"..I turn the key in the lock, we both step in to our new home and through the dated 70s glass porch.. little did we know.." It's April 2022 and it's completion day. The day you wait a long time for. We'd actually only waited 7.5 weeks from offer to moving in which is pretty unheard of these days, BUT we had been searching, offering, and being let down for at least 18 months prior. Anyone else loose out to multiple properties during Covid because someone offered £70k over asking price?. Let's skip that sorrowful, stressful time and jump straight to keys day. We were so excited to get out of our north facing rental with no windows, (ok one and a door), no garden, and no ability for sun to find it's way through our tiny front window into our living room. Gone we're the last 6 months of lacking in Vitamin D, and gone we're the days of searching right move because today there is no going back, the house is officially ours and the keys are READY! I head off into town to meet with the estate agent, and get our welcome pack. My phone has buzzed 1000 times from George asking me if I've got the goods and how long until I'll be at the house. Our excitement levels are building, we're both driving separately pedal to the metal through the country lanes making the most out of the national speed limit... At this point we've driven over to the new area a few times so I kinda' know where i'm going, eager not to miss the signs as I whizz past in my Audi Passat G Wagon (more on that concoction later). I pull into the road and the house is within breaking distance. I'm greeted by George who is eagerly waiting at the front door. Out I jump, keys in hand and our adrenaline is about to burst out our ears. A quick welcome home kiss on the doorstep (of course) and I turn the key in the lock. We both step in to our new home and through the dated 70s glass porch.. little did we know.. What, the f***k. We turn to each other at the exact same time, you honestly couldn't write it (well I can). As our eyes meet, our mouths fill up and we burst out laughing in harmony. "What the HELL have we let ourselves in for!" (Oh boy, were we about to find out). The stench was undeniable. A perfect concoction of wet dog, stale smoke, and a number of other things that will get your gag reflex exercising. We laugh, 'ok first things first, let's get those windows open'. We take a slow walk around the house, hands over our nose and mouth as we try not to inhale whatever was living inside the carpets and walls, opening every window possible. When we first viewed the house (we actually only viewed it once and made an offer that day - it was perfect for us in it's old, traditional 70s style which needed bringing into the 21st century), it was cluttered to say the least. Left by an elderly man who's belongings of his entire life we're piled up in every nook and corner you could find. Walls covered with family memories of the last 90 years, and little trinkets on tables with ornaments that had been collected over their lifetime. It was really bittersweet to see everything from someones life over I think, nine decades! But, it meant that the one and only time we viewed the house, we had to take it with a pinch of salt. Luckily I can see through 'things' and was able to picture the potential...I just wasn't able to see the state of the house that was underneath. Luckily we had around four weeks left before we needed to hand back the keys to our rental. We had initially planned to spend one-two days doing a deep clean and a food shop and move in pretty swiftly, but I think we ended up moving in almost a week later. I spent every night after work driving over to the new place to clean like I have never cleaned before, and George and I are both clean freaks (George moreso than me!) We had help from our friends and family too which was very, very, very welcomed. I'm literally shuddering at the thick grime that we had to scrape of floors and walls. The thing we we're most grateful for though was the extremely furry, mouldy, lasagne and (not so mouldy) garlic bread that was left in the oven for us. If you didn't sense my sarcasm then, that would be just as concerning. I'm now horrified at whatever preservatives go into garlic bread to make it not naturally decay.. But despite it all, in all honesty I just couldn't get over how perfect the place was. I honestly cannot believe this is our home. Everyone tells me we're mad for taking on another project, but something feels different about this one. Maybe it's because we waited such a long time for it, and maybe it's because we've moved to a whole new area in the Suffolk countryside that I even feel like a different person in myself. This project will be a totally different ball-game to our last. My entire life I have lived either with parents, or in areas that I grew up in or family have lived in, and it's so lovely to have found somewhere that we can make our own, bring our family and friends to and spend the next few years exploring from our new base. Whilst we've only hopped across the border (and the river) we're about 40 minutes or so from our old spot along the River Stour, and we're very excited to explore new places in Constable Country and around the Suffolk countryside. One of my favourite feelings is heading out on a walk in the evenings, not knowing where the footpath will take me and figuring out my route. I feel like i'm constantly on holiday! (We've actually just come home from a walk on a new route and it was lovely!) I'm now sat in my living room and I know the garden bats will be flying around in no time as the sun is setting. Let me know in the comments what it is that you love! I'm going to wrap this intro up along with a few photos of our home. We've started demolishing walls already, so make sure you follow me on Instagram if you want live updates! I'm also going to be blogging and recording the whole process as we go. I'm starting a newsletter too where I'll share lots of action steps in info for anyone else looking to renovate or embarking on the same journey, so definitely sign up to that if you're after renovation tips and behind the scenes!

If you're considering re-vamping your living room but not sure where to start, I've got you covered. I've pulled together a 2D concept board with some ideas for you which emulates a cosy, textured, transitional design (transitional generally means bringing together traditional and modern designs). Whether it's exactly what you're looking for, or it gives you some ideas to work with, 2D concept boards are an amazing tool to help you start visualising the type of design you want to achieve. When I work with clients on re-designing their homes, the concept design phase is one of the first stages we start with, as it helps to figure out the things you like, and don't like. The revisions give us the opportunity to refine the concept even more. If you're interested in working together on an e-design for your home, i'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and let me know all about your project. Shop the post To shop this post, click on the icons on the image below. I've also listed the retail stores and links to other products which aren't tagged in the photo. Additional sources: - Black bookcase - Maison Du Monde - Vintage rug - Benuta - Faux Flowers - Amaranthineblooms - Bookcase accessories - Soho Home and Thatch Living - Vase - Thatch Living - Leather basket - Hudson Home Leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed this post, and if you want to catch up with me on a daily basis, come and join me over on Instagram. This post contains affiliate links. By using affiliate links it means I'm able to receive a small commission through qualifying purchases. It costs nothing extra for you, but helps me to invest a small amount back into my business.

Bear with me whilst i'm just processing.. How is this even real? I feel totally undeserving of such an opportunity, but also feel so grateful that Lindsey, the journalist who wrote this amazing article got in touch with me earlier this year and asked if I would be interested in a feature. When I first saw her message, part of me didn't believe it to be true and for a moment though it was spam! But I quickly realised it was a legitimate message and I was filled with excitement, and confusion - why me? Whilst i'm not a complete novice in the magazine industry, I kinda' always felt like featured articles were reserved for those with thriving, established businesses that have been at it for years and years. My business is entirely in its infancy, so I had all sorts of imposter syndrome haul over me. I've always been ambitious and one of my mottos in my twenties was always (and still is) 'if they can do it, so can I' so, I didn't let imposter syndrome take up too much of my conscious. I let it have its moment, and then kicked it to the curb. This was an incredible opportunity that has been given to me, there was absolutely no way I was passing it up! Just to sidetrack for a paragraph or two - when doing my vision boards during my interior design training, I'd put on there that a dream would be to get featured at least once in my top three favourite interior magazines and potentially one day be able to guest write too. I've always loved writing, and back when I was at uni, I'd considered quitting my degree half way through my first year and reapply to do my undergrad and postgrad in journalism, but you know, life happened. So, it feels even more special to me that not only have I made my mark on a magazine so early on in my career, it feels, mmm I can't quite think of the right world, but it feels lovely to see ASI featured, and I hope that one day I will be able to also write my name at the bottom of an article in an interior design magazine too. Anyway back to it, so, a few weeks later, Katie from Katie Hayward Photography worked her magic behind the lens to shoot the photos for the article. When it comes to getting in front of the camera, I have no issue chatting on stories, or snapping a silly selfie or just generally taking the mick out of myself, but actually having to take serious photos was quite nerve-wracking! It was also MEGA hot - remember that epic summer long heatwave of 2022? Yeah - it was a sweaty day, but Katie was great and the photos came out really good. Maybe because we we're full of Dr Pepper? I am honestly still quite shocked it's happened, but actually I feel really blessed that I have this to look back on from the very start of my career. It's reinforced that mindset that anything really is possible whether it's an opportunity that's come your way, or a goal you've got that you're determined to achieve. At the end of the day, it's up to us to find the courage to take a leap of faith and lean into it, or be fiercely brave enough to put ourselves out there and go out and get it. I'm also going to leave you with this: (and a few behind the scenes shots). Oh, p.s, if you want to read a copy of the September 2022 issue featuring yours truly, it's probably easier to read it online. You can get it on their website - just sign up for free! I'd love to know what you think! Or if you're based in Essex, you can find it and most major news outlets. Notice the reality of styling on a shoot - stacks of pieces in corners, out of sight, that you can play with to get the vignettes right. These are just a few of my iPhone pics I snapped in between. There's a reel on my Instagram if you're interested! Some of Katies shots:

With the launch of The Journal, I thought it made sense to share with you what exactly it is, how it came to be, and where I see it going in the future. I'm sharing a bit of a timeline which started back in 2020 when the seed was planted for ASI, and what The Journal means to me. 2020 As you know already, before ASI became a fully fledged registered business, it was something that I had dreamt about for as long as I can remember. During the unexpected year of 2020, like most people I started to really evaluate my life and my future. I decided that whilst the world was on hold, that certainly didn't mean that my life had to be too. I used the downtime from socialising, and spending time with family and friends to start making solid plans, and doing my research as to how I can make ASI become a reality. It was during this time that I knew wherever this would take me, I wanted it to be more than just a business which provided interior design services. I wanted to it to be a community, a lifestyle, and to somehow pull together all the things I'm passionate about so that I can make sure my daily life is surrounded by the things that make me the best version of myself. Betting on myself during the two years the world was on hold was exactly what I needed to keep focussed and stay positive. It really was the best decision I made. I've always been a creative person, and over the years I've been able to really explore where my creativity and enjoyment in life is found. These are things like interior design, beautiful gardens, digital graphic design, digital marketing, and copy writing. Not forgetting photography, art, being outside, walking around the countryside and bar hopping in cities. If you watch my stories, I like to share a lot of my day to day life and countryside walks on there. So, what is The Journal? I mentioned before I love writing, I love digital marketing, and I love helping others (16 personalities have me nailed as an 'advocate' and I think they we're pretty spot on). With all of the above in mind, when building my website I knew I needed something more than an interior design blog. I wanted a home and community for people to come to, whether you're someone who is working on your own project, an interior designer or are aspiring to be one, whether you're looking for some advice and insights from trades, or if you wanted to shop interior products for your home. I also wanted The Journal to be a place where I can share all the things i'm passionate about too, from behind the scenes, #asihome renovation videos, trade interviews, beautiful boutique hotel recommendations, and much more. After some deliberating, and thinking, The Journal was built! Let's dive in a little deeper Tips, advice, shopping, and behind the scenes I hope to give you the juiciest of interior design tips, a hub where you can come to find out what you need to know about the renovation/remodel process; from interviews with trades, processes and checklists, and how to's from getting quotes and designing your dream space. I'm also going to share with you behind the scenes on projects, and the #asihomerenovation. Shop I spend a lot of time online looking for the perfect pieces for my designs. Not everything makes the cut, because ultimately, it has to fit the scheme. Rather than keep the beautiful pieces that don't make the cut to myself, I'm going to share them with you on The Shop. Make sure you follow my instagram because I'll share any new products i'm adding to my stories, and any discount codes I have for you there. Having the Shop is also really useful as a business owner, because where possible, I can use affiliate links which means I can invest a small amount back into my business when you shop through my website. Lifestyle articles I love to travel both in the UK and abroad, so you might also find recommendations to my favourite London restaurants, gorgeous countryside walks and unique stays around the UK and wherever else my wanderlust takes me. Business, entrepreneurship, and mindset I hope that I can create a community of aspiring business owners, where we can share our knowledge, support one another in our journeys, be transparent with our advice and, share the honest truths about running a new business. I have a background in social media, digital marketing, and copy writing so I'd like to help other entrepreneurs with resources that take the edge off of the social media side of being a business owner! Whilst I could sit here and ramble on, I know thats no good for keeping you engaged, and let's be honest, it's 2022 and we all need to remember to keep SEO as our best friend so i'm going to sign off here. I hope that you enjoy everything that's to come on the Journal, and don't forget to sign up to my newsletter! Come along and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, and let's have a chat.

Where it all began Isn't it funny how time is the only way you get to see things go full circle? I sometimes think, if only I knew back then that in twenty years' time, I would be doing this for a living. I was around ten when I unknowingly fell in love with interior design. It brings me a lot of happiness now to know that throughout all the twists and turns of the last ten years after leaving school, of figuring out who I am and what I want, that ten-year-old me was right all along. It came naturally to me As a little girl, I was lucky enough to have lots of opportunities. My parents sacrificed a lot to put my brother and me into various clubs - I danced from age 3 - 22, I did Karate (my dad was the teacher), I played the Piano, I did trampolining, I attended summer camps. But there was one thing I really enjoyed as a youngster that came naturally to me and it was something that I enjoyed for myself, and that was immersing myself in interior design programmes and drawing. We only had four channels back then, so I guess most of us 90s kids watched the same programmes - DIY SOS, Changing Rooms, Ground Force, you see where I'm going with this. But, my obsession went deeper. On the one hand, I'd find myself totally amazed at how you could completely transform a room in a house, and how happy it would make the homeowners, but on the other hand, I'd find myself critiquing the designs, and pointing out how I would do something differently, or how something could have been better. I was serious about my designs I'd spend my evenings after school sketching floor plans of our family home. Each room in the house would have a new design, and I'd use whichever catalogues we had at home (usually the Argos and Next catalogues) to choose all the furnishings. I'd add the page numbers to the items so that mum and dad knew where I wanted the new furniture from. I do laugh to myself when I think how serious I was, and how I genuinely believed my parents would implement my designs.. My parents were avid DIYers, my dad taught himself everything he needed to know about construction, and built our entire extension. Over the years, him and mum re-landscaped the garden into a gorgeous design, and my mum was the painting queen. However, I always remember our home being a bit mis-matched. Nothing ever seemed to flow, and nothing ever seemed fully finished - another project was always starting before another one had finished and it would drive me crazy. The wrong decision, maybe? Spring forward to finishing college, I was working my gap year in a full-time job that I hated. It was this job that gave me the desire and goal in life to one day run my own business. Something had to change, so I decided to take the leap and go to university and get a degree. I thought interior design was what I wanted to study, but a lack of knowledge and education in the industry back then meant that I thought I would spend 3-5 years+ sitting behind a computer and not actually doing any real design, and as a really active person, I wasn't sure that the academic route was for me. I did a 180 and auditioned for a dance course instead - something I knew I could do well and would give me the creative, active outlet that I missed in my 9-5. My course was ok, but after graduating, I didn't end up in the dance industry. Sometimes I wonder, did I make the wrong decision? Would I be further along in my career now, or would I have fallen out of love with interior design like I did dancing if I'd have taken a traditional route into interior design? The renovation Fast forward again to my mid-twenties, I was saving with my partner to buy our first home. I always knew a renovation project would be my ideal first home, so I could get stuck in and do all the interior design and have that enjoyment from transforming a home that I would always feel watching those programmes as a little girl. We were really lucky to get the keys to a little gem - a small two-bedroom bungalow which needed a full-scale remodel. We spent 12 -15 months in total completely renovating whilst we lived at home with George's parents. Almost everything but the outside four walls came down. We rebuilt the lot, adding a bedroom, an en-suite, and an extension. It was a really long process, but for the most part, I loved every minute of it and I learnt so much about renovating a home, the process, how things work and how to make decisions under pressure. Going full - circle At this point, we'd been living in our home for two years, and I'd been designing and re-styling the house over and over. For a while, I had been thinking about how I wish I could design more homes and get paid to do it, and the niggling feeling started to get more frequent. I spent hours scrolling RightMove, finding houses that needed work and thinking about how I could bring them back to life. It gave me a lot of joy, and I realised that it was something I had always loved to do. When lockdown 2020 hit, I was determined to not let it take over my entire life. I was lucky enough to keep my full-time job in web, which I really loved and it gave me a solid focus, but like everyone else, lockdown made me re-evaluate. What was missing from my life? When the world goes back to normal, what do I want my life to look like? I knew that my future had to involve designing homes somehow, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to combine the goal of running my own business too. I made a decision to find an intense short course that gave me the skills to run a business, gave me solid interior design knowledge and skills, and the support to launch my business on the side of my full-time job. Introducing Allie Stephens Interiors. After finding the perfect course for me, I took a big leap in an uncertain time and invested the money I'd saved into funding my dream business. In 2021, the course began just before my 29th birthday. I spent the next five months working a full-time job, and studying a full-time course in every other hour I had spare. It's definitely been a rocky journey, I won't lie - perhaps rockier than I expected but I put that down to my Pisces-level optimism. Nevertheless, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, right? I'm proud of what I've achieved so far, and I'm excited about the future of ASI. Allie x

Once you get started, bedrooms can be extremely fun to design and can have a huge impact on how you feel. Waking up every day in a room that helps you feel relaxed, and makes you happy is surely a great way to start every day., am I right? (She says, still with her own bedroom to design). In this pre-designed bedroom post, i'm going to chat a little bit about the colour scheme, the furniture, the art work, lighting, plants, and finishes. I've also nestled in some of my tips, and a few lighting options too. How to shop? You can shop this post by hovering over the images, or shop all items at the end of the post. Where possible, i've used affiliate links - this costs nothing extra for you, but i'll receive a very small amount of commission which I can invest back into ASI. If something isn't linked in the photo, you can find a link to it in the shop section of this post. The colour scheme I absolutely love this design, because it's so simple, but is so carefully put together. The tongue and groove paneling in shade Blue Gray from Farrow and Ball really set the scene for this design. You could definitely go a little darker, with a shade like Pigeon, and paint both the skirting and cornicing too. To get that really luxurious 'weekend in the country' feel, be brave and paint the door too. Finish it off with an antique brass door knob - I love companies like the Suffolk Latch Company, From The Anvil, and Corston Architectural. "Woodwork doesn't have to be white. In this scheme, try School House White' or 'Slipper Satin' to compliment the soft greens." Shop colour schemes: The furniture In this bedroom design, I was really going for a calming, relaxing, inspired by nature feel, something that you would hope to find in your weekend break in the Cotswolds. To emphasise that feeling, I chose natural wood tones in the bed and bedside drawers, which perfectly complement the wall colour. The four poster style brings cosiness, but the straight lines in the woodwork keep us on the modern-traditional style, whilst the rattan lattice front bedside tables soften the aesthetic. + Shop furniture The art work Choosing art is something I really enjoy. It can be really fun and a way to inject personality into a room, making a design truly unique to you and your home, When a piece of art isn't the muse behind a design, I like that this gives you an opportunity to explore new art that compliments your design and in doing this, you can often end up extending your art collection and interests, and it leads you onto new inspirations. Art is one of those things that can be very fun to experiment with. Art can be really expensive, but it can also be inexpensive too. Finding vintage art is one of my favourite pass-times and I absolutely love the variation of prints that you can find on Etsy. I love purchasing vintage downloadable prints, often no more than £5 - £6 and they're lovely to give as gifts too. This world of art is something I'd love to explore as part of ASI in the future, but for now it will remain something I enjoy browsing and designing into rooms. In this design, I mixed up a few vintage Etsy prints (including digital downloads) with an extra large mount in light wooden frames, a smaller one for the bedside and a large piece from Charlie Mackesy. Don't be afraid to mix metals here - you could pop this in a black frame, or even in a brown frame. + Shop art work A few of my current favourite Etsy finds: Lighting Lighting can be really fun to experiment with and making one minor change can really alter the feel of a room. I wanted to show you what I mean by this, so I've pulled together this design with three different options; a scalloped shade, a jute basket shade, and a structured linen shade. This design also features two wall lights either side of the bed. These wall lights from Hudson Home (coming soon) perfectly marry the modern-traditional vibe with it's slightly arched arm, and coned light. A little design detail here which I love is some of the ceiling lights I mention below, and the wall lights have a circular fixture. These small design moments are what helps make a design seamless, but in perfect harmony. Insight: keep an eye out in your own designs for consistency in lines and shapes of fixtures, fittings and furnishings. Don't be afraid to mix straight lines and curves, but make sure there is a balance and a consistent theme to connect it all together. Option 1: The scalloped shade The scalloped shade is, I'm sure, a controversial one. The design might be risky to some, but it complements the scheme perfectly, and the scalloped edge adds a little romantic interest whilst bringing a femininity and softness to the overall feel. Option 2: The jute basket shade Whilst scalloped edged light shades aren't for everyone, I've also shown you how to achieve a more balanced strike between masculine and feminine with this jute basket shade. Option 2 alternative: Bamboo shade You could also rough it up a little bit more with this beautiful bamboo shade. I think this one could possibly be my favourite! I really love the handle detail on the top. If you were to switch out the art work to something along these lines it takes the vibe from romantic modern-country, to breezy coastal vibes. Option 3: Raffia pendant shade This option is really simplistic, structured, and the lovely raffia texture on the light compliments the texture on the bedside tables. What I love about this, is whilst you've invested in the key pieces for your room, you can still have fun, switching things up when you fancy a change by changing the light shades, and affordable digital art. + Shop lighting Plants To really tie in that outside-in vibe, choose a rustic terracotta and black pot, and pull in some greenery. I've gone for a faux miniature olive tree from ACASA London, and a little Rosemary plant in a jute basket from Hare and Wilde. A lavender, or rosemary plant will always look lovely and you can pick up some great faux ones if you want to avoid bugs and soil by your bed! Take a look at Neptune for some cute pots you can mix and match with. + Shop plants The finishes To bring the modern-traditional style into the finishes, i've chosen a cast iron black rad. I'd recommend having a search around online, there are often deals on, and you can customise them a lot too. Stick to the traditional finishes, heritage styles, antique brass valves to tie in with the door handle, light sockets, door latches and hinges etc. I've also chosen this absolutely gorgeous ottoman upholstered in this striped fabric from one of my favourite online homeware shops, OKA. The room itself can definitely benefit from mixing patterns and colours, because we've gone for a really neutral base. The stripes in the ottoman, and the vertical lines in the radiator compliment the floor to ceiling T&G paneling, whilst the plain white bedsheets are a perfect foundation for throwing on some pillows in muted tones, with subtle patterns. (Look at Coze Linen, Bedfolk, and M&S for the perfect sheets. This Waffle set is top of my list once our bedroom is redecorated). This trio of cushions from Etsy are just made for this design. I've included some alternative cushion options from Etsy below, but you can't go wrong if you use these as a guideline. Finish it off with a lovely deep throw (avoid patterns in this unless subtle) which is large enough to cover the bed, and if you have the space, pair it with this occasional chair that brings everything together. I chose this lovely soft herringbone throw from Hare and Wilde. + Shop finishes SHOP THE POST + Shop furniture (The drawers are available from different suppliers - both linked. There are other suppliers of these drawers so have a quick look around for the best price. Tip: Use Google Lens to help you find more suppliers! - Right click and then search with Google Lens). + Shop lighting + Shop artwork + Shop plants + Shop finishes I really hope you love this design, and can see how making a few minor changes to something like the lighting, can make a big difference to a design. Whether you're collecting ideas, or ready to jump into a re-design, let me know in the comments what your favourite piece is - i'd love to hear from you! - Allie Looking for more designs? For more designs, browse the pre-designed collection. Don't forget you can pin these images to your Pinterest board so you can revisit it at a later date, or if you prefer to save inspo posts on Instagram (I do both!) then you can save this post too.