your typical baubles makes it all the more personal to you, I bought a pack of these gorgeous blush and champagne butterflies from our local farm shop and I just love the way they look on the tips of the branches. I was desperate for some feather bowers this year, they just bulk out the tree and fill in any spaces that need that little bit more, these were from the bauble barn in doddington hall but I have found some online (I’ll link below) and also in our local garden centre so I’m sure any garden centres local to you will be selling them. Our tree base is the most beautiful wicker basket, I actually bought this last year from B&M and it was such a steal I think it was around £12-£15, I have seen them this year in there and they have a variety of wood washes so I’d highly recommend having a browse in store. 

https://www.bents.co.uk/feather-boa-garland-white-xmadec1455?refSrc=14792&nosto=nosto-page-product2

I also purchased some gorgeous garlands, both from the range, they are prelit so you just add batteries. Because we have our tree in our ground floor living area I also like to add some decorations to our first floor living room so these are just perfect. I also purchased some scented pine cones from our local garden centre, I’ve added these to some lanterns around the house and scattered them about in the hallways on my console tables. 

I purchased these beautiful berry stems from magnolia grey interiors on Instagram, I just absolutely LOVE these, they are so pretty and versatile and would make an absolutely beautiful addition to any room.

https://www.magnoliagrey.co.uk/our-products/home-accessories/products-for-styling/white-winter-berry/

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog, as I said above I know it is early, however I thought this blog may help some of you with Christmas interior ideas for your home.

All my love 

Victoria x 

Cosy corners for hectic lives and busy minds

So let’s be honest here, 99.9% of us are living in a modern world, there is no slow living when just about everyday involves decision fatigue by 2pm! The pressure of work deadlines, budgeting for bills, childcare, city life and general everyday life can become exhausting to say the least. So do we really have time or energy to decorate our homes? 

Aiming towards creating calmer spaces in our home is something I feel really strongly about. Every room should have a calm space, you  know that little area you can slump into once your children are sleeping, the lunches for school are prepped, dinner pots are away and you finally get a moment to just breathe! Or that area where your son or daughter can go and just let their little minds rest for a while when the pressures of school life and of course growing get a little heavy 

This blog post will not bring the candle scent to your sinuses, nor will it bring the softness of furnishings to your touch, but hopefully it will give you a sense of peace and serenity, and some inspiration on little items that will help you create or finish off them little corners of your home that you so dearly appreciate at the end of a hectic day. 

Living room; a green plant (perhaps a peace lily) I find always creates a sense of calm

A soft high pile rug, there’s something about a rug under my feet that instantly lightens my mood. 

Children’s room; Dream catchers!! Dream catchers are just one of those items that from being a child has been drilled into my mind create a safety net, use them to not only soak up bad dreams but to soak up bad moods and emotions too. 

A ‘nook’ - creating a little nook in the corner of your children’s bedroom gives them that little space to take some time out and read a book or even just lay and play with their favourite toys. 

Your bedroom; your bedroom should be a place of tranquility! Consider hanging tapestry or macrame, this instantly adds softness and warmth to a corner of your home. 

Hanging plants, terrariums or dried eucalyptus bring a sense of well-being and bring the outside in. 

In every calm area a large soft throw in a belly basket is a beautiful way of styling and adding coziness and warmth to the area. Also candles are a must have for me, the feeling of watching a candle flicker makes me so warm and fuzzy inside. Try and ensure the bulbs in your home are warm tinted and when in doubt keep your colour scheme simple, limit it to three colours per room, chose colours that make you feel relaxed and warm. I personally find neutral colours in my home work well, adding pops of colour as an where you want is simple and easily changeable when you feel the need to switch it up as the seasons change. 

I hope you find this blog post useful if you are looking to create calm areas in your home. I will be posting some ‘seasonal styling’ in the upcoming weeks as we approach the best day of the year! (CHRISTMAS) 

All my love 

Victoria xx 

Turning 28!

Today I turned 28!! There’s something quite scary about 28 isn’t there? I told my husband I feel that 28 feels so much closer to 30 than 27 ever did (a whole year closer I know) but the thought of turning 30 isn’t settling well with me. The thought of ageing absolutely terrifies me and I know many would say you should look forward to growing old with those closest to you, and of course the thought of spending my entire life with my husband and children is all I would ever want but there is something that just makes my stomach knot up 

That being said I had an absolute beautiful weekend/start of the week. We had a lazy day on Sunday (only ventured out for a Sunday roast) which may I add was delicious, plus I got a day off from making dinner which absolutely made my weekend. 

Yesterday I had a gorgeous morning with my sister, we went for breakfast at a local hotspot in a village just outside our city (Doddington Hall) it is a gorgeous Elizabethan Manor House with walled gardens and a lovely little cafe and farm shop. Of course we had a browse around the bauble barn there (premature I know) however I just couldn’t stop myself!!

All shopped out and feeling festive resorted into ordering a new Christmas tree, I mean.... when is it classed as acceptable to put it up? I’m feeling the most festive I ever have this year, I’m like a child at Christmas anyway but this year is a whole new level. 

This morning (my actual birthday) I woke to beautiful cards from John, Evie and Joseph and the most beautiful gifts, (mostly home accessories) however John bought me the most beautiful coat,

I think he may be sick to the back teeth of having an ice block as a wife. Since loosing lots of weight I am literally always freezing and this time of year is just unbearable (especially the school runs) We attended a firework show tonight at our local football stadium! It was absolutely amazing, my sister joined us and one of my gorgeous friends/colleagues from the salon. It was super busy but it has really set the winter feels in now. 

I hope you all had a gorgeous weekend and a lovely bonfire night xx 

All my love 

Victoria x 

Evie’s Bedroom Makeover

I always try my very best to ensure our children's bedrooms are always a place they feel happiest and most relaxed. While Joseph’s bedroom is pretty much exactly how we want it decor wise, Evie’s was feeling a little bare. I decided last Sunday morning to let loose and get my painting clothes on, we chose a valspar emulsion in the colour (retro peach) as I felt it was striking and mature enough yet still girly and pretty. I also purchased champagne gold confetti wall decals to finish off the painted wall and make it look a little quirky and grown up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B075S185D9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I wanted to keep the basics (bed linen) and furniture pretty neutral so it would be much easier to change it up if we wanted to a year or two down the line. You can’t go wrong with plain white bed linen and a nice coloured bedspread, I purchased Evie’s plain white cotton bedding from next, and her peach bedspread/quilted throw was from Asda home (which unfortunately I can’t find a link for as it was purchased last year however I will link one very similar) I added the white throw to the bottom of her bed which I purchased from IKEA early last year, it is usually on our bed but I thought it looked absolutely stunning laid on hers and really brings the peach and whites together nicely. 

https://www.next.co.uk/style/st218391#852324

https://direct.asda.com/george/home/cushions-throws/pink-quilted-pinsonic-throw/050594489,default,pd.html?cgid=D26M01G01C05

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ofelia-blanket-white-60131593/

The framed sequin art above her bed was one of the best purchases I made, I found this little gem in B&M in the reduced isle for £7.99!!! Her desk in her bedroom is the Ikea malm. The bedside chest was a little Facebook marketplace bargain! And the unicorn lamp was a homesense find, however I have found one similar on iconic lights so I will attach the link to that below. 

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/malm-dressing-table-white-10203610/

https://www.iconiclights.co.uk/unicorn-table-lamp-with-dusty-pink-shade.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw0vTtBRBREiwA3URt7ugqMr6nXf2WKWtu_2-Iv8jqGNu-c5UyNweNVV0aEWIP9SjL6bq4XxoCsWAQAvD_BwE

On the other side of her bedroom next to her walk in wardrobe she has a slanted ceiling which I painted in the same colour, I added some framed prints to the wall that I printed at home myself that just finished off that big empty space, I also sat my wrendale designs hare cushion on her monk bench/toy box (that we had made by a local carpenter). 

https://www.giftsfromhandpicked.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/wrendale-designs-bright-eyes-luxury-hare-cushion.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw0vTtBRBREiwA3URt7pUOUibdQh6lTDAzg5golEmk9sFgH7UoQ59C2JdBgMZW6ok-jHMwGxoCHP8QAvD_BwE

All other little accessories were picked up from next, homesense and the range. 

I hope this blog has given you some inspiration.

All my love 

Victoria x

Autumn spruce up for under £50

November has landed and the evenings are drawing in, it is typically the time where we spend the majority of our evenings and days off cosied up in our living rooms with the heating on and a hot chocolate in hand. So I've decided to put a little blog post together with a list of links for soft furnishing ideas to soften up your living room this season. Sometimes all that is needed is a change up of accessories. 

*side note* don’t forget to bring the outside in, remember FLORALS (they aren’t just for the warmer months), foliage, dried hydrangeas, pine cones or berry’s are always a good start for any show stopping centre piece on your coffee table, have a play around with them in different vases or lanterns until you find a look your happy with.

Perfect storage for a throw, style just beside your sofa so it’s only an arms reach away from getting cosy during these cold dark evenings
 https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/fladis-basket-seagrass-60322173/

Homesense have a huge range of candles and my favourite are the Olivia Blake or the DW home, they have such lovely, long lasting scents and you can pick them up for around £4-£10. If you don't mind spending that little bit more I highly recommend the winter botanical candle from the white company, it is breathtakingly beautiful and makes any room in the house smell divine  https://www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/Winter-Botanical-Medium-Candle/p/WNDBT?swatch=No+Colour

Store this gorgeous blanket (or any blanket of your choice) in the belly basket linked above, I always find the best way to style these is to literally throw them in and pull a little bit out so it’s just hanging over the top of the basket slightly, it looks so effortless yet effective https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Christy--Throw-1200057362-L7220-K~DSHJ1099.html?refid=GX269607626303-DSHJ1099_38798903_38798904&device=m&ptid=737156100673&targetid=aud-388180976294:pla-737156100673&network=g&ireid=75002678&PiID%5B%5D=38798903&PiID%5B%5D=38798904&device=m&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjOrtBRCcARIsAEq4rW6--6hZ4nWP2M5-imW0-zq1kVkSxHtJ1QBmkfylugQHqukhGBfZU68aAmBFEALw_wcB

And of course the hurricane vase! My no1 favourite accessory to finish off any room in my house is either a vase or a lantern. They are so versatile, in the winter I tend to team them with a plain white or ivory pillar candle (also linked below) or fill them with pine cones and fairy lights, and in the spring and summer they are almost always displayed with fresh blooms https://www.magnoliagrey.co.uk/our-products/home-accessories/distressed-white-hurricane/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bolsius-Pillar-Candles-Small-Ivory/dp/B004NE8ERK/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?keywords=pillar+candles&qid=1572563145&s=kitchen&sprefix=pillar+c&sr=1-10

I really do hope this blog post comes in handy to any of you just looking for a simple and affordable way of switching things up a little.

All my love

Victoria x

Playing with textures and palettes.

>If I’d have found a blog to read 12+ months ago on textures and neutral palettes it would have saved me a fortune. I’ve always been a lover of the ‘farmhouse look’ I mean don’t get me wrong I’m a sucker for a minimalistic modern home but there’s just something about the farmhouse style that I always find myself drawn back too. 

When we (meaning I) was purchasing items for our new build I automatically presumed the ‘new build style’ was white and grey, so of course I spent hundreds of pounds on white and grey items. I mean don’t get me wrong they were beautiful items and looked absolutely stunning, but I found myself a few months in feeling like it wasn’t quite right and wasn’t quite ‘my style’.

Slowly I started making small changes, small purchases... wicker belly baskets, softer more beige toned soft furnishings like throws and scatter cushions and that then escalated to painting the odd feature wall in soft beige/grey tones WHAT A DIFFERENCE, immediately our home started to feel cosier and warmer, ‘bizzare I know’ how neutral colours can warm up a room so much. 

I’m not saying don’t have a grey and white home as they can and do look beautiful, all I’m getting at is, find your style, find items that make you feel cosy, whether that be a grey throw a beige throw or a bright green throw! (Do you) and style it to be the home you can’t wait to get back to every night

I’ve posted below some farrow and ball colour palettes hopefully these will help, I’ve also attached some corners of my home that I have styled up with different tones and textures along with some links to some of the items in the photos, just to give you an idea if your looking to soften up your home.

All my love
Victoria x

Moroccan wall art https://www.therange.co.uk/home-furnishings/picture-frames-and-wall-art/posters-prints-and-visual-artwork/wall-art/hanging-wall-art/ornate-fretwork-wall-art/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjOrtBRCcARIsAEq4rW4I1EwA3ozjSVikxEImrm8NetPGnhfX43yqyeTAvM_IZjpPdrL4I6gaAmbjEALw_wcB#243441

Marble bedside tables https://direct.asda.com/george/home-garden/coffee-side-tables/george-home-marble-side-table/001707975,default,pd.html

Bedside ornate mirrors https://www.dunelm.com/product/silver-ornate-wall-mirror-1000069326?defaultSkuId=30198306&branchCode=0435&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjOrtBRCcARIsAEq4rW5TfeJuJr6kednF1JVaCyxcvpU4AT7IiLZbaISWh-6arC9AlPLPgRYaAvgTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mongolian faux fur cushion https://www.matalan.co.uk/product/detail/s2658074_c000/double-sided-mongolian-cushion-45cm-x-45cm-cream

Wedding blues, one year in

We married late October last year (2018) it was the most incredible day, so much more than I could have possibly ever dreamed of. With autumn being my favourite season we went to town with the autumnal decor, we had pumpkins, we had fairy lights, drapes, candles and most importantly AUTUMN flowers! I had a huge Pinterest board with all different styles, from long flowing bouquets to little neat hand tied ones, it was such a mind field and there was so much to choose from.
We met with our incredible florist’ the extremely talented Sarah ‘Mrs Umbels’ and from the get go she knew exactly what I was in-visioning.

From amnesia roses, ranunculus and anemones to eucalyptus astilbe and gypsophilia, they was rich’ romantic and velvety. It was perfect, as soon as she opened up the box I was blown away.

We had ceremony and top table flowers to match which were just beyond beautiful, flowing with so much beautiful eucalyptus.

If I can give one single piece of advice with regards to finding the perfect florist for your wedding it would be to ‘do your research’. Don’t just book a local florist, look further afield. Some of the most talented florists are hidden little gems that not many people know about so dig deep into Instagram and be sure to fall in love with their work prior to securing your date with them.

All my love
 Victoria xx

The Kerrigan Home

Hello and welcome to 'At Home With The Kerrigans'. Im Victoria and I'm the interior and Instagram obsessed lady behind this blog. It all started on Instagram, when we reserved our first new build property I was extremely impatient to say the least, (I mean who wants to wait 6 months for something they have already waited for what feels like a life time for)? I wanted it and I wanted it YESTERDAY, waiting for the house to be completed I found comfort in scouring through Instagram at all of the beautiful home and interior accounts and I found a huge passion and love for it myself.

Having a husband (who wasn't yet my husband) two young children, a thriving hairdressing salon, a wedding to plan and my little Frenchie in tow my life felt extremely full and hectic (and amazing all the same) but my Instagram gave me that calm escape at night, whilst the children were sleeping and the husband was watching football (or sleeping haha) its the place I ended up and I have to be brutally honest it became an obsession from then on.

This blog will be all things interior, lifestyle, wedding planning tips, hauls and the odd fashion finds
I hope you love reading my blogs as much as I love creating them!



All my love
Victoria x