‘I balanced period charm with a quirky boho twist'

Seeing beyond the layers of paint, Aimee Baker got to work revealing her living room’s hidden beauty, enhancing it with period glam and natural materials

- Aimee Baker

In the hunt for their forever home, Liz and Russell Baker found a four-bedroom, 1930s property in need of TLC. ‘We wanted a project we could tailor to our own taste, and it meant we could get more for our money,’ says Aimee. ‘We fell in love with the art deco character of the house and wanted to restore it back to its best.’ It was the living room that really sold this home to Aimee: ‘I loved the high ceilings and the period features, and it felt spacious, airy and full of potential.’ So, the couple got to work updating the décor to get it looking its best once more.

THE PROJECT

The whole house needed renovating, but ‘the living room was one of the least horrendous rooms,’ explains Aimee. ‘So we decided to tackle it first. That way we’d at least have one space to relax in.’ The room was originally cream, but the paint was peeling, there were cracks in the walls and the bare floorboards had never been properly treated so were rough and unpleasant to look at. Aimee and Russell loved the original features hidden under layers of paint, so they made it their mission to restore the room to its former glory.

STEP INSIDE...

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Aimee Baker, 36, on Instagram @feather_that_nest, and I live with my husband, Russell, 40, and our two children, Leo, two, and Ruby, four months old. We’re both mortgage brokers and have lived in this four-bedroom, 1930s detached house in Bristol since July 2020.