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my home in one photo
"My sons call it 'mammy's room'": Karen shares her beloved light-filled front room
“It quickly became my escape from chaos in other parts of the house.”
EACH WEEK, WE ask an Irish person with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home.
Karen Dawson, her husband and two sons made the move from West Cork to Carlow in 2016. They live in a 1950s semi-detached property, which needed “a lot of work” when they bought it.
“I love to paint and upcycle, and my husband is pretty handy with woodwork,” says Karen.
This week, Karen (@number_10_house_) chatted us through her favourite spot: the front room – or “mammy’s room”, as her sons call it.
What do you love about this part of your home?
When we bought this house, it had been unoccupied for a few years and every room needed redecorating just to make it livable. The front room was the first room that really came together, and it quickly became my escape from the chaos in other parts of the house. The boys even call it “mammy’s room”.
It is just a really cosy, comfy spot to sit in and drink coffee (or wine), to read, or to chat with family and friends.
There is fabulous morning light, so it’s a calm space early in the day. I’m proud of how guests always feel really relaxed in here, and I am trying to recreate that feeling throughout the rest of the house.
What was your inspiration when you were putting the space together?
As this is our second home, we already had the furniture we needed. This meant I had to work with what I already had to create a calm, relaxed space. In this room, the curtains were a key choice. I desperately wanted to choose bold colours, but knowing I had to include a mixture of colours in the furniture, I opted for a neutral backdrop, with the alcoves opposite painted a deep denim.
To round it out, I brought together all of my existing ornaments and soft furnishings that complimented the scheme, regardless of where they had lived in our previous home. For me, the goal was to make a room that evolved from necessity and circumstance – look and feel like it was intentionally designed that way. Accent pieces like ornaments, cushions, throws and upcycling can be an easy way to bring a room together, and sometimes these bits are already in your home – just not all in the one place.
Talk us through some of the objects in the photo.
This room is a mix of old vintage and upcycled pieces, high street items, and some craft and handmade bits. We brought the couches from our previous home, where they were in two separate rooms. While they are completely different styles, we love the combination and how they make the space feel.
The curtains are homemade, and were my first ever adventure with a sewing machine.
We bought the ottoman years ago from Meadows and Bryne, it was my first magazine-influenced home purchase. It has a lot of memories from when my boys were babies, they would get stuck under it when learning to crawl and pull themselves up to stand on it. My mum made the cross-stitch sampler and painted the Ikea frame to match the room.
How well does this photo reflect the rest of your home?
I’d say quite well. Colour wise, the blue accents are a common theme throughout the house from the front door in. The mixture of high street and vintage pieces, alongside Irish craft and handmade items, is present in all our main rooms.
Be honest: how much tidying did you do before taking this photo?
As this is “mammy’s room”, the boys are less likely to pull all the cushions from this couch – they usually save that for the living room. That doesn’t mean they are not in here, but it does mean it’s more likely to be tidy. Otherwise, I’ve fluffed up the cushions and taken away an errant tea cup and a few work-related papers from the ottoman. There’s a wicker basket in the corner which gets stuffed full of toys, and cupboard for the rest of the stuff.
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