A U.K. Home Brilliantly Blends Leopard Print, Kitsch, Color, and Humor

Name: Siouxsie Crow, husband, and two kids
Location: Sussex, United Kingdom
Size: 840 square feet
Years lived in: 15 months, owned

We bought our house in August 2017; it’s number 37 and I was 37 when we moved. It’s our first home, as previously we’ve rented. I live here with my husband Sholto, who is an art director and all-around creative. We have two children: a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and a third on the way. Pre-children, I worked in PR for a big Italian fashion brand, which was brilliantly bonkers. Now I do some freelance PR for my best friend, designer William Wilde. I’m also in the process of setting up a small children’s playwear brand.

I’d say we have a creative approach to decorating. We’re so excited to finally own a property and be able to pick up a paint brush. It’s been so liberating and sometimes we still have to pinch ourselves as we’d waited so long to buy. We live in a village outside of Brighton in the U.K. It’s been a real culture shock as previously I’d lived in London for 18 years and my husband had lived in between London, Vancouver, and Paris. I do love it here but still miss the creativity that happens inside cities. I’d say our home is a very typical 1960s terrace home. I think people often are surprised when they come inside and the vibe is slightly atypical of this type of home!

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Leopard, mid-century, kitsch, color, humor.

What is your favorite room and why? The living room/dining areas are probably my favorite. I think you get a real sense of our personality in this area of the home. It’s where we hang out, play, and eat, so a large portion of our time is spent here. The windows are nice and big too so you get some great light in here.

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? I would love to be able to grow the garden by about 60 feet and build a studio for my husband to work from. That would really be the dream!

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought for our lounge would be my Tretchikoff lamp. A lovely lady got in touch with me and sold it to me. I know I’ll treasure it forever.

Other than that, we bought as a very special treat to ourselves, a Peter Black initial print (my husband is huge fan)

Any advice for creating a home you love? I think I find it most inspiring looking at people who are doing up houses on a budget. I think we can all do amazing things if we have huge budget. But the homes I see with the most creative flair are the homes where the owners have used their imagination to make something fabulous happen with a small budget. Also check your local secondhand websites and eBay. There’s already enough stuff in the world so if you can buy secondhand, do! It’s much more fun getting a bargain too.

Thanks, Siouxsie!

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