I have followed Beth's home decor story on Instagram (@bethshehata) for quite a while and was thrilled when she agreed to me doing a post about her fabulous home! This is Beths first home, she bought her new build townhouse in Newcastle in 2015. As it was a new build it was a blank canvas and Beth set about putting her own stamp on it and showing off her own style and personality..... And let me tell you, she's worked hard on her home, learning trades and DIY skills along the way, and has certainly made a fabulous job of it! 

Beth tells me her style has evolved over the last couple of years, she started with a dark feature wall in her bedroom and over time has 'turned to the dark side' in her decor more and more alongside some fabulous wallpapers, all of which she has painted and put up herself to keep in budget. Beth is a bit of a DIY whizz and loves upcycling furniture and making things for her home if she can't find, or afford, exactly what she's looking for. She also likes to have 'conversation starters' in her home such as a beautiful print or a fabulous accessory, and these are the things along with the hard work, attention to detail and obvious love for her home that make Beths home special.

Kitchen Bar area

Beth added this fantastic bar area to her kitchen and this is how I found her in 'InstaLand' whilst searching for inspiration for a home bar of my own. The bar itself is from Wayfair.co.uk, Beth painted it in Farrow and ball 'Pitch Black' and added the gold bar stools to up the pizzazz! ..... I love the open feel of the area and the shelves painted in the same grey as the walls really make the bottles and cool typology prints stand out. I particularly love the Abigail Ahern lamp sitting in the corner and the champagne rack is still something I covet for my own home, although I have to admit mine would no doubt be full of empty bottles! 

Let me hand you over to Beth to tell us a little about her and her home.......

Hi Im Beth (Shehata), I’m 26 years young and live in Newcastle. I work for a global technology company full time and in my spare time I’ve been coerced into doing Run Every Day (RED) January for Mind, and taken up ballroom dancing – also as part of an event to raise money for charity. Other than that I volunteer for the RSPCA (I’m currently typing this with a kitten who has decided to wedge himself between the laptop and me) and spend way too much time trawling through Instagram. 

I bought my home in 2015, I started my job in Newcastle 4 and a half years ago and commuted through (about 90 minutes each way) for the first two years. My parent’s generosity gave me the opportunity to save for a deposit, and I bought a three-bedroom town house pretty close to the city centre – I got the keys on the 18th December which was the day after my works Christmas party. 

Renovation/Décor story- I bought a new build house, so it didn’t need any renovation work and all of the changes I’ve made have been cosmetic. In the last 12 months in particular I’ve learnt to paint, fit carpets, wallpaper, change plug sockets/electric switches so I’m pretty proud of that. My style has changed completed though in the two years that I’ve lived here and that is 100% due to Instagram, following the accounts I do I’ve found a style I love that I never knew existed. My house is nowhere near finished and there’s still lots to do but slowly over time I think it’ll get there. I’d love to buy an Edwardian house next to renovate from scratch – it’s definitely on my bucket list.

Bathroom

Beth loves adding interesting textures and tone to her home and her downstairs bathroom is no exception- Just look at this marvellous foil wallpaper from Prestigious textiles..... There'd be no need to carry a book into this bathroom thats for sure!

Snug Room

Alongside the sitting room, Beth has a snug room to relax in..... I'm a sucker for a Blue wall as you know (see my post on blue walls here ) Beth has combined the beautiful blue walls in her Snug with texture, pattern and a pop of colour...... The JuJu hat wall hanging, which is her favourite piece in the room, sits alongside cushions, rugs and throws...... You then turn to see the striking silver chest of drawers and flamingo print which add a sense of fun and interest, the things Beth is so good at adding to every room in her home.

Living Room

In the Living Room Beth has gone for a more formal look, she has used a dark navy on the feature wall and added pattern with a Berber style rug from Next. Beth's favourite item in the room is the coffee table which her Mum bought for her, the glass top ensuring that all of the rug can be seen and maintaining the sense of space. The cushions on the sofa pick up the tones in the room and it's the perfect spot for Beth to relax at the end of the day.

Entrance Hall

Beth wanted to add some wow factor to what was a typically bland new build hallway and she's certainly done that!

She has used a mirrored panel on the back wall to reflect the light and add a sense of space, painted the banister black and used various accessories to add interest. Beth used her DIY skills to make the faux fur stool in the corner herself, then added a runner picking up the wall and stairway colours to tie everything together. Beth told me she particularly loves her burnished copper round 'jet engine' mirror in the hallway, I do love a large mirror too, and this one's a beauty!

Of course we have to give a special mention to the standout piece- The spectacular Mannequin Leg Planter from 'muck n brass' ...... It's one of Beth's favourite things in her home...... I can see why! It's mine too! 

I asked Beth about her interior style and what she loves;

When asked this question 6 months ago my answer was that I don’t really have a style but reflecting back now I definitely do. I love high-street, on trend items but I like to mix it with unusual pieces that make people talk. Each piece of art that I have in my house; the mannequin planter from Muck and Brass, the Adrian Higgins animal prints or the Coach House pieces are all conversation starters every time and everyone has an opinion on them. I love each of them and filling corners or walls with things people won’t have seen anywhere else before. I’m also not a fan of clutter, I like things to be kept minimalistic; but that’s because I really hate dusting!

Master Bedroom

The use of pattern & texture in Beth's stylish bedroom makes you want to dive right in, originally there was just a dark feature wall but Beth loved how relaxing the dark colour made her feel so decided to paint the whole room in it.... The bedside drawers have been upcycled by Beth, painting them in Farrow & Balls 'Pitch Black' and adding handles from Zara Home. The feather lamp next to the bed is another fabulous DIY job from Beth, she bought the lamp base from Homesense and then covered the lampshade with faux Ostrich feathers bought on eBay- I love how she has turned a basic lamp into something unique and exciting.

Dressing Room

Beth had always wanted her own Dressing Room (Don't we all?!) so decided to transform a spare bedroom into one, using mirrored furniture and a black feature wall to add a boudoir feel, she added the fabulous Lip neon from violetandthistle.com  to add even more glamour! It's certainly somewhere I'd like to be getting ready that's for sure! 

Guest Bedroom

Beth has a great eye for pattern, this gorgeous charcoal and gold patterned wallpaper by 'Clarke and Clarke' adds a luxurious touch, its pattern is reminiscent of peacock feathers and looks particularly gorgeous next to the dark blue walls in her guest bedroom. Beth has once again upcycled the side table in here by painting it and replacing the handles and added a metallic pineapple which matches the tones in the wallpaper perfectly. Blue and brown are colours that people are often afraid to put together, but done right they can work really well!

Finally, I asked Beth what lessons she has learned whilst decorating and buying things for her home.......

From a lessons learned perspective I’ve got the following:

1.       You can make things yourself if you have an idea but can’t find it in the stores

2.       Don’t buy everything before you move in, your style will evolve over time and there’s no     rush

3.       ALWAYS search for a discount code on google before clicking buy – I’ve wasted so much money by only starting to do this recently! 

4.       Always buy paint testers first and live with them for a while before decorating a full room, especially with more neutral colours that are impacted by the light.

...... Some great tips from Beth there I think you'll agree!

Beth's home is a testament to her hard work and commitment to finding the style she loves. I hope you enjoyed the tour of her home, what were your favourite bits? I would love you to let me know in the comments section......

If you'd like to follow Beth on Instagram, and let's be honest you'd be crazy not too, you can find her at @bethshehata

Thanks, as always, for reading and for your support,

Sharon x

*All photos provided by Beth ( with some edited by me with Beths permission)