My home has come together through nature and texture In her Essex three-bed, Kesiah Smithers

To give a nod to her South American heritage, Kesiah Smithers has used tropical plants, foliage and earthy textiles throughout her Essex home

When Kesiah and her husband, Mark, first started looking for a bigger house, a larger, quieter garden and more space were at the top of their wish list. They wanted to trade their threebedroom, semi-detached house in town for a detached house with lots of green space.

‘At that point all I knew was that I wanted an older property with character, which we could really make feel our own,’ recalls Kesiah.

The couple initially dismissed the house as they felt it was too close to a busy road, but after being persuaded to attend a second viewing, they both fell in love with the space. ‘It was so bright and light and had such a beautiful, mature garden – we could really see ourselves and our future family here. The road is near good schools and transport links so it was actually a great buy for us. It also offered well-proportioned bedrooms, off-road parking and a large garage as well as the potential to extend,’ Kesiah explains.

Originally a mid-century pig farm, the house had already been extended and refurbished by the previous owners so luckily didn’t require any immediate renovations as it was large enough for the couple. But it did need its décor completely updated. ‘What is it with 1980s artexing?’ exclaims Kesiah. ‘There was so much of it in this house and in the end we had to re-plaster everything. We also stripped back dated wallpaper, rewired electrics and painted every wall.’

There was an imposing brick fireplace in the lounge that had been installed in the 1980s, which needed plaster-boarding over it, but there were plenty of authentic gems to be found as they stripped the rest of the house.

‘As we took the carpets up we found original floorboards downstairs, and we also uncovered an original fireplace in the snug, as well as lots of extra room in the attic.’

‘As we took the carpets up we found original floorboards downstairs, and we also uncovered an original fireplace in the snug.’

When the couple started to decorate, Kesiah first chose a traditional, country look. ‘I was going through a phase of muted creams and duck-egg blues, which I can’t imagine living with now.’ The biggest, most immediate change was in the kitchen. Kesiah re-painted the cupboards white, and added floral wallpaper and updated the tiles for a cleaner, more modern feel.

Accessories, art and plants are key to Kesiah’s interior style. To say she has an affinity for art, textiles, craft and nature would be an understatement. Behind even the most everyday objects in her plant-filled, colourful home is a story that links back to her South American roots, her connection to the design world and her love of the great

outdoors. ‘I feel my home comes together through nature and texture,’ she reveals. ‘I love plants but I love textiles too, and I think it’s so important to have a mix of both at home to create a restful and calm vibe. Plants add value not only aesthetically but also have a positive impact on your health, so I have them in every room,’ she says.

Kesiah’s children have certainly inherited their mother’s love of colour. Ty’s bedroom is packed with punchy patterns in a colour scheme of red, white and blue, whereas sister Harmonie’s room is a treasure trove of pastel joy. ‘They both had a say in the

colour schemes of their rooms and they love spending time in there,’ Kesiah explains.

Taking on a lot of the redecoration work herself has been a real learning curve for Kesiah. ‘What I’ve learnt through slowly doing up this house is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a home that you feel proud of,’ she admits. ‘You just need to be resourceful when making design choices and willing to do a lot of the work yourself.’

With the house now complete, Kesiah and her family can sit back and relax in their vibrant surroundings. ‘I love the flow of the rooms upstairs now – the whole house feels coherent but each room still has a strong sense of identity, so décor-wise I think we’re finished,’ Kesiah reflects. ‘If we do anything more to the house it will be a smaller-scale project, such as giving the kitchen cupboards a fresh lick of paint.’

‘I love the flow of the rooms upstairs now – the whole house feels coherent but each room still has a strong sense of identity’

Kesiah keeps all of her best kitchenware on display in this glass cabinet, which ties in well with the off-white panelling around the edge of the room With the original wooden kitchen in situ, Kesiah freshened up the space by re-painting the cupboards white. Her love of natural textures shows with a Java rattan shade from MADE.com and Forest Green wallpaper from Wallpaper Direct

Kesiah and her family traded their threebedroom house in town for this characterful property, which offered a lot more space and plenty of potential

In order to create the perfect get-together space for the family, Kesiah paired an oak farmhouse dining table from a local furniture shop with Ercol chairs, which she painted black. The pink rug from Modern Rugs adds colour and helps zone a dining space

An original Ercol sideboard sits against a panelled and wallpapered wall. Kesiah added a Rockett St George print, a Holmegaard glass lamp base and a Gillian Arnold lampshade from Not On The High Street

Kesiah has transformed the fireplace into a focal point by painting its interior orange and adding artwork in a complementary colourway above it Kesiah upped the colour ante with an Aztec-inspired rug from La Redoute. Vibrant artwork, Anthropologie and H&M Home cushions, and a plethora of plants complete the jungle theme Plants, artwork and a few treasured items bring this comfy corner to life. A Lagoon throw by artist Lucy Tiffney and the Birds and Flowers wall hanging by Flo and Joe add personality to the scheme

A two-seater sofa by the window serves as an idyllic reading corner. Kesiah has perfected the layered cosy look with rugs, cushions and throws in multiple patterns and textures The mid-century feel of the house is reflected by Kesiah’s furniture choices, such as the retro G-plan sideboard and side table, which she has adorned with assorted curios. The artwork is by Chambers Austelle Black-and-white stairs make a statement while the gallery wall provides a hit of vivid colour, featuring sketches and paintings by Kesiah’s mother, artist Desiree Wales (@des_art50 on Instagram)

A beaded chandelier adds elegance and sophistication to the master bedroom and complements the headboard perfectly Pastel shades play a key role in this pretty corner in Harmonie’s bedroom; Rust-Oleum Chalk furniture paint in Laurel Green on the vintage bureau, Annie Sloan’s Scandinavian Pink on the chair and the bedside table is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Peignoir Kesiah gave her bedroom a beach-hotel feel with walls painted in Mid Azure Green by Little Greene, a Mila chandelier from Marks & Spencer, La Redoute bedding, artwork from Juniqe and tropical foliage Working together, Kesiah and son, Ty, wanted to create a grown-up scheme that retained a sense of fun for his bedroom. Inspired by Formula One, Kesiah paired a headboard covered in Jazz Flame fabric from Prestigious Fabrics with Silhouette Tree wallpaper from Albany

Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue heightens the drama of the Tropical Colours wallpaper from Mr Perswall, creating an all-out tropical scheme in the family bathroom Aside from using plants, Kesiah has kept the jungle theme going with accessories such as this wall-mounted elephant head, alongside leopard-print fabrics in various colourways