EACH WEEK, WE ask someone based in Ireland with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home. 

Carla Edwards moved into a three-bed new build in south Dublin with her partner Michael earlier this year. 

“Having decided on a new build, and being first time homeowners, we were starting with a blank canvas which has been both frightening and exciting,” says Carla.

“We’ve been slowly tackling each room since we moved in, and I’d say that we’re still only half-way there.”

This week, Carla (@a_little_red_brick_houzz) chatted us through her favourite spot: her festive sitting room.

Carla Edwards Carla Edwards

What do you love about this part of your home?

The sitting room is the first room that I would consider as being finished in the house. We love being able to come home and relax in here after a long day. I know people will say the kitchen is the centre of the home, but for us I think it’s the sitting room. It’s the first place friends and family go to when they visit.

What’s your favourite object in here and why?

The Ikea display unit beside the TV is the first thing that you see as you walk into the sitting room. The contrast of the black metal and simple lines against the neutral colour of the walls lends itself to being a statement piece.

When I bought the unit, I had no clue what to put on it, so after we built it I just started grabbing bits I had in the house. I started with a throw, some candles, and a book. I kept changing and moving things till I finally had what looked right. The accessories I put on the unit are very simple and minimalist but yet have a big impact by the way they are arranged and displayed. I very rarely change or add anything to the unit because I just love how it turned out.

What was your inspiration when you were putting this room together?

I knew I wanted to keep this room simple, minimalist, practical and cosy. After we moved in, I started looking at Scandinavian style on Pinterest and knew that was what I wanted for the sitting room. There’s very little in here objects-wise; we have a sofa, armchair, TV and display unit. The room itself is small and is rectangular in shape, so having very little in here works well to keep it feeling big and airy.

Another inspiration for this room was the term hygge, the Danish word meaning cosiness, comfort and contentment. There’s nothing better than sitting in here on a rainy, dark night with candles lit, wrapped up in a cosy teddy bear throw while drinking a hot cup of tea listening to the the world outside. 

Be honest: how much tidying did you do before taking this photo?

I’ll be honest here, I did a lot of tidying. Since this is the only finished room in the house, we spend a lot of time in here, so it can get untidy quickly. There’s usually cushions on the floor instead of the sofa, cups left on tables and shoes thrown off into the middle of the room. I could keep going but I leave it at that!

Is there anything in here you’d like to change?

I have a few more bits to add to the sitting room like curtains and maybe some prints on the walls, but other than that I’ve no big plans to change anything in here. Looking back on my old Pinterest board, I had a completely different look and style planned compared to how this room actually ended up looking. I really love how this room has turned out.

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