Rowan Atkins - Freelance Writer & PR

Rowan Atkins

Freelance Writer & PR

Journalism

I write about issues close to my heart: health inequalities, gender, disability and mental health.

See my recent work.

PR

I generate press coverage for organisations in the social care, health, housing and education sectors.

Interiors

Since 2012 I’ve been renovating a Victorian villa, ducking the dust and loving every second. Interiors are my passion.

Follow Me On Instagram

@homeisheathside

homeisheathside

We've been renovating our house since 2012 😅 We

We've been renovating our house since 2012 😅 We've taken our time! This is the story of when we did what. Work, kids and budget meant we had to do it slow, but I think that's the best way. You consider every decision and get it right. I've loved every moment, which is why I'm launching my own interior design business. Follow along for more slow renovation action. Our attic is next! 🕸🕷

#renovationproject #vintageinteriors #victorianhouse #victorianrenovation #houseproject

I need your advice lovely Instagram people. Been w

I need your advice lovely Instagram people. Been wanting to upholster an armchair in our kitchen for a while. I'm after a large-scale pattern that works with the sage and cream stripes of the armchair next to it and our buttery sofa. I bought a small bit of this @charlestontrust fabric by #DuncanGrant from @ebay_uk which I love, but none of my family does 😅 Would it look too dark and dingy on a whole chair? I would have to buy many more metres and it's not cheap. Or does anyone have ideas for a gorgeous large scale patterned fabric in colours that would work?

Please hit me up with your recommendations 🙏

#charleston #largescalepattern #upholsteryfabric #reupholstery #vintagefurniture #eBayFinds #vintagefabric #interiordesign

These are the impossibly beautiful rooms at @8holl

These are the impossibly beautiful rooms at @8hollandstreet . It's a guesthouse in Bath with a gallery downstairs. Each of the three suites has been decorated with so much thought. I literally wanted to soak up every detail. From the royal blue boule curtains to the racing green kitchen cabinets and Charles Voysey Angel Forest wallpaper, there is so much inspiration for anyone who loves art or interiors. I got a little tour and will most definitely be booking a stay there soon. This isn't an ad, I've just fallen head over heels for this place 💛

#visitbath #guesthouseinbath #vintageinteriors #vintagefinds #georgianhouse #interiordesign #8hollandstreet

I’ve always been really into vintage and antique

I’ve always been really into vintage and antiques, and I think it has something to do with stories. Second hand things (clothes, furniture, art) have had previous lives, and I love that history and personality.

My wedding dress was second hand. I tried loads of 1930s, 50s and 70s dresses on. There were a lot I couldn't physically fit into because I'm tall with hips, and people must have been shorter and slimmer in the past. But I remember seeing this old shell pink satin dress with covered buttons in a vintage shop in London and falling in love.

Bit like when I saw a battered apothecary cabinet, antique wooden filing cabinet or second hand green velvet sofa, and knew I had to bring them home.

Vintage things appeal because they don't cost the earth (quite literally), they're affordable, and they are original. Triple win!

What are your favourite second hand finds? And do you have a go-to charity shop/ auction house/ car boot sale?

Happy Sunday x

#secondhandfinds #vintagefurniture #vintagefinds #vintageweddingdress #ebayfinds #antiquefurniture

We left the teenager at home and had 2 days in Bat

We left the teenager at home and had 2 days in Bath. It was beautiful. @theromanbaths were a highlight. The best pizza and pasta at @manjamanjabath - A maze and space to run in #paradegardensbath Excellent shopping including @berdoulat_interior_design (the store itself is as gorgeous as the products it sells). Felt like everywhere I looked was creamy Georgian architecture and green space. Might try to convince Tim we could retire there.

Disclaimer. There was also much moaning from the kids. Turns out Georgian architecture doesn't appeal to everyone 😅

#visittobath #bathwithkids #romanbaths #interiordesignshops #vintageshopping #beautifulgeorgianhouses

Coat hooks vs. coat cupboards. Which one do you pr

Coat hooks vs. coat cupboards. Which one do you prefer? We couldn't use the space under our stairs to store jackets as it leads to the basement, and there isn't another obvious place. Then we added a boot room area right at the back of the house, but it's too far from the front door, and it's used for muddy boots, scooters, and roller skates.

I think you need somewhere near the entrance to plonk bags, shoes and coats, particularly with kids. But I would love a coat cupboard so I could just shut the door on the mess. Something I can't do with coat pegs and a 'shoe bench' 😅.

These pics were shot on a day when there was zero mess. They do not represent how it looks most of the time! Scroll along for a throwback to this hall when we first moved in and then began renovating. Thank goodness those days are long gone ➡️

#renovationhouse #victorianrenovation #vintagehallway #hallwayart #hallwaydecor #coathooks #coatstorage

I have long loved @8hollandstreet , following thei

I have long loved @8hollandstreet , following their galleries on Instagram and watching the @houseandgardenuk video of founder @tobias_g_b_vernon giving a tour of their Bath townhouse (which you can stay in) a gazillion times. But this week, we actually went to Bath, and I actually visited the gallery IRL. It was heavenly. Such a clever mix of paintings and prints, ceramics, furniture, antiques, and other objects.

These pics are of the shop and gallery itself, and I will share the townhouse in another post because it is so bloody gorgeous that it deserves a separate spot on the grid. I urge you to visit NOW! This is not an ad!

#8hollandstreet #artgalleryinbath #wallartdecor #vintagefurniture #vintagefinds #greatartgallery #ceramicsart

I've lived in the North West since I came to uni h

I've lived in the North West since I came to uni here in 1996 (eeeek 😅), and I've loved interiors for almost as long, but I've never been to @redbrick_mill before.

It's basically this enormous collection of lighting, furniture, and interior shops near Leeds. And it's big. Four massive floors, and that means loads of beds, sofas, and chairs to try out. I'll definitely be back. The sausage rolls were good, too.

You can find loads of brands here that I've only ever seen online before: @pookylights @madedotcom @haydesign @heals_furniture @loafhome, @boconcept_yorkshire & @neptunehomeofficial plus loads more.

#interiordesign #interiordesignmanchester #interiordesigncheshire #victorianrenovation #interiordesignnorthwest

Fully inspired by @_lisa_dawson_ I've put together

Fully inspired by @_lisa_dawson_ I've put together a tour of my house in stills. I loved doing this. It reminds me how much fun I've had decorating each room. Warning: these rooms are super tidy for the pics, they almost never look like this in day to day life 😅 See the final pic for a reminder of exactly why we are going up in the attic. Yes, it's bad 😬 (but hopefully will be good). There are three rooms in the attic, so this landing image is just a taste of quite how extreme it still is. Hoping work will begin early Jan 2025 🤞

#housetour #interiordesign #interiordesigner #interiordesignmanchester #interiordesigncheshire #victorianhouse #periodhouse #victorianrenovation

One thing I've been doing a lot of recently is cre

One thing I've been doing a lot of recently is creating moodboards. It's part of my interior design diploma, but it's also loads of fun!

👉 I use two programmes, both free. The first is @canva and the other is good old #PowerPoint, which I think is actually easier to use for moodboarding than Canva.
👉 I use a free version of @adobeexpress to remove the background from images (a piece of furniture, for example) so it fits in the overall design.
👉 It's super easy to copy and paste images of rooms, objects and colours, resize them, and arrange on a slide to see if they work together.
👉 Try putting a moodboard together if you want to work out your interior style or develop a 'vision' for a space. Give it a go. It feels so satisfying when it all comes together!

#moodboarding #victorianrenovation #moodboard #interiordesignersmanchester #interiordesignaltrincham #interiordesign

Feeling so pleased with myself! I've mastered Sket

Feeling so pleased with myself! I've mastered SketchUp to create floorplans, and it's so blooming useful. This isn't an ad, and I'm not a techie, but I've been using the free version to create simple 2D room layouts for my interior design course, and it's dead easy.

⭐️ If you want to work out the proportions of a room, choose what size furniture to buy, experiment with layouts, or just see how everything fits together in a scaled drawing, you should definitely use it.
⭐️ I've had to re-design an entire ground floor in 2D for my diploma, and it's so much fun.
⭐️ You draw the room size, add furniture from the SketchUp warehouse (I love that bit!), or draw basic items yourself.
⭐️ It's super quick to resize rooms, replace walls, doors, and windows, or change furniture. Have a go, it will help you make the right interior decisions!

🔎 Google 'free sketchup' to find it and create an account and get going!

#sketchupfloorplan #sketchup #roomlayout #sketchupbeginner #idistudent #interiordesigner #interiordesigntools

MOODBOARD SUNDAY✨️I created this first moodboa

New rug alert! This isn't an ad, I just really lov

New rug alert! This isn't an ad, I just really love it. My old made.com yellow patterned rug is great, but there was just too much going on in this room with it. I wanted a rug that complemented the parquet floor but didn't try to compete or shout too loud. Enter this check jute lady from @laredoute_uk . Subtle, characterful, but most importantly, in the sale. A bargain at £111. I bought the 160 x 230cm, and it's just right. 🤎

#interiordesignideas #sittingroomdesign #rugideas #rugideasforlivingroom #victorianrenovation #vintageinteriors #interiordesign

I'm a writer, Radio 4 obsessive, vintage lover, an

I'm a writer, Radio 4 obsessive, vintage lover, and coffee addict, but the thing I adore above most things, bar my kids and husband (I think 🤔 😅), is interior design. I started a diploma at the @theinteriordesigninstitute earlier this year and have loved it sooooo much. Having designed my own house and spaces for friends over the years, I'm now working on a few interiors projects whilst studying and doing my day job. But I'm planning to launch an interior design business so I can design people's homes full time. The power of interiors is so transformative, and I want to share my passion. Join me on my journey ❤️

📸 @jfrench_photo
Styling @mishytaylor_stylist

#interiordesignersmanchester
#interiordesignersinaltrincham #interiordesign #cheshireinteriors #cheshireinteriordesigner #altrinchaminteriordesign

I am no garden expert, but there are a few plants

I am no garden expert, but there are a few plants that seem to be loving life in this cooler, autumnal weather.

🌿 First up is Cosmos. Feathery green foliage and lovely white blooms
🌿 Next is my hosta, which looks like it's on fire right now. Those glowing leaves are gorgeous
🌿 My climbing clematis has produced some late pinky blooms which are brightening my October!
🌿 Then there's the Sedum (thank you @nataabeee ) with its compact, pinky green flower heads
🌿 Lastly, there are these purple beauties. Cannot remember for the life of me what they are, but they're pretty lovely. Anyone identify them for me?

#autumngarden #victorianrenovation #altrinchamgarden #altrinchaminteriors #autumnflowers #gardennovice

We bought this sofa a few years ago and I've never

We bought this sofa a few years ago and I've never loved it. Usually, I'm obsessed with new furniture because I've pined and saved for so long. This one arrived, and I didn't fall in love. So I've been looking for ways of updating it without a huge reupholstery bill or a billion new cushions. Luckily, I was playing around with a gorgeous throw I got a while back from @mishytaylor_stylist and bingo, almost a new sofa. Such an easy transformation. All you need is a lovely throw 😊 ✨️

#sittingroominteriors #victorianrenovation #interiordesigner #vintageinteriors #sofarefresh #altrinchaminteriordesigner #manchesterinteriordesigner

Lots of storage, spots to chill and a decent place

Lots of storage, spots to chill and a decent place to work are priorities in a teen room. My 17 year old's room is pretty decent on all three. It was even featured in @idealhomeuk magazine so he must be doing something right. This is his work, not mine! Disclaimer: It's at its very tidiest here. There are normally quite a few wet towels on the floor!

#teenroomdecor #vintageinteriors #teenroomideas #teenbedroomideas #teenroominterior #interiordesignersmanchester #interiordesignersinaltrincham

📸 @jfrench_photo
Styling @mishytaylor_stylist

This is a reminder that if you are in the midst of

This is a reminder that if you are in the midst of renovating or about to start, then it does get better, and it is worth it. We lived with this hall, its green carpet and brown wallpaper for many, many years before we had the time or the budget to renovate. But I knew the bones were great, and it just needed a bit of TLC (along with a new floor, paint job and runner on the stairs!). Keep going with your renovation. The results make it all worthwhile 😊

#victorianrenovation #homerenovation #loverenovate #lovetorenovate #homerenovation #hallwayinteriors #hallwayinspo #vintagehallway #idealhome

One of my favourite bits of the interior design pr

One of my favourite bits of the interior design process is finding all the 'smalls' - the trinkets, objects, ornaments, ceramics, bits and bobs that add personality to a room. I have them everywhere in my house! Here are some of my fave places to find them:

🕰 @tkmaxxuk - always random, often great
🕰 Your family (!) Knick-knacks that have been passed down are often the best
🕰 @sostrenegrene - lucky to have one in Altrincham, and the stuff is gorgeous and affordable
🕰 Charity shops - the ones that have dusty corners with piles of stuff are the best. I'm not keen on a sanitised chazza devoid of anything interesting
🕰@ebay_uk - obvs
🕰 @hmhome - went to the flagship London store and it was ace. Their online selection is also great.
🕰 @zarahome - Some beautiful bits. Sometimes pricey
🕰 Gallery gift shops - the best for unusual, arty stuff
🕰 @sainsburys home range - I always have a browse when I pop in for food
🕰 Vintage markets - there are some corkers in the northwest. @thevintageemp in Stockport is one of the best

📸 @jfrench_photo
Styling @mishytaylor_stylist

#vintageinteriors #victorianhouserenovation #vintagefinds #ebayfinds #periodhouserenovation #altrinchaminteriors #manchesterinteriordesigner

Had a bit of a hard time over the past two weeks.

Had a bit of a hard time over the past two weeks. Bloody perimenopause (I had no idea how horrid it is), along with feeling a bit meh and then losing my confidence with social media and feeling frozen. Trying to thaw myself out now. Best way is to just enjoy interior design (it brings me so much joy), share my passion for it, share my journey (LOVING my interior design diploma) and not think too hard about it all. Thank you to my lovely sister @mirandapearcemindset and amazing brother in law @drtimpearce for the pep talk 🥰

#victorianrenovation #iloveinteriordesign #renovationproject #vintageinteriors #interiorsmakemehappy

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