Stay at home mum living in Crowborough, East Sussex
Bringing timeless country style to the kitchen diner
Rachel’s cosy kitchen diner featuring our Duke dining chairs
Upon moving into her new home, one of the biggest reminders Rachel Hitchcock would tell herself is that it doesn’t need to come together at once. “Life isn’t Instagram and these things take time,” she says. “I’m very impatient and like everything to be done perfectly right away.”
“Life isn’t Instagram and these things take time. I’m very impatient and like everything to be done perfectly right away.”
So when it came to decorating her kitchen diner, she carefully selected a contemporary country aesthetic with our Duke chairs and an oak table.“I spent so much time looking for the perfect dining chairs and I would keep coming back to the Duke chairs,” Rachel explains. “Their timeless style complements the dining table perfectly and gives the look of luxury with their button backs.”
Setting the scene for a memorable tablescape
Natural and bucolic textures create a memorable tablescape
Rachel’s stylish kitchen diner serves as the backdrop for many a dinner party. From stylish table runners to chic fabrics and rattan placemats, every detail combines different layers and textures for a Pinterest-worthy statement.
Besides placemats and crockery, she also uses candlesticks for ambience. “I create different points of interest by mixing tall candlesticks with votive candles,” she says. And to round it off, a striking floral centrepiece adds a bucolic touch. Rachel chooses floral arrangements depending on what's in season and is a big fan of eucalyptus and white peonies.
Decorating two chic living areas
Chic neutral living room with an L-shaped sofa
Rachel’s living room takes on a similar palette with stylish neutrals perfect for winding down at the end of the day. Featuring an L-shaped sofa and finishing touches like a wooden coffee table and fabric armchair, it encapsulates the phrase chic and cosy.
Coffee table with decorative accessories and cosy fabric armchair
“The living room is our calm space where we relax in the evening, it’s not really used during the day or by the kids,” she explains. “It’s very neutral in colour and there are lots of decorative pieces.”
Casual family area with forest green walls
Aside from her living room, Rachel’s home also has another casual living area. Her kitchen diner opens up to a small and casual family area where her kids can play and chat with her while she’s cooking.
“The family room is where the madness and the mess happens.”
Since it has a more laidback vibe than the living room, she chose a bolder (but still relaxing) forest green to break up the space and to highlight the specific area. “The family room is where the madness and the mess happens,” she explains. “I always wanted the living room and family room to have two very different purposes.”
Introducing style and fun to the kids’ bedrooms
Safari themed bedroom with animal artwork and chic wallpaper
Combining fun and sophisticated style, Rachel chose a unique safari theme for her eldest daughter’s bedroom. Here’s a fun fact - the wallpaper is originally from the development show home project which they left up because they loved it so much!
Fairytale style bedroom with a pink canopy and forest print wallpaper
Meanwhile in her youngest daughter’s room, the decor takes on a more fairytale-like theme. Featuring a pink canopy that hangs from the ceiling and forest print wallpaper, Rachel has created a space where her kids can spend many an afternoon playing pretend.
Playful house silhouette and cute toys
Aside from the canopy, the bedroom also features a cosy play corner with a painted silhouette of a house. Taking inspiration from Pinterest, a cute play kitchen stands in front of it for her daughter and friends to cook up some games.
Celebrating elegance in the master bedroom
Combining neutrals and elegant textures in the bedroom
Keeping to the neutral and earthy theme like most of the home, Rachel’s bedroom is a study in how to elegantly layer a space. Earthy patterned wallpaper sets the backdrop while wooden accents and comfy bed sheets bring the texture. She’s also planning to hang artwork on the walls in the future.
“Our room isn’t finished yet, I bounce back and forth between rooms but I plan to add some green into our bedroom with throws and cushions on the bed,” Rachel explains. “This keeps the earthy neutral feel and brings a bit of colour to the room.”
