This Bohemian UK Maisonette Has the Dreamiest Backyard ‘Living Room’
Name: Dani Sandels, husband Tom, two children, and pets
Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Type of home: Maisonette
Size: 1577 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m Dani, I’m 34 and live with my husband, Tom, our 2-year-old son, Cooper, and our 9-month-old daughter, Banks, plus our dogs Beau, Ruby, and our new Great Dane puppy, Frank. Our home is a three-bedroom Georgian style maisonette and offers all the things you would expect with a period property, including high ceilings and a number of original features, like parquet flooring and beautiful coving details in every room.
The main thing people recognize our home for is my boho style and how I use plants in decor. I’ve always had a love for plants, however, this has grown organically and unexpectedly in the past few years since moving into and renovating our house. We initially renovated our home when we moved in three years ago and are gradually changing it to personalize it and create our dream home. Styling our home with plants has become a bit of a hobby of mine and something I am very passionate about. I believe that anyone can have plants in interiors, no matter your skill level. It’s just about making the right choices and having the right information when starting out. I’ve always loved the idea of bringing the outside in, and I like the feel of nature mixed with interiors, which is reflected in our home. I also enjoy taking the inside out, which I’ve tried to do with our outdoor space (with further plans this year).
How do you identify? Is your identity reflected in your home? My love for nature is definitely reflected in how I use plants in our home, and my happy, relaxed approach to things is reflected in how I use soft furnishings and style.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Bohemian, relaxed, plants in decor
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is our kitchen/ diner because we’ve personalized this space following a budget, making it totally unique to us, and we’ve learned DIY skills along the way.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought was some super fluffy pampas and a small, round rattan unit for our hallway revamp.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Be true to yourself, and go with what you love. It doesn’t matter if you don’t stick to one style in particular. Trust yourself and go with what you like as there’s a lot to be said for that. If you want to do something, be brave and go for it. It’s amazing what you can learn to do, which is satisfying and cost-effective! I’ve learnt to decorate and change our home around running a house with very young children, which has been really challenging but so rewarding, too.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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