Zesty Patterns Mix Up a Historic Home in a Village Outside York

Interior stylist and blogger  is a determined gal with her hands in many pots. Not only has she made a name for herself through her wildly popular Instagram tag #myhomevibe, but the monthly styling workshops she holds all across England have garnered her a sizable fan base. Focused on how tossing out the rulebook results in truly enviable design, these events (paired with her blog and current client load) keep this creative type running around nonstop. No matter how hectic her schedule becomes, though, she always finds time to reset at home with her husband Joe and her children on their property in Gate Helmsley, a village outside of York.

One of the most interesting details about the family plot has to be its history. Completed in 1759, the Georgian-style house has been deemed a “Grade II” property by the local government. What’s that mean? In essence, the village has declared the home to be of historical importance worth preserving. That being said, its iron gates, structure and original details are not only intact but extremely difficult to tweak, even by those who own it. As many of us have seen, this last little detail can sometimes seal a historic home’s fate as the complexity of permits for upgrades and new finishes can slowly but surely make a notable space uninhabitable. Luckily for Lisa and Joe, their particular storied space was in great shape thanks to a rehab by the previous owners. It left the Dawsons with a blank canvas primed and begging to be peppered with Lisa’s colorful and pattern-filled finds.

From the living and dining rooms to the bedrooms, it’s not hard to see that part of the motivation for creating such a zesty space was Lisa’s love for every hue in the rainbow. One could easily pass this off as simply a stylist’s personal aesthetic, but Lisa’s vision goes deeper with some strategic thinking. Throughout the design development, she kept the idea of a home’s power at the forefront of her mind, never forgetting that a space’s look can affect the happiness of those who live in it. This mantra kept her yearning for more color, more pattern and more textiles that she says keep the space full of laughter and cheer. Not only that, it’s made it onto of my all-time favorite homes list. Click through to check it out, and enjoy! —

Photography by Lisa Dawson

Image Above: Popping into a shop, picking a look and buying an entire set of matching furnishings is one way to approach decorating, but that’s not in Lisa’s nature. Ninety percent of her home’s decorations are secondhand finds, making the fact that she’s been able to piece together a cohesive look even more admirable. The family room, for example, houses cushions from Singapore, a vintage sofa and art from all over the place.