Let me introduce you to Sally, we bonded over her love of the north and her passion for a back wall and love of our adjustable rings...

You love making bold choices – where do you get your confidence from?

Well this will probably surprise you but it wasn’t until someone actually spelt it out to me a few years ago that I even realised my choices were bold ! I do have a very strong sense of what I do and don’t like, always preferring to have things that are a bit different to what everyone else has or using them in different ways. I suppose the fact that my whole home is painted dark makes for a very dramatic, bold backdrop. Actually though, I think it’s possibly an age thing these days and being comfortable in my own skin and in the choices I make. Also the fact that I went through breast cancer treatment has had a huge impact on how I view things - I literally could not care less if people don’t like my home or my style - which I realise is quite a contradictory statement to make when I put myself out there on social media. My home is where I express myself. I love the home I have created and to me, that’s all that matters. The fact that other people like it just a bonus.

When you want to make a change in your home – what’s the process you go though to create a new wonderful?

I’d love to tell you that I mood board, research and sit and discuss it at length with my husband. I don’t ! I’m very spontaneous and if I get an idea I just go for it. I’m very lucky that my husband trusts my taste totally and just lets me get on with it - he is the guy who makes it all happen though. He has single handedly painted every bit of this house dark and is the “Do-er”. He is so used to coming home to new stuff that he knew nothing about that he barely acknowledges it these days. In fact the only time he does say anything is when I’ve got it wrong.

You’ve been doing up your house for the last 7 years – what was the first room you tackled and did that set the feel for the rest of your home?

Funnily enough, when we moved in, I’ve got to be honest and admit I wasn’t really loving the house at all (it needed a lot doing) and I didn’t have a plan or the energy to think about it so we actually painted it all in country cottage colours. Our mindset was “It’s a Barn & therefore this is how it should look”. So it did set the tone but not in the right way. One day, on a whim, I painted the boys playroom a dark blue and immediately loved the dark cocooning feeling it gave off. That was when we knew dark interiors were for us. So it was then just a case of painting the WHOLE house dark. Actually, painting the ceilings and woodwork the same colour as the walls was a game changer.

Biggest interior mistake and how did you change it to something you loved?

So I think painting the house in a colour we thought matched it’s style was our biggest mistake ! This was definitely a case of not going with my gut.

Your favourite object you own and why?

OK, so I realise this is going to sound very ungrateful when I am surrounded by so many gorgeous things but ... it’s all just stuff isn’t it (albeit very nice stuff). My husband, 4 Sons and 2 dogs are my favourite things, they are what brings this house to life. I did have a beautiful vintage floral blanket which I adored but one of the dogs chewed it to pieces when she was a puppy - it’s a good job I love my dogs! But that kind of sums me up, I love beautiful things but I’m not precious about belongings as life is too short to worry if a blanket may get chewed or not! The world will not end if it does.

Where do you find all your amazing furniture and art?

Until recently nearly all of my furniture was second hand. I love trawling around for unique furniture at a fraction of the cost and I feel really upset that beautiful quality craftsmanship ends up in landfill just because someone has decided it’s no longer in vogue. My wardrobes & dressing table are old and the two leather sofas in the lounge are eBay finds. The newer bits I have are mostly from brands I have found on Instagram. It’s very very rare that I actually go shopping in real life these days. I also have some lovely pieces that have been luxecycled by @relovedmcr and @mucknbrass. I love the idea of taking old pieces of furniture and making them current and unique. As for my art - I have a real mixture, some of it is vintage and a lot is via brands I’ve found on insta - my go to places are @tindesign and @rockettstgeorge. I have two other gallery walls which I never show on insta as they are really personal - a mixture of family photos & kids drawings, you know things that mean something to us and evoke memories.

Top three style tips

1. First and foremost remember it’s YOUR home so it has to make YOU happy so if you don’t love an idea don’t do it (quite a good mantra for life in general).

2. Continuity - I have used the same flooring throughout the house so that the whole space feels as though it flows from one room to another. Also, if I find something I love it I repeat it from room to room ie colour or pattern. I have used leopard print in quite a few rooms so it almost dilutes the potential shock factor by normalising it.

3. Layer those different textures: stone, wood, leather, velvet, hides, sequins, satin - pile them on. More is more & less is a bore.

You have recently changed your instagram feed from Flower Heart Flower to Sally does Sassy, why the change?

I never set out to create a big following on insta (I was on it for a year before I even posted or created a bio as I just enjoyed looking at peoples feeds). When I was having cancer treatment I decided to use instagram as a focus for my day. I made myself style a photo & post it to give me something to do and to give us as a family something to talk about (Mums growing Insta account was a fascination to us all). It also allowed me to interact with people who knew nothing about me so it was a huge & welcome distraction. 🌺🖤🌺 helped me through a v difficult stage, grew into something I could never have imagined and has opened many doors for me. But I am at a different stage in my life now and it’s about looking forward and embracing change & the chances I have been given. I turned 50 last year which had made me feel really at ease with myself. So I felt it was time to say “Thank You and Goodbye” to flower_heart_flower and come out of the shadows as the real me and just see where this journey takes me (I do think I’m going to have 🌺🖤🌺 as a tattoo though as a reminder).

What one thing have you changed in your life for better health and happiness?

Dog walking one hundred percent. My girls need to go out twice a day come what may and as soon as I’m out in the fresh air I immediately feel better physically & mentally. And you can tell a dog anything - they are good listeners.

Favourite country?

France - well specifically Paris.

Favourite shop?

Can I say two? Rockett St George for the win every time but also there is a House Clearance place near me which I love as it’s full of so many treasures (if you look hard enough) and the lady who owns it is a right character - I love chatting to her.

Favourite food?

A good veggi curry.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Alcohol, tea or coffee?

I love a big mug of Builders Tea to get me going in a morning then Earl Grey or Turmeric tea with a spoon of honey during the day. I do enjoy a very cold glass of very dry Fizz

What’s next for Sally?

I’ve got a few exciting things in the pipeline and a lot of ideas whizzing around my head that I’m working on bringing to life but for now I’m just happy to see where this next stage of my insta journey takes me. For super stylish inspo follow Sally Does Sassy's journey here