Here at Red Candy, we simply adore people who do things differently. Life is full of amazing colours, designs and styles, yet we all too often find ourselves choosing the white desk over the blue one or buying the plain Ikea lamp instead of that sculptural beauty you’ve been eyeing up for weeks.... We get it, it can be hard to know what to do with that bright green rug when you actually get it home! Sometimes, you just need the right inspiration…
Instagram is an amazing tool for discovering new and exciting ways to decorate your home! It’s choc-full of luscious living rooms and beautiful bedrooms.
Now down to the difficult part, where do you even start? There are millions of images posted to Instagram each and every day, so it can be incredibly difficult to find the good stuff. This is where Red Candy comes in. In this regular feature, we’re going to list some of our favourite Instagrammers!
In this month’s feature we’re listing up-and-coming Instagrammers who are absolutely killing it with colour. Let’s dive straight on in with…
Flamingoandthefox (Aka Sarah)’s home is the dream of any girl raised in the 70s. Her Instagram appears like a time capsule for every worthy vintage style of the last 40 years. Each piece of her vast amount of soft décor begs to be hugged and loved. Cushions, cuddly toys, pillows, pouffes, everything appears to have its own shape, colour, and size, giving a real dynamic character and tangible energy to each room. It’s as if each piece could spring to life the second she closes the door. Her home seems to be styled very much with her daughter in mind, while at the same time possessing a very grown up sensibility.
Sarah is part of an Instagram collective whose focus is on bringing colour to homes. With the awesome hashtag #crashbangcolour having so much in common with our #shutupbeige, you can see why we instantly fell for her!
Rather than us waffling on for too long we decided to ask Sarah three questions about her home & inspiration. Here’s the brief Q&A in all its glory!
HOW DO YOU SOURCE YOUR ITEMS? DO YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE AND WORK OUT WHERE IT WILL GO LATER, OR DO YOU IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHERE YOU’LL PLACE IT?
A bit of both. I've bought some things and held onto them for ages until I found the perfect spot. We only moved on just over a year ago from a rental and I started buying cushions and throws then with the vision of styling them in our new home. As for sourcing, I have a few favourite stores and brands that I keep going back to, such as Sage and Clare, Kip & Co, Island Collective and Urban Outfitters (to name but a few!). Some of these brands have Facebook buy swap sell groups dedicated to them and I find they are a great resource to buy coveted items s cons hand or brand new with tags at a much lower price.
WHEN IT COMES TO INTERIORS, WHAT ARE THE COLOURS THAT REALLY DO IT FOR YOU?
I love all of the colours but I'd say the ones I always come back to are coral pinks, violet, sunny yellows, burnt orange, mint green and turquoise. Oh and mustard and navy! See, I told you I liked all the colours! ??
YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF DESERT ISLAND DISKS – WELL THIS IS DESERT ISLAND DÉCOR! IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHICH THREE ITEMS OF DÉCOR COULD YOU SIMPLY NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT?
My Heidi king quilt cover by Sage and Clare, my pink Kip & Co tassel throw, and a beautiful kitten tapestry made for me by my dear late grandad. The last one is more sentimental than stylish, but I love it so much that I hung it in my daughter's room.
SO YOU CO-HOST THE HASHTAG #CRASHBANGCOLOUR. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT?
So #crashbangcolour came about when my friend Neha contacted me and two other amazing Insta accounts @thecolourtribe and @candy_made_me_do_it about the possibility of collaborating on a new hashtag that would be focused on using colour. Neha and I became acquainted a while ago after I was featured on the amazing account of @the.hectic.eclectic and so many discussions were had before the name #crashbangcolour was born. We want to feature accounts using colour in their homes, as well as help others gain confidence in putting more colour in their homes and promoting colourful accounts by featuring them as guest co-hosts each week.
2. nehadesor
YOU HAVE A VERY UNIQUE STYLE AND SEEM TO INSERT A LOT OF YOURSELF IN TO YOUR HOME. IS THERE AN OVERRIDING THEME TO THIS?
I love to call my style 'decorating with memories' as I have used a lot of old family heirlooms and objects old and new that spark a memory to build a space that is our own and tells our story.
WHERE DO YOU SOURCE MOST OF YOUR FURNISHINGS?
Most of our furniture is bought here in Australia but I try to inject a bit of India using unique decor items from there and also by using a lot of colours and patterns around the house. I am a big fan of thrifting and weekend DIY projects too.
One of my favourite pieces is the buffet where I have stencilled an Indian inlay pattern on a plain buffet to give it a more ethnic look.
DESERT ISLAND DÉCOR - WHICH THREE ITEMS OF DÉCOR COULD YOU SIMPLY NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT?
My 3 favourite pieces would be --Dhurrie rugs that were hand spun, dyed and woven by my husband's great grandmother.-My brass coffee table.-The artwork around the house especially the paintings done by my mother and my Hayley Mitchell prints.
ALONG WITH SARAH (theflamingoandthefox) NEHA IS ALSO A HOST OF THE #CRASHBANDCOLOUR HASHTAG ON INSTAGRAM. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT?
I am thrilled to be a part of #crashbangcolour with such an amazingly talented group of hosts. We encourage instagrammers to post photos of their colourful homes for inspiration and also any photos of spaces where they would like some ideas on how to inject colour. The idea for the hashtag came from me but I am so thankful to the lovely ladies who jumped on board and made it so exciting, fun and better than I ever imagined.
Hippy, Hippy Chic - Claire, also known as her Insta-handle ‘plantandwander’, is social media’s very own Mother Nature. Plants fill her Ottawa home as if it’s in the process of being reclaimed by the Earth herself. You can almost smell the aromas and fresh air through the screen. Each image she posts is filled with every shade of luscious green.
Whilst many instagrammers will prominently feature a variety of flowers, Plantandwander really lets her foliage do the talking. This is used in combination with an array of spiritually-inspired décor, and rustic patterns which meld to create a home of peace, tranquillity, and a deep-seated connection to the earth. An afternoon of meditation and herbal tea over at Claire’s place sound like our idea of heaven!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLANTS TO WORK WITH?
My favourite houseplants are Pothos and Sansevieria, which also happen to be the plants I recommend the most to people because they are so easy to care for. Also, my purple Oxalis Triangularis is an absolute favourite!
WE LOVE YOUR LAYERED WALL HANGINGS AND MULTI-COLOURED BOAT SHELF! WE TAKE IT YOU’RE A BIG FAN OF UPCYCLING?
Thrift shopping is a hobby of mine and I try to go each week. So much of my home decor is thrifted and many pieces have been upcycled with paint or new fabrics. I love finding new uses for old items!
HOW DO YOU SOURCE YOUR DÉCOR?
I have a few favourite shops that I check regularly to see what’s new. Since space is limited in my apartment I only purchase things I really love! That’s my decor style too, surround yourself with things you love.
DESERT ISLAND DÉCOR – WHICH THREE ITEMS OF DÉCOR COULD YOU SIMPLY NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT?
My Decor must haves are textiles like cushions, rugs and duvet covers because they are an easy way to change a space and make it feel new! Mirrors are important. A well-placed mirror can make a room feel larger and brighter. Colour which isn’t an item but is such a factor in creating the mood or energy of a room, so it’s a definite favourite!!
4. agi_at_59
Agi at 59 is crazy about colour. Her repeated use of Blues and Yellows in each Instagram post leads to incredibly satisfying results, with the motif providing a real sense of flow between one room and the next. The repeated colour schemes that Agi has cleverly used within many different contexts and styles transforms a random assortment of rooms in to a beautiful and cohesive home. Like a great novel, one chapter flows in to the next. Her love of Yellow is especially notable. The way she plays with the colour in each of her posts is almost like a game of Where’s Wally. Every room has playful splatterings that provide the eyes with a much-needed summery jolt.
YOUR INTERIOR IS PACKED FULL OF STUNNING INSPIRATIONAL PIECES, BUT WHERE DO YOU TURN WHEN YOU NEED INSPIRATION?
At the moment Instagram is my main source of inspiration when it comes to home decor. It's absolutely full of amazing interior accounts and I often find myself browsing IG for much longer than I should do ?
WHERE DO YOU PREDOMINANTLY FIND MOST OF YOUR DECOR?
I'm all about bargain hunting. I absolutely love rummaging local charity shops, vintage shops and car boot sales. I love eBay and gumtree. One of my favourite shops must be HomeSense with their amazing home bargains. I also love the little independent online stores that I often discover through IG.
WE’VE SEEN YOUR AMAZING HAND-PAINTED FURNITURE AND RE-PURPOSED BASKETS - IS UPCYCLING A THEME IN YOUR HOME?
Not as much as I used to simply because our house is pretty much full ?♀️?but yes I love transforming an old unloved piece of furniture and giving it a new lease of life. There's nothing more rewarding.
DESERT ISLAND DÉCOR – WHICH THREE ITEMS OF DÉCOR COULD YOU SIMPLY NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT?
-Does the kettle count?? I can't live without a cup of tea (or a few?) and my kettle is rather pretty so can be classed as home decor too ?
-Number two would have to be my washed linen bedding ? since I discovered it I will probably never look at any other type of bedding, simply because it's the most comfortable thing ever ?
-And finally, some of my art prints and painting. I absolutely adore some of the art pieces scattered around our house and can’t imagine leaving my walls bare!
