A 1930s Bristol, England Home for a Book Lover

As my city erupts with condos and prices escalate, the idea of owning my slice of real estate has become more appealing and more pressing — I want to nab an old home before they’re all snatched up! Whenever I feel homeowner envy, I talk to my friends with the best horror stories: the burst sewage pipes, the knee-deep water in the basement, and the toilet that fell through the floor. These stories remind me to be patient, because investing in an old home is a risky commitment on so many fronts.

Lou Watkins wisely considered both her love of aged, storied homes and the costs associated with a home’s creaking old bones. Her happy medium was a house built in 1930 in Bristol, England. It offered the character she craved without the need for extensive revitalization. The home mainly needed cosmetic touches, a realm in which Lou really shines.

Lou began sharing her decorating progress on Instagram, shyly at first, but she quickly found her niche. She says, “I love the support, enthusiasm and creativity of the Instagram interiors community and have sourced several pieces in my home through the network I have made through social media. I love vintage so much, I co-host the #howivintage hashtag to showcase, share and celebrate all finds vintage — which is fast approaching 20,000 posts from all over the world! So there is a lot of vintage love out there!” There’s also a lot of vintage to love in Lou’s home, so enjoy! —Quelcy

Photography by Lou Watkins | Portrait by Colin Poole & Annabelle Grundy.

Image Above: Lou was a teacher in a past life, so her book collection is especially significant. “Nowhere feels like home until my books are unpacked, so the first room I decorated was the garden room. A friend co-designed with me a built-in bookcase which he then made for me out of MDF. As soon as my books were on the shelf I felt so much more settled.” 

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/11/a-1930s-bristol-england-home-for-a-book-lover.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/167052270199