At Home with @ahousemadeofbrass in their 1890's terrace home
In this series Hutch join the people from behind some of our favourite Instagram accounts, discussing their own homes, design inspirations, and tips for sourcing sustainable homeware.
The fourth home in our series is Temi of @ahousemadeofbrass and her terraced cottage in Hertforshire.
Temi, tell us a little about your home...
Our house is a traditional two bedroom terrace, although it was listed as a terraced cottage when we brought it - I think this was perhaps a tactic to excuse the somewhat “rough” unpolished nature of the house, the original poo pipe was still visible in the bathroom! That said we absolutely love her, she was built in 1890 and is nestled in a little village in Hertfordshire. Having moved there from London in December '18, I still wake up feeling overjoyed to be surrounded by the countryside every day.
What is your favourite piece of vintage homeware or furniture you have in your house?
I think this has to be the hardest question ever! I don’t know about other people but I tend to see my vintage treasures as my babies. When you buy vintage homeware you usually know that piece will remain with you for life and has usually already lasted a lifetime. I still have a vintage drinks trolley that I’ve been carting around from home to home since I was 19!
That said if I was forced to say...at this moment it’s probably my brass etagere. That piece is special to me as it helped me to decide exactly how I wanted to furnish our living room and started my brass obsession. I've since managed to find the matching side and coffee table!
Who are your interiors inspirations?
This might sound terrible but I really don’t think I have one as such. I see so many accounts on Instagram that I think are beyond amazing and I often think I like an item or that idea but I think buying second-hand/ antique or vintage means you naturally create your own style and identity.
Where do you find pieces for your home?
I think there is where I find pieces for my home and where I would WANT to find pieces for my home if money wasn’t an object! I am absolutely in love with Leila from Anemone’s store. I have never known anyone get their hands on such amazing marble coffee tables. Everything she sells is such good quality and so well curated. If money wasn’t an object I would furnish my whole home from her store!
As it is I’m old school. My Stepfather was the Delboy version of an antiques dealer so I grew up in car boots and charity shops. I still to this day go to our local car boot on a Sunday and can’t go past an open charity shop without popping in. When I have a specific item in mind then I still use eBay. Even if it takes months eventually the item will surface on there. I’m late to the game where FB Marketplace is concerned but keep seeing people nabbing absolute bargains on there.
What are your top tips for people wanting to renovate a house?
Patience! It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We didn’t do any real work to the house in the first year because I was on maternity and the budget was tight. We didn’t really start until 2020. I was so tempted to try and rush to get things done but the quality would have been terrible.
In that time though I was able to pick up pieces that I knew would belong in certain rooms once the work was done and I think taking it slow helps you to add character to each room naturally.
Lastly, I would say you have to be realistic. If it’s not your forever home, there may not be any point in spending a huge amount of money on all the renovation extras or adding that built-in wardrobe or under-stairs storage, for example. I would have loved to have knocked down our downstairs shower room and extend but the cost of this, when I know we are looking to convert the loft could have resulted in us eventually spending more than the house would be worth.
What is your favourite thing about your home?
At the moment I think the colours, every time I walk in through the front door I’m greeted by orange, blues, pinks and of course lots of brass and it really does make me smile
How do you ensure that you incorporate sustainable principles into your home design?
I have to say that this wasn’t something I consciously decided to do but I have grown up my whole life with a reuse and buy used mentality. To the extent that second-hand (antique and vintage) was more covetable than new. With the exception of the bedrooms and bathroom, there isn’t really any new furniture in our home. Even our bathtub and sink were second-hand from eBay. For me, this is the most definitive way we feel able to be sustainable. When I have moved in the past and haven’t had room for certain things I’ve always tried to rehome them. The idea of having to take anything to the landfill genuinely makes me sad!
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