Color-Blocked Furniture and a Moody Forest Mural Make This London Home

Name: Ola Zwolenik, my husband and our dog
Location: Bromley — London, United Kingdom
Size: 2,005 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, owned

My husband, our dog, and I moved to England from Poland in 2012. We fell in love with the idea of having a period property and in 2017 we decided to buy our first ever home. It’s a cute little terraced house in South East London. We started renovating right away, but still have some big plans for it.

What is your favorite room and why? It changes daily, because they are all so different. When people see our master bedroom, they often say it’s moody. I think the entire house is moody, in a sense that every room represents a different mood. I love our budget-friendly bohemian guest room, where almost every item is a vintage bargain and furniture pieces are hand-painted. I like having fun with it and being brave with colors. It’s also the smallest room with the largest amount of plants.

Our master bedroom with its forest mural is very calming and relaxing. Exactly what a light sleeper like me needs. Dark walls in our living room were my first big decision, which allowed me to be bold and unapologetic. I love having some strong color accents there. We also really enjoy the wood-burning stove.

Which fictional character would be most at home in your place? I think Lorelai Gilmore from “Gilmore Girls” would appreciate the period character of the property and being brave with colors and styling. She would probably enjoy the area and like some of my quirky items. She had a silly monkey lamp, I have a Seletti banana lamp, so there is some connection. There’s a big chance she would kill my plants, though…

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, moody, full of plants, colorful

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? There is still a lot that would change. I would love to have a big and open kitchen-dining area (two separate rooms now). Our dog would definitely appreciate a bigger garden.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? It’s not very easy to shop for bedding that goes well with our forest mural, so I just love this green-washed linen from Secret Linen Store. I’m also very big on shopping vintage goods. We go to vintage fairs and car boot sales almost every week. One of my recent bargains was actually a mid-century cabinet from eBay. I gave it a fun and color-blocking makeover.

Any advice for creating a home you love? If you have two visions, always go with the braver one. Don’t be afraid of dark colors. You don’t have to use the same style in every room.

Thanks, Ola!

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