If you picked up our March/April issue of House and Home, you will have seen our Influencers issue, chock full of new accounts to follow for gorgeous interiors inspiration.
Given that a whole amazing community of Irish interiors instagrammers grew up around our #myhouseandhome Instagram hashtag, we thought it was only fair to share our A-Z of the Instagram accounts, hashtags and trends you need to be following on Houseandhome.ie as well.
So without further adieu, here it is!
A is for Awesome
We’re in awe of the sheer levels of creativity, community and class in evidence in the Irish interior influencer community.
B is for Boho
Yvonne Purcell is Ireland’s boho queen with an account (@sixat21) that just won’t quit. Her carefully-curated grid has attracted over 55,000 followers in a short space of time and it’s easy to see why. Yvonne’s styling and propping skills plus her dedication to salvage and upcycling has seen her create a home (and Instagram account) that’s truly unique and well worth a follow.
C is for Colour
Abounding in the Limerick home of Saara McLoughlin (@saara_mcloughlin) is a palette of punchy, bold shades that really makes her grid stand out. Saara has stuck to scheme centred around green, turquoise and grey with pops of chartreuse, purple and a mono-mix of black and white. Her accessorising is confident and bold and features lots of her own handmade pieces. A follow that’s a real visual treat.
D is for drama
There’s one woman to rule them all when it comes to dark décor, and that’s Eniko Kirkwood of @mydarkhome_. Her Northern Irish abode is a study in light and shade – lots and lots of it, in fact. “Our living room, my favourite room in the house, has been transformed from a cottage into a dark, moody, cocoon-like room with dark ceilings,” she told us in her real home tour.
E is for eclectic
One account encompasses eclecticism for House and Home and it’s that of Debbie Rooney, a Dublin transplant to Mayo, who showcases her remarkable knack for juxtaposition on @justanoviceatinteriordesign. Debbie has an innate ability to pair a Railings-painted wall with an old file cabinet, a chesterfield and some taxidermy – and make it all look utterly amazing. See her real home tour here!
F is for Fox Hollow Style
Bronagh Fleming @foxhollowstyle is one of Irish interior Instagram’s old guard and a long-time House and Home follow. We love watching her home projects and DIYs and her recent €400 bathroom makeover, is particularly impressive.
#myhouseandhomeG is for Grid
The all-important front-of-house showcase for your décor skills, how your grid – or, y’know, those little squares on the ‘gram – looks to followers is a matter of much debate. Should you carefully curate your feed by theme or colour? Should you just snap what you love willy-nilly? The jury’s out. Brands regularly see engagement from only around 4% of their total followers, with Stories performing a bit better. It’s up to you to test and trial to see what works – and then do more of it.
H is for Hashtag
House and Home’s daily follow picture tag #MyHouseAndHome, was Ireland’s first décor tag and is the biggest (and we think, the best) one out there. It has brought together the online interiors community, awarded amazing prizes and generated over 80,000 images since September 2017. Phew!
I is for Inspo
We’re never short of an idea or three thanks to Ireland’s interiors community on Instagram. From smart ways with paint to clever DIY tutorials, stunning gallery walls, styling tips and hacks, there’s a lot of inspiration to be had, and it’s all at your fingertips, for free. Can’t say fairer than that really, eh?
J is for Jen Connell
House and Home’s very own Interior Influencer, Jen Connell not only writes a column for us each issue (flip to p.22 now) but she contributes to RTE online too. Her glamorous, old school style is super-refreshing and stands out in what can often be a sea of sameness.
K is for Kitchen Inspo
Designer Tanya Ross had a job on her hands with her stunning period home restoration, the journey of which she charts over on @6highstreet. It’s all beautiful, but we’re particularly in love with her ultra-chic kitchen which has a clever hidden feature, sleek marble island with waterfall detail and stylish touches such as Jim Lawrence lighting and Tapwell sink accessories. Gorgeous.
L is for The Laurels
We’ve been watching @renovating_the_laurels with great interest as the couple behind the account put their heart and soul into bringing a neglected period home back to its former glory. The house, which dates to around 1840, needed the works – and boy have they given it some TLC. A definite follow if you’ve got a similar project in mind, and definitely one to watch for Grand Designs fans.
M is for Make Do and Mend
They couldn’t be more on trend, Ireland’s insta-community. As the focus falls on saving the planet, we’re all becoming more aware that hyper-consumerism is done and that making something new and fabulous from what you already have is the way to go. From up-cycling and repurposing pieces to giving older items a new lease of life by re-painting, re-upholstering or recovering, it’s all out there thanks to the Instagram app.
N is for New Build
Instagram abounds with fascinating self- and new-build Insta accounts, but one we’ve loved following is that of @seanuahouse. A stunning 2,900 sq ft home in the Irish countryside owned by Jessica and Dan Tynan, their account takes you from breaking ground to moving in. Terrific insight for anyone planning their own big build.
O is for OMG
That’s what we thought when we first saw the amazing home of Suzie Kenny and her snapping turtle, Swampy, who you can see on @thehousebeyondthepalms. An incredible makeover of an ex-council house in South County Dublin, this is a beautifully-designed homage to everything Suzie and her husband Mark hold dear, including a 26-strong exotic palm tree collection. And, of course, that amazing turtle, whose tank is an inside-outside affair, designed and constructed as an integral part of their renovation project. See her real home tour here!
P is for Pretty
In a sea of dark décor, Catherine Carton’s @daintydressdiaries stands out. An unabashed fan of pink, pretty and all things sugar and spice, Catherine’s interiors are all pastel hues, sprigged cottons, ditsy prints and French-style shabby chic along with plenty of cosy, cute comfort. We adore her upbeat positivity and can-do attitude too, and she’s a must-follow for her essential tutorials and DIY tips and tricks. Moggies Pepsi and Blondie are Catherine’s supporting cast
Q is for Quirky
Paul O’Rourke’s Dublin 8 home goes beyond eclectic and far surpasses quirky. His ability to pair pieces together is assured and confident and gives his 70 sq m home an incredible sense of space and dimension. Follow him on @insect_chart for a masterclass in pattern, paint and print. See his real home tour here!
R is for redo
Following a flood in August 2017, Heather McLaughlin of @doras.rua was back to square one with her Donegal home. Her account charts the process of putting her home back together again, from the Farrow & Ball painted teal kitchen to her beautiful brand new bathroom.
S is for Stripes
So precise they look like wallpaper, but nope, the bright strips of colour in @rowans_rainbow are all hand-painted. The secret is lots of FrogTape – and a steady hand. One to follow for those who love to bring the bright.
T is for #Teakgeek
A hashtag used to describe a love of vintage teak or dark wood pieces, usually with a Mid-Century, Scandinavian provenance. Think the modernist silhouettes designed by brands such as Ercol and G-Plan which are once again hugely popular thanks to how well they work in both period and contemporary homes.
U is for Upcycling
Check out @a_home_carrie_made, run by Cavan-based Caroline Kinsella. A melange of home interiors posts, DIY and clever upcycles, Carrie challenges herself to keep on creating and the result is an account with a lot to keep you clicking ‘like’ on.
V is for Vintage
Want authentic Insta-style? Then you need some vintage pieces in your interiors. Ireland’s leading décor influencers know that it’s the high-low blend that scores their shots the maximum number of likes. Check out @vintagehillcork and @frieda_100 for a start! See Aisling from VintageHillCork's real home tour here!
W is for Waterford
The location of up-and-coming account @myoldbrandnewhome, Waterford-based Lynn’s taking us through the décor and renovation journey of her first home. Expect charming period features, contemporary furnishings, lots of personal style – and a cat called Matilda.
X is for Xchange
We’ve always said that if you can dress yourself you can style your home, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a trend towards fashion accounts embracing interiors with gusto. Anne Marie Boyhan’s @whatshewears is long-established and we’re loving her newer décor content as she decorates and renovates her Dublin home.
Y is for Yellow Gate
Galway-based Interior stylist Deirdre Noone is the woman in front of the camera at @behind.theyellowgate. Her day job is to create stunning schemes for her clients and in her own 1800s cottage, there’s loads of dark, dramatic décor to love. See her real home tour here!
Z is for Zita
A small space doesn’t have to be cluttered, nor does it have to lack style. That’s definitely the mantra of Zita Spring, the lady behind @ballad.of.home. We’ve featured her beautifully compact home in the magazine before and you can also follow its every changing moods on her Instagram account thanks to regular updates. See her real home tour here!
