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Fashion and lifestyle guru Amy Bell is known for her classic yet eclectic style which showers her Instagram feed and weaves into her home leaving us with interior envy. Enjoying two of our sociable styles: our Larsen Sofa Bed and Oswald Corner Sofa, Amy’s priority was finding designs that work for hosting, as well as putting comfort first.
Dishing her top tips for hosting, how to find pieces you love and how to add some flair to your home, dive in to be inspired…
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Amy’s interior
Building an aesthetic feed curated with dreamy outfits and lustworthy travel adventures, Amy’s home is no exception to her first-class taste.
With so many ways to describe her style, we challenged her to sum up her interior inclinations in three words: “Ooh that’s a toughie! Colourful for sure, eclectic (I think you’d need about 50 different adjectives to describe our house) and, I’m going to cheat a little bit for the last one, inspired-by-my-mum. She’s always had the best eye for interiors so my love for it grew from there. My style’s now a bit more bananas than hers (or ‘adventurous’ as my Mum would say) but, overall, we’re often drawn to very similar pieces and homes”.
“A lot of our house is still a work in progress – a few of the rooms are still in need of rugs, light shades and art which will make a huuuge difference – but it’s been really nice taking it slowly and not rushing any decisions.”
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Finding inspiration
The world of interiors can be overwhelming; so to discover a style that reflects your personality and to translate that to your own home can be challenging. After moving into her property over a year ago, Amy had a blank canvas to splash her style on, so we found out where she began styling her home…
“I’m big into Pinterest and making little saved boards on Instagram. Mood boards I find really handy for pulling a room together and the best piece of interiors inspo that my Mum passed down was, if you feel overwhelmed, take one piece (anything as small as a cushion to something larger like a sofa) and start there and build your room around it.
“I love Lucy Williams’ home, she’s got the best eye for interiors and her house looks so warm and welcoming in every photo she shares. Matilda Goad very much has my dream home (and homeware!) and I love everything Emma Ainscough does. My Pinterest is VERY Emma heavy.”
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Tips to soulful style
Style overlaps both fashion and interiors, yet a bold fashion choice can often be easier to make than liberal home décor that has to last a lot longer than a day. “Both my fashion and interiors style could be described as eclectic with splashes of colour throughout… but with a good mix classic/neutral pieces thrown in for good measure.”
“My main tip would be don’t be scared! Start with a little bit of colour, say a candle or a print, and see how you feel from there. Colour doesn’t necessarily need to be bright, clashing prints (although I do really admire people who pull this off with aplomb), you can go for completely neutral bases and then add little pops of colour here and there that can be easily changed if you’re not feeling it.”
“Start saving images of homes you like who do it well and see how you can bring it into your own home and, if you’re still uncertain, start with a little digital moodboard and see how it goes from there! And don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it happens to the best of us and nothing is permanent (also a great life motto whilst we’re at it!)”
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Found the one(s)
Boasting both our Larsen Sofa Bed in Oyster Bouclé and our Oswald Corner Sofa in Meadow, Amy has opted for sociable styles that suit her lifestyle. “We wanted the living room to feel really homely as it’s where we spend most of our down-time and the Oswald’s helped with just that! We’ve got lots of wood (both furniture and flooring) in the room so it’s all come together really nicely to have a very welcoming, cosy feel after a long day.”
When it comes to hosting, having an option for guests to stay overnight always helps make people feel more at welcome, negating any stress of how to get home. Amy praises her Larsen: “It’s the best sofa bed out there! Super comfortable both as a sofa and a bed – the first people we had try it out came through excitedly to tell us that it was the comfiest sofa bed they’d ever slept in. However, plot twist, they’re both teenagers. So, although delighted with the feedback, our creaky old backs were still cautious…
“Next to try it: some family members in their 50s. Now we’re talking. I’m very happy to report they came through with the same feedback the following morning! And the fact it folds back up into such a lovely sofa when we’re not using it as a bed is a real bonus. The boucle fabric has a really calm feel to it and is a great neutral base for being a bit more experimental with cushions/throws/art etc.”
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Wholesome hosting
Hosting in our own homes where loved ones can unwind often creates space for special moments and memories to last a lifetime… “We always just tell our family to make our house their own! I don’t ever want anyone to feel like they can’t touch anything/sit anywhere etc so, as soon as you’re in the door, it’s your house as much as ours.”
“Another hosting tip – always have chocolate in. And teabags. Especially when it comes to my family. I also like to enforce board games on guests at least once during their stay but… that maybe does not a good host make (that’s when the chocolate comes in handy, it makes for an excellent bribe).
“The main thing we knew was that we wanted a sociable sofa; one that could fit family and friends on no bother when they came to visit. And that’s exactly what we got with the Oswald! It fits 4 adults comfortably (5 when we’re squeezing in for a film) and really is the heart of the living room.”
While hosting for others is fulfilling, it’s easy to forget creating a warm, welcoming environment for ourselves. Balancing work, travel, and our social lives can be a difficult task so it’s important to keep little tricks up your sleeve to help make your home feel like a sanctuary.
As an influencer Amy often has a busy schedule so is a maestro in the department: “I try and unpack as soon as I get in – it’s tough at the time but always feels so great to get it done and out of the way. Candles, lots of candles. Always good for a mellow vibe. And changing the bed before we leave so we’re coming back to fresh sheets is always a real treat!”
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