Images by Julie Choi. The white laminate kitchen units were given a vibrant makeover using Lick’s Green 07.
I had long admired Julie Choi’s house before I got the chance to interview her about her playful interior. As a follower of her Instagram account, I’d often been inspired by her upcycling projects and was in awe of her use of colour.
This photo of Julie’s bedroom was the first image I ever spotted on her Instagram account @letsby.avenue. I was immediately impressed by the scale of the colourful wall mural and I love just how beautifully it adds plenty of personality to the master bedroom without being overpowering.
The light watercolour effect means it still looks restful and calm while also adding a magical rainbow vibe and a sense of flowing movement. This, coupled with the mid-century furniture, boldly patterned bedding and houseplants make it such a joyful space.
When selecting a colour to pair with Lick’s Purple 04 in the bedroom, Julie researched images of sunsets and lavender flowers in pots, leading her to choose the terracotta-pink hue Red 03 for the lower half of the wall.
She sourced her second-hand dresser from a charity shop for just £20 and painted it to match the terracotta pink walls. I love this upcycle and it just goes to show that interiors can look absolutely beautiful even if you’re on a budget.
When I got the chance to write about her home for a previous issue of Reclaim magazine, I was delighted to discover even more about Julie’s multicoloured interior and how she had decorated each room to make it a fun space for her family.
Proving that it’s possible to add personality to even the smallest rooms, Julie has added the brightest cherry red to her bathroom on all the woodwork. She also repainted an old magazine rack in deck chair-style stripes (using Lick Red 04 and Beige 01) and added strawberry-coloured art and accessories to create the most fun WC ever.
Plus, I think her family bathroom might be my dream room, with its freestanding tub, vaulted ceiling and Johnstone’s Tangy Sherbet pink walls. A mix of baskets that Julie has collected provides plenty of practical storage to keep toiletries and laundry stowed away in style.
Even in the rooms that have cosy dark walls, Julie has injected splashes of colour with her soft furnishings, original artworks and painted furniture. This vintage side table with a wavy edge (below) was the perfect candidate to be painted in a psychedelic pattern – I love the bold combination of pink and red too.
Julie has collected a variety of second-hand furniture for the whole house, leaving some in their existing wooden finish and painting other pieces using leftover paint from other decorating projects.
If you want to achieve a fun, colourful look but you’re on a budget, take inspiration from Julie and keep an eye out for secondhand accessories and old furniture in charity shops and reimagine them in your favourite colours and patterns.
It’s amazing what a difference some colourful cushions, eye-catching art and sparkly accessories can make – it really helps to add character to a room and make it feel more like an expression of your own personality. Go for it; you can’t fail if you surround yourself with your favourite things!
If you’d like to read more about Julie’s fabulous home, check out Issue 89 of Reclaim magazine, which is still available to buy in print or download through the back issue archive. And be sure to check out her Instagram account @letsby.avenue for all her latest interior projects and upcycles.
I’ve also shared some more home tours of beautiful unique homes so be sure to have a look at those for even more interior inspiration. 🙂
Pin it for later
