I first met Tara in September 2018 when she invited me into her newly purchased home. Her intention was to refurbish the entire property into her soulful home. The cottage was originally converted from a barn and had been extended in several places, giving it a higgledy piggledy feel. I used to get lost inside and struggled to see the floor plan in my head the first few times I visited.

Before Images

The architects recommended an amazing team of builders who were an absolute pleasure to work. As the walls were knocked down and the layers peeled back, the old barn really started to sing.

This project has been the backbone of the Soulful Home Blog series which, if I am honest, felt a bit fuzzy to begin with. I have always designed from the heart outwards but had struggled to put that into words before Tara's project. However, as the renovation has unfolded, and the blog stories have been told, the concept of a Soulful Home has come into full focus. 

A Soulful Home is the essence of a person and all their uniqueness captured inside the design of a house.

The above images are of Tara's home before the previous owners moved out.

This was the original floorplan

And the newly designed floorplan

A soulful home is CARVED by the way we live or by the way we want to live. Some lucky people find their Soulful homes ready to move into straight away. Others, like Tara, empty, fix-up, clean and organise theirs before filling them with items that are intrinsically useful, nostalgically meaningful or undeniably beautiful to them. 

Tara's main focus when we were designing her home was always on how it would feel to really live there. We were always conscious of how rewarding, nourishing and nurturing it might be for Tara to spend time in a space that was truly hers. 

Luckily you don't need to renovate a whole house (or certainly not all in one go) to benefit from living in a Soulful Home. You can start with just a few changes, one room at a time.  

If this sounds good I would LOVE to invite you to join me in a FREE Bedroom Makeover Challenge which will be running from the 4th - 10th November 2019. In this Makeover Challenge we will be taking just SEVEN DAYS to create a soulful bedroom that's totally unique to you and your needs, by focusing on just one key element per day. Find out more or  Register here and I will send you all the preparation information that you need to get started!

(DesignNote subscribers will receive automatic entry into the Challenge). 

Concept Boards

These are some of the images from Tara's concept boards that really resonated with her own unique style. We wanted to create a cozy beach cottage, full of an ocean colour palette to compliment her own artwork. Tara specified natural materials throughout, with lots of wood, textured fabrics and white washed walls. 

Here are some images of the project underway. My favourite features are the exposed beams in the living room which, once discovered, were lovingly stripped and waxed to imperfection. In fact there was an essence of raw beauty about the whole interior, even at this stage of the project.

Project Renovation

Just to be super clear - creating a Soulful Home doesn't have to be about spending money. But if we begin to understand the influence our homes can have over our general wellbeing, we can tap into an abundant resource of strength (which, let's face it, few would turn down). 

By bringing the interior elements of our home together and honouring our most authentic selves through their design, we can begin to feel restored, empowered and energised JUST by spending time at home.

On the flip side - living in cluttered, disorganised houses with aesthetics that are misaligned with our own unique styles can have an equally detrimental affect on our wellbeing.

(This is so true and I see it all the time)

After Images

Here are the photos of Tara's home now including images of the finished art studio in the garden!

Tara would want me to say that the finish is a work in progress as there are still white spaces where her artwork will be. But despite this, we both agree its's already beautiful. To me, Tara's home doesn't just look pretty - it looks like her, and even before the finished home was filled with furniture and possessions, it FELT like Tara.

(Take a peek for yourself - just head over to her website and see if you agree)?

And if you feel like Tara's home style is perfect for you too, we are giving away the ENTIRE bundle of room designs in one easy pdf booklet PLUS a FREE consultation with me to help you complete your own Soulful Space. To find out more, head over to instagram and follow Beatengreen Living.

The WINNER will be announced at the end of the Makeover Challenge on Wednesday 13th November 2019.

Don't forget to register for the FREE Bedroom Makeover Challenge which will be running from the 4th - 10th November 2019. In this Makeover Challenge we will be taking just SEVEN DAYS to create a soulful bedroom, totally unique to you and your needs, by focusing on just one key element per day.  

To find out more head over to the Courses tab on the website or click here to register and I will send you all the preparation information that you need to get started!

(DesignNote subscribers will receive automatic entry into the Challenge).