Real Residents, Real Homes #3

Meet Ashley.

What made you choose a Simple Life Home?

We love new builds, and everything about them. With Chris’s job, his next step in work may have meant moving far away, so to buy a new build wouldn’t have been a good step for us. When we heard about Simple Life and the different styles of homes they offer we knew instantly it was the best option for us. The process was really easy and quick, and the offer they had on at the time was great. They also have so many locations to choose from! We loved how the kitchen came fully fitted with all appliances. Best decision we ever made. 

What’s your favourite room in the house?

I love every room in our home! It’s tough to pick my favourite between the lounge and the kitchen. I’d probably say the kitchen because we spend most of our time in there and it’s so spacious, great for having people over and the lounge because on a lovely sunny day to have the doors wide open is amazing! Both are great sizes and have been so fun to design.

Which space did you have the most fun designing and why?

I have to say the lounge. It’s not your typical lounge, it’s different/quirky. It’s grey & oak pretty much like the rest of our house! I love a blank canvas so our simple life home was perfect for that. The patio doors are beautiful. I loved how light it made the room, and where our home is, we’re not looked over at the back which is wonderful so when I didn’t want to have huge curtains I went for white voile which made it look so beautiful but didn’t take away any light! 

Where do you get your home inspiration from?

So many places! I absolutely love Chris’s mum’s house, which is grey and that’s where I got my love of grey from! Ofcourse the fabulous Mrs Hinch has a beautiful home and some of her ideas are wonderful! I love walking round B&M, The Range, Ikea and so many more shops that aren’t expensive but sell the most beautiful little bits. 

How would you describe your interior design style? Does this reflect your personality?

Grey .. grey & more grey is pretty much my style! I love flowers and making things look pretty, Chris says putting flowers on the hob is ridiculous but now he loves it so they’re even on the bed too ! I like things that are simple but look so effective. I love doing things differently and if I can do it on a budget then even better. Like the voile, to do a whole window including the pole and tie costs £18 but it looks beautiful, and it’s something you don’t see very often. I don’t like following the crowd too much and I don’t care what other people think, if I think it makes my home look nice and it makes me happy, then it’s staying !

What are your tips for decorating your home on a budget?

Your home can be wonderful no matter what your budget, as I said about the curtains. A company wanted £500 to do my patio doors and by the time I’d finished it cost me £40 and I’ve had lots of compliments. When saving money and wanting to improve your home it can be really difficult, we wanted a new dining table because we didn’t like the chairs anymore so I went online and found some beautiful grey and white chair covers for £13 and now it’s like a whole new table! I love finding little bargains and making them look stylish!

If you’re a resident who’d like to participate in our Home Instagram series, just send us an email at marketing@simplelifehomes.co.uk and don’t forget to follow us at @Simplelifehomes