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Lazy Lifestyle with Emma Palin
As we’re forced to stay at home for the foreseeable future, we’ve turned to award winning blogger and interior enthusiast Emma Jane Palin to share her top tips on keeping your home looking good during lockdown. From her rented adobe, a Margate Maisonette on the Kent coast where she lives with her boyfriend JJP & chihuahua cross miniature dachshund (aka a Mexican Hotdog) George, Emma’s styled her home with some of her favourites pieces from our Lazy Lifestyle range.
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What are your top tips for keeping your home looking good during lockdown?
I think it’s quite hard to keep everything tidy when you’re at home constantly, especially if you’re also joined by everyone in your household. I for one am guilty of getting a little lazy, especially if I’m shooting content. Honestly, for every well styled picture there’s another room that ends up a mess as a result!
My trick for staying on top of it is to spend a little time every morning or evening doing a whip around the house. Tackling one area at a time can really make a difference and won’t impact on too much of your day. Soft furnishings such as throws and cushions can really add some joy to the space, so spend time making those areas that you use the most welcoming and full of your personality.
What are the best ways to make the most of a smaller space?
Having lived in London for the majority of my life, I’m all too familiar with a lack of both space and storage. It’s pretty hard when you err on the maximal side of life. Multi-functional storage is a lifesaver in small homes – I have a coffee table that pulls up into a desk, a console that folds out to a dining table, footstools with incorporated storage and a bed with storage underneath. It’s just about being clever with what you buy and making the most of the space you do have.
What you may lack in square footage, you can make up for on the walls by hanging art and photographs. I love hanging gallery walls with renter-friendly Command strips or you can also use picture rail hooks if your home has rails. Zeena of @heartzeena is a great example of someone with a small abode who has packed lots of personality into the space.
How can we bring the outdoors indoors if we don’t have access to outside space right now?
Plants make people happy, literally! If you don’t have access to an outdoor space, just bring the elements inside via botanicals. I recently discovered Patch Plants who offer plant delivery services at an affordable price as well as advice and tips on which plants are right for you and your space. If you’re not naturally green-fingered or low on light, artificial foliage is getting better and better. I’d advise mixing and matching low maintenance succulents with a few faux options. Just pop them in a Lazy Oaf Happy Sad Plant Pot and nobody will know the difference!
Any quick ideas for refreshing or updating your space when you're indoors all day?
I know this sounds simple but simply moving a room around a little can make all the difference. As someone that loves to decorate, I can often get itchy feet and a simple switch up of a room layout can keep the itch at bay. This also works with shelves and bookcases. Take everything off and style it up in a different way – you’ll be surprised at how much it makes a difference!
If you have any paint tester pots in your home, experiment with them. Paint terracotta plant pots or frame your artwork with a block of colour (as seen in French for Pineapple’s home). I have tons of tester pots for any time that I want to get a little creative in the home.
Your bookcase looks like a masterpiece - what are your tips on curating your objects & ornaments?
I’m ALL for a colour-coordinated bookcase if you’re actually using it for books. There’s nothing more satisfying than a rainbow selection of your favourite reads.
Object wise, always remember that decor looks best when styled in odd numbers (clusters of 3 or 5) and you should play with height and levels. Lie down your favourite coffee table books and place ornaments on top for a quick way to create different levels. I always use my shelves as a display for quirky souvenirs that I’ve
picked up on my travels. That way, every time I look at them, I’m reminded of a time in my life.
Where's your favourite room to hang out?
I think I could stay in our bedroom all day. It’s such a calming space, but invigorating at the same time. We’re lucky enough to have quite a large loft bedroom so have managed to squeeze in a sofa and bookcase too. I painted the walls in here pink and created a retro striped mural along the back wall to keep it fun and really play up to that seventies style. Stripes are a super easy update to make your home a little different. I often add them into white rental spaces as they add instant personality but are easy to paint back over at the end of a tenancy.
Top five favourite places for inspiration:
So hard, but here are some of my current faves!
Tierney Terrace Location House
This colourful location home is a dream and essentially my future house goals. The pink rendering on the outside is a particular highlight.
Whinnie is one of my neighbours in Margate so luckily I get to visit her super cool 70s pad a fair amount. It’s SO unique. She never fails to impress me with her creativity and playful take on interiors.
Pip Jolley
Pip is someone that makes me laugh no end, but also has a beautiful London home full of colour to boot. I love how her fashion and interiors have combined with both really showcasing her personality!
I often get inspiration for colour palettes from illustrators and Melanie is one of my go-to accounts for inspiring artwork. She was a fellow ambassador for eco-friendly paint brand Earthborn and I LOVED seeing what she created with different colours.
Heju Studio is one of my favourite interior design firms. While the apartments that they do up are pretty lush spaces to begin with, I think a lot of the ideas they bring to spaces are easy for all of us to adopt. There’s lots of white space with pops of bright colour and quirky accessories.
