Juanita Brennan moved into her beautiful self-build home in Co Kilkenny last year with her husband Kieran and their girls. Here, she chats about how she went about styling her dream home using Fleetwood Paints
Hi Juanita! When envisioning your dream home, what was it that you wanted to create?
I am very inspired by American homes with vaulted ceilings but also love the character of an Irish country farmhouse. I really wanted to create a modern, open plan, and comfortable home with a mix of both bright and moody colours to bring interest and warmth.
What were some of the key factors for you in turning a house into a home?
I wanted our home to stand the test of time, so I chose some classic features such as sash windows, decorative moulding on the porch and natural stone when designing the build. Our previous home really helped us to understand what space we needed now and for the future. We added some spaces to reflect this such as a den for the girls, which could be a downstairs bedroom in the future, and a dedicated office space as I work from home. I have very happy childhood memories of spending time in my Nana Kitty’s home where we had big family gatherings and there was always a warm welcome for neighbours and visitors. I want our home to have the same sense of welcome, warmth and family.
Where do you look to for interiors inspiration?
Where do I start! I initially spent a lot of time on Pinterest, saving visuals of rooms I liked and gathering lots of ideas; like a virtual scrapbook. Then I discovered this amazing community on Instagram where people share their build and renovation journeys. It was so inspiring and was really helpful throughout our build journey. I’m also a big fan of US designers such as Magnolia Homes (Joanna Gaines), Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab) and Studio Magee (Shay Magee). I’m an avid reader of interiors magazines and anyone that knows me will tell you it’s a bit of an addiction! I love reading them with a cup of tea at the weekend looking for more ideas and inspiration.
What Irish shops do you like to shop in for décor in your home?
I love to support local, family-owned companies as much as possible. My favourite shop for furniture and accessories is Lucey Furnishings in Youghal Co. Cork. We sourced a lot of our furniture from there, including our beautiful beds, sideboard, console table and accessories. Sarah has a great eye and has been sourcing some fabulous pieces. I have also sourced lots of our finishes and decor from Aoki Interiors, Muebles, EZ Living, Cleary & Daughter Carpentry, The Snug Room, and Lilypad Home accessories.
You’re also a fan of Irish paint brand Fleetwood…
Yes, when creating a home, the colour on the wall is usually the starting point for any room design. I have found the range of colours available at Fleetwood to be fantastic. The colours are so vibrant and the paint is such high quality that it makes transforming a blank space a breeze! The paint has a creamy, high-quality feel and the coverage is excellent too. In fact, my painter will only use Fleetwood paint as she finds it so easy to work with.
Tell us more about the shades of paint you’ve used from Fleetwood in your home?
I had picked a few of them myself, and also had a very helpful phone consultation with one of Fleetwood’s interior designers, Aodhain Scallan, who helped me with my final selections. Our hallway is painted in a beautiful blue called Gateway of Bray (love this name) and Ventura White Feather which helped to bring drama, contrast and warmth to this space whilst still keeping it light and bright. We also used White Feather in the porch and main bathroom. Aoidhain introduced me to my new favourite colour Eider White for the girls bedrooms. It’s the perfect neutral but doesn’t have a yellow undertone. We paired it with Ventura Coast in one of the bedrooms for a feature wall and it complements it beautifully. I also love greens so our guest room has been transformed with Greige Green which helps to bring the outside in as we are surrounded with lovely country fields.
How do you proceed to style a room to complement a paint shade?
I usually start with some inspiration photos to help me finalise the overall look I’m trying to achieve. I find it helps to bring along a sample of the paint colour when selecting furniture and window treatments to make sure the tones complement each other. I love contrast; for example, having a lighter colour piece of furniture against a dark moody wall colour brings interest to the space, so this is always something I consider. Consistency throughout the house also helps to achieve a coherent look. To achieve this, I chose similar themes in our light fittings, door handles, floor finishes… We have used brass, wood effect tiles, black windows, oak beams, black stair spindles and a white oak handrail. I am also a huge fan of using different tones of blue throughout the house as it’s a universal neutral colour and brings a sense of calm to a space.
What are some other projects you’d like to take on with the house?
The sitting room is next on the hit list and I’m leaning towards a moody deep colour as it’s used mostly in the evenings. It would be a nice contrast to the bright and airy open plan KDL. I’m eyeing up colours like Game Room, Approaching Storm, Poppeacock and Copenhagan Blue. I also like Salty Sea, Warm Eucalyptus and Aughrim Granite so will have to find somewhere to use them. We also plan to paint the outside of the house this summer so I’ll be ordering some samples for that too so watch this space!
