In my teens I dated a man named Luke (today he is an award-winning illustrator – he was always very talented and never without a sketchbook!), and we hung out in his family’s kitchen in London eating donuts. It was a little cottage with two upstairs, two downstairs and always felt so cozy. While scrolling through Instagram a few days ago, I came across @teawithruby and Jane Day’s cottage in North East England and it took me straight back to my teenage years!
Built in the 1980s, Jane, Robert and Ruby’s home is located in the town of Billingham (which Jane describes as ‘not the most glamorous of places, but once we close the door to our space, it’s home!’). As with many of us, Jane’s style has changed a lot over the years, but she always comes back to ‘calm and quiet’. Think muted tones, tactile textures like wood, wool and linen and most importantly, Jane tells me, ‘One thing our house has is a lot of love!’
Ready to feel inspired?
What a lovely, homely home!
I can imagine the three of them sitting at the table and drinking tea (Jane makes the most of her time at home with Ruby before going off to college).
For those of you wondering if vintage finds can be a good marriage with relatively modern build – here’s your answer. Absolute! The muted yet contrasting paint colors do wonders to set the tone.
