Isobel Waine’s home is a masterclass in how to work rich tones

If you have ever been tempted to bite the bullet and go over to the dark side at home then let Isobel Waine’s home be your inspiration.

A proud mum to two daughters, Rosanna, 3, and Annabelle, 5, her home has undergone quite the style transformation over the years.

After a bit of soul-searching, Isobel decided to leave the world of TV production to take on interiors and it has made her braver with her design choices at home at the same time.

Isobel told EVOKE all about her inspiring, calm home and we sourced some of her key pieces, so you can imitate her style…

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Isobel Waine with her daughters in their kitchen. The walls are painted in an elegant grey shade which is Templar Grey by Colour Trend . Pic: Supplied

Isobel is originally from Bedfordshire, England and she met her husband Rob, a Dubliner, in Australia 15 years ago. They swapped their life down under for Dublin’s southside and moved into their house in 2015 when Isobel was pregnant with their daughter Annabelle.

Reminiscing about starting their journey to creating their dream home back then, she shares: ‘My husband is very handy and did a lot of the work – but I was across all the design decisions and also scraped as much 1970s wallpaper as I could with my ever-increasing baby bump!’

Isobel tells EVOKE that she always wanted a kid-friendly home that could be stylish on a budget that wouldn’t break the bank. When she bought her home she wasn’t really ‘into’ interior design and opted for a fresh and contemporary aesthetic and a neutral colour palette as a base. Then, as she discovered her passion for interiors, and started a course at the Interior Design Academy of Ireland, she wished to make a bolder statement.

The couple has been working to inject more personality into the house and the results are sumptuous. The relaxed Bohemian feel throughout has pops of dark shades which dial up the sophistication factor, keeping the aesthetic bold and calming in equal measure.

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We want the leather pouf from Poufs and Pillows . Pic: Supplied

On choosing to experiment with darker colours, Isobel says: ‘As the house doesn’t have any interesting architectural features, the safe light grey and off-white walls that we originally picked started to feel boring and I was desperate to inject some visual interest.’

‘Even though I wanted to make a statement, I still wanted the colour scheme to feel relatively neutral – so I’ve stuck to browns, blacks, whites, greys, greens – as I find them more restful to live with than lots of bright colours. So even though I have gone for bold colours, I still believe they are calming.’

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How cute is the brass grasshopper that Isobel bought from Zara. Pic: Supplied

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Tall metal candlestick, €9.99. Pic: H&M

One of the most striking examples of rich colour at play is in Isobel’s main bedroom, which is painted in a sophisticated dark green hue (by Ralston).

The mid-century dresser from West Elm was one of the most expensive investments in her home, as the mum-of-two enthuses: ‘I love the simple elegance of the warm wood against the dark walls. I was happy about spending a bit more on this as it’s aesthetically timeless and highly functional.’

She has styled the space with chic and affordable pieces from the winter white IKEA rug to her cute little vases from H&M Home. The boho-chic fringed basket from Amara is unfortunately out of stock but there are plenty of gorgeous alternatives to choose from on their site.

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Small ceramic vase in light beige, €7.99. Pic: H&M

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Retreat knitted jute striped basket, was €50 now €25. Pic: Amara

What is really intriguing about Isobel’s home is how some rooms don’t just stick to one theme, but explore many within the one space. Her kitchen, for example, has a gentle minimalistic feel to it with soft grey cabinetry throughout, which is contrasted with the subtlely dramatic dining area that boasts elegant dark grey panelled walls.

The same goes for the bedroom. When you turn 180 degrees it is wonderfully white and airy, but an evocative mix of textures, from the stylish pleated light shade overhead (from H&M Home) to the furry bed throw and the boho-chic pillow nestled in between suede ones, ground it.

The monochromatic art on the walls, framed between hanging plants, draws the eye and creates a pleasing symmetry.

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Scandi boho cushion, €20.40 Pic: Sass and Belle

If you are working from home and feeling uninspired with your space, consider giving it a new lease of life with paint.

Isobel’s study is decorated in a chalky black shade, and while one might think a lighter space is more conducive to a productive mind, the way she has accessorised the space makes it feel just as inviting.

From the handsome leather office chair to the gold accents in the form of a wire wall grid from Penneys (which gets a lot of love from her Instagram followers!)

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The room has a western-inspired feel thanks to the wall hanging from Harvey Norman! Pic: Supplied

The girl’s room, by contrast, embraces bright colours to create a playful and cool bedroom with an eye-catching wall mural.

Isobel shares that the initial plan was to wallpaper the space, incorporating neutral tones with pops of soft pink and green. The result was far from it, as she explains: ‘My daughters were looking at paint sample charts with me and they were so enthusiastic about all the crazy bright colours and really had no interest in anything subtle.’

‘It’s their room and ultimately I wanted them to love it, so I went with their colour scheme and started sketching up ideas for a wall mural that incorporate them all. It was my husband Rob who had the unenviable tasking of frog taping and painting it!’

In between the pops of colour she added printed stickers from Kiddy Sticks to add personality and fun.

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We love the light! Pic: Isobel Waine

The main bedroom is her favourite spot in the house and from it she can see her second favourite space: the picture wall that runs up the stairs.

‘I love the gallery wall because it’s so personal. It’s a mixture of family photos, travel posters from places that are special to us, my husband’s football memorabilia, paintings by my granny, my own paintings and some quirky prints I found online,’ she says.

We especially like the pop art-esque portrait by Margo McDaid and the Abso-F***ing-Lutely print by Karina Mansfield.

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The cute table light is from Littlewoods Ireland. Pic: Isobel Waine

When it comes to interiors shops some of Isobel’s go-tos are Woo Design, Home Store + More and Dunnes Stores.

You can take a closer look at Isobel Waine’s stylish home in the gallery below or head on over to her Instagram for inspiration on @izzys_home .

If you would be interested in featuring your home in our Steal Her Space series please email [email protected]

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Nothing To See Here print, £35. Pic. Soo UK

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Isobel’s kitchen is from IKEA. Pic: Supplied

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Isobel completely transformed her dresser using brass handles from Armac Martin and painting it with the shade Off-Black from Farrow & Ball . Pic: Supplied

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Isobel has used clever storage solutions to make her compact bathroom feel much more spacious. Pic: Supplied

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The wall light was a find on Amazon. Pic: Supplied

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