I was lucky enough to interview Isatu Chadborn for Reclaim magazine last year and it was a joy to see the photos of her beautiful home alongside the amazing garden she has built.
I first discovered Isatu’s home on Instagram @life_of_isatu and was captivated by her simple style that combined my favourite retro furniture (such as the G Plan sideboard and Ercol chair) with a cool minimalist interior.
It was only when I got in touch with Isa that I realised just how massive her renovation project had been. She had revamped the entire property, including changing the layout of the rooms to create a better flow around the house.
It was really eye-opening to learn how keeping things simple can sometimes be more beautiful than using a wide palette of colours, patterns or finishes. I love the classic Scandi style she has created, combined with a love of all things mid-century.
Using charcoal hues and bright whites really allows the vintage furniture to take centre stage within a room. I have lots of mid-century teak pieces in my own home and am now considering using a range of monochrome tones to allow the warm wood colour to sing.
Plus, any colourful furniture really pops against the neutral backdrop, such as Isatu’s Eames chairs in the garden. This in turn links the built spaces with the lush green planting for a real indoors-outdoors feel.
The transformation of the garden was also an epic project. I couldn’t believe my eyes when she showed me this ‘before’ photo of the garden.
I find it amazing that she was able to picture her classy new garden while being confronted with all that concrete and paving!
Having divided the garden into sections – what now feels like outdoor rooms – Isatu set about building a pergola with a built-in al fresco kitchen with rainwater-fed butler sink. She also reinstated an area of lawn and added silver birch trees and woodland planting.
Isatu also added a deck that extends from the bifold doors of the living room and links back to the kitchen patio doors. To do this she recycled the old decking boards by turning them over and painting them in a dark wood stain.
I just love how clean and tidy both the garden and interior look; it’s definitely making me think about ditching the gold star-patterned wallpaper in favour of a more subtle monochrome palette!
Plus, I’ve discovered that there’s nothing wrong with upcycling furniture in simple white paint – I love how her cabinet revamp has turned out.
I hope this brief tour of Isatu’s home and garden has inspired you and please follow her on Instagram @life_of_isatu for even more home, garden and lifestyle inspiration. And if you would like to read more about how Isa renovated her home you can pick up Issue 53 of Reclaim magazine from their back issue archive.
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