Today we are lucky to have Katie of @hello_haus on the blog, giving us an insight into her gorgeous home and some fab interior tips and tricks. Katie has one of the most unique interior styles on instagram and we are inspired daily by her pared back, super sophisticated style. Her house is a wonderful mix of layered neutrals and a masterclass in how to make minimalism interesting. We hope you enjoy her interview as much as we did. 

1. Introduce yourself! What is your background?

I’m Katie, I’ve been obsessed with interiors since I was a teenager. I would religiously watch “Changing Rooms” and drag my mum to the Ideal Home show as a 14 year old so I could meet Kevin McCloud. It’s been a huge passion of mine since I can remember and I could spend hours planning a space.

Into adulthood I have taken various courses in interior design and I now run moodboard and styling workshops.

I started my Instagram account to share my styling tips, shopping tricks and all my inspiration whilst I was making my 1st house a home.

 2. We are obsessed with your Instagram feed, it is so thoughtfully planned and you know we are a sucker for a scandi vibe over here at Urbansize. What inspired you to start sharing your home on Instagram?

Thank you, it means a lot. I started sharing my home as we had just bought our first house and I wanted to take people on the journey. I am a big believer in transforming a space without spending a fortune and this was the start of Hello Haus. I wanted to take a white box and inject my style into it, sharing my top tips along the way and hopefully be able to show what a tin of black paint and shopping the high street can do!

3. How would you describe your interior home style? It’s very unique

I would describe it as a mix of Nordic and Japanese styles. I love simplicity in design, lots of fluid shapes and firmly believe that each room should flow into one another. My home is very calm as we all live hectic lives so for me the need to feel relaxed when I walk in the door was so important.

I use a minimal, muted colour palette which means I can move around furniture and accessories between rooms knowing that it will always work. This means I can “shop my home” to freshen it up when I fancy.

4. Where do you get your amazing ideas from (hanging headboard of dreams for example!)?

I take my inspiration from everywhere….hotels, cafes, bars, shops, you name it. Pinterest and Instagram are great tools also, however I often feel more inspired when I physically walk past something.

I’ll always take photos of things that spark an idea for a new project, file them away on my phone until it’s time to get going on it.

My kitchen tiles where inspired by a café in Copenhagen and my headboard was something I saw in a hotel (I just used some imagination to make a DIY, cheaper version).

5. As you know, we focus on creating furniture for small spaces. Do you have any tips for our readers on how to incorporate your gorgeous scandi style in a small space?

I don’t think you need a lot of space to incorporate the Scandi look as its naturally a paired back, simplistic style.

My hallway is so small and narrow, however by using carefully designed pieces (your U Shelves) and a few accessories you can create that minimal look.

Keep it simple, pick a concise colour palette so it doesn’t jar and don’t over clutter the space. Let the furniture and accessories do the talking!

6. If you could only buy one luxury item for your home which would it be and why?

A well - made sofa! This is something you can’t do without in my opinion…somewhere to retreat that’s cosy is a top priority and where I would choose to invest my hard earned cash!

7. You have been hosting some amazing workshops recently, showing people how to create moodboards. Can you give us 3 tips to get started on a moodboard?

Start with your wardrobe if you’re stuck on what your style is. We wear colours and styles that make us feel good and this is most likely reflected in how we like to live.

There are no rules, tear out lots of images that inspire you…see how they all look together and then refine it down. Only stick down the images you whittle it down to, you don’t need a lot on a moodboard to convey a design idea.

Use lots of texture on your board and layer it up!

Don’t feel you have to go with what’s on “trend” either, your home should be a reflection of you. If you love the trend then great but your mood board should be a style you can live with and not something you’ll want to change once the fad is over.

8. What’s next for Hello_Haus?

I’ll be running more workshops in 2020 and will continue to share my house as it evolves…I still have rooms to tackle!

9. What is your favourite Urbansize product?

My shelves! I love them and I’m always faffing with them. They are such a great solution in my small hallway and I couldn’t be without them now.

Thanks Katie! Some great tips there and interesting to know more about your background. 

Follow Katie over on instagram here