Ellen: Exploring the beauty of pastel colors
Get ready to unlock the secrets of interior design magic as we dive into an exclusive interview with interior designer Ellen (on IG wonenop133) from the Netherlands.
Whether you are a design lover, a mum looking for some new inspiration or a total interior design freak, you will love our new interview. Pastel colors are definitely very important in Ellen’s unique home - aaaand if you know us we totally love pastel tones.
Get ready to transform your place in a beautiful and playful paradise. Let's make your design dreams come alive! 🌸
Ellen, your Instagram content is so cool and very inspiring. We are pastel color lovers and we looove your color world. Can you share with us your favorite pastel color combination and why?
“Ah, thank you for the nice compliments! I have to say that I do a lot by feeling, so also the current colors in our house. I really like the combination of soft pink and orange at the moment.”
How do you combine wall colors and colored furniture? What are important steps to consider?
“Again, I do it all by feel and have not followed any training or anything like that. What I have established myself is that I like to choose (light) gray for larger objects, so that I can choose more color in the decoration. That way I can also easily change colors, without having to make very large expenses because the sofa, for example, does not match.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to incorporate colors into their home, but is hesitant or unsure about how to begin?
“Just do it. Certainly, a wall is painted over again in no time! And do the preliminary work, search online for interiors with color that makes you happy. Go get paint samples and hold them right in front of the wall you want to paint. Then you see whether the color is still the color you have in mind, or whether it is different in the relevant light.”
Where do you buy all those cool ceramics like vases, mugs etc.? Any online shops?
“That differs enormously. The prices also vary enormously. I have vases from, for example, the Hema, which barely cost 20 euros, but which I am very happy with. But also the beautiful Kinkvase from Muuto, for which you pay a little more. And there are so many nice small ceramics shops in the Netherlands that make beautiful things.
I often discover them through Instagram. So I secretly regret the huge amount of HK Living cups that I bought, they are certainly very beautiful, but in hindsight I would have liked more of a variation from several makers. There is more than the big brand HK Living I mean by that.”
How do you choose the right vase for a floral arrangement to enhance its beauty?
“That is again a matter of feeling in my case. I don't think I'm much of a talent when it comes to flower arrangements, either. So a bunch of flowers can sometimes have been in 3 vases before I finally put them in vase number 4.”
How to organize kids rooms?
“Haha! There's a reason these rarely show up on my feed ;-) Our son's room has never made it onto my feed, it's so full and really needs a makeover. But I haven't had time for that yet. I did tackle my daughter's room last year and it is 'insta-worthy' in that respect, but yes, where children play it is often a mess.
I have placed many storage options, but somehow the toys often don't end up there. In addition, I have a bulletin board, and made some show spots for things she makes at school, for example. Hoping that that way it wouldn't become too big a mess and not too restless. But you know, in the end your child should be happy in his or her room, and whether he is Insta-worthy is of course not important to the child at all. So often I leave it....”
When you redesign a new room - what are your top 3 tips?
“Because it all costs enough money already, I first look at what I want to keep. In the case of a children's room, I would therefore see if the bed is still usable (possibly after a new coat of paint / color) and the wardrobe and possibly the desk. But also, which features do I find important? For example, our son is going to secondary school in a year, so a good, large desk would be desirable, for example. And is it still desirable that he has a bed that is suitable for guests? Because how often does that happen? I would include all that in a new plan for a space, what do I want in the space, and what is reusable?
And only then would I start looking at colors, whereby of course the person who uses the room is leading. And with that I would start with a plan. As I write this, I'm really looking forward to the makeover for our son, haha!”
Are you following some interesting Instagram accounts for interior inspiration?
“I definitely get a lot of inspiration from other Insta accounts! For our ground floor, for example, I got a lot of color inspiration from @lisannevandeklift's account.
I would like to copy/paste her interior to our house. And I also follow dozens of other interior design accounts that I certainly get inspiration from, but then it's more about small things, specific products.”
Thank you so much, Ellen!
👉 Feeling inspired? Follow Ellen Instagram!✨
