When Meg Monde and her husband Jack moved into their new home, she immediately set to work to transform it into the pastel paradise of her dreams. With a baby on the way, time was of the essence.
She already knew exactly how she wanted it to look and had designed each room in her mind. Read on to find out how Meg got rid of the dull grey decor and made the property her own.
I’m Meg Monde, 29, and I work in marketing and share my home on Instagram @megmonde. I live here with my husband Jack, 28, a recruitment consultant, our one-year-old baby girl Aubrie, and our two cockapoos Ella and Peach.
Where I live
A 1960s three-bed house in Derbyshire, on the edge of the Peak District. We bought this house in October 2022.
What I wanted to change
As we had a baby on the way, taking on lots of big DIY jobs wasn’t an option, so instead we looked for simple ideas that would update our home instantly. I wanted to banish the existing uninspiring grey scheme and inject my favourite ice cream shades into every room.
How I made it my own
Before we even bought this house, I’d already designed the interior in my head, with pastel hues featuring heavily in every room. We hung pretty wallpapers, painted walls in soft shades, and fitted pink kitchen wall tiles to add colour and pattern. We also replaced the grey carpets with neutral flooring, which made a huge difference. I then searched charity and junk shops for affordable accessories to finish the look.
My favourite part
Aubrie’s nursery, because it’s such a happy space filled with lovely memories of our little girl growing up.
Our previous home was a huge renovation project, and Jack and I couldn’t face any more dust and builders’ mess. So, we decided that for our next step we’d buy a house that didn’t need any building work. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon, we started house hunting.
What attracted us to this house was that it had been recently updated with a new kitchen and bathroom. We also fell in love with the views from the living room, which overlooks a forest and green fields. All we needed to do was to decorate the rooms to make them feel more ‘us’.
'I’ve always loved pastel shades and my wardrobe is full of clothes in ice cream colours. So, of course I wanted to decorate our new home in my own fun and colourful style'
Meg Monde
We discovered I was pregnant just three weeks after moving in, which put a ton of pressure on us to get the house ready. In the process of doing up our old house, we picked up lots of DIY skills that we could use in our new home. This saved us quite a bit of money so I could splash out on designer wallpaper and new carpets.
I’ve always loved pastel shades and my wardrobe is full of clothes in ice cream colours. So, of course I wanted to decorate our new home in my own fun and colourful style. When I look back on all the work we did, I’m so proud of how much we got done.
There are still a few things left to do but we plan to take our time when decorating the remaining rooms. One thing I know is pink will always feature in whatever we do!
Kitchen
The previous owners of this house knocked down walls to open up the area and installed a Magnet kitchen with navy units. ‘The navy and grey colour scheme wasn’t to my taste,’ says Meg, ‘so we decided to update it and put our stamp on the room.’
They started by taking down the wall units, which were overcrowding the space. Instead, they put up open shelving to create an attractive display area.
‘As soon as we took down the wall units, the room felt so much bigger and brighter,’ Meg says. ‘We then added a pink splashback using tiles from Your Tiles, and the finishing touch was to replace the chrome handles for gold ones. I also invested in breakfast bar stools from Swoon.
'We’d love to paint the kitchen eventually, but it’s a big and expensive job. As I’m still working on my style for the house, I’m happy to wait until inspiration strikes.’
Dining area
The starting point for Meg’s dining room makeover was an Eleanor Bowmer wallpaper she spotted online and fell in love with.
‘I already owned some of Eleanor’s prints and artwork so when I found her range of wallpapers, it was a match made in heaven for me,’ Meg explains. ‘I chose the Goddess wallpaper to create a feature wall, and then picked out all the colours with accessories in the rest of the dining room.’
Meg bought the Swoon dining table and bench set to give her plenty of space for hosting friends and family for dinner.
‘We love open-plan living, especially after having a baby. I can have my eyes on my daughter while I’m preparing dinner or making a cup of tea. And this space is perfect for entertaining in as well,’ she says.
The couple hosted all their family at Christmas. ‘Jack’s family lives far away so when they come to visit, it’s lovely to be able to fit everyone around our dining table.’
Living room
The light and airy living room features a large bay window with stunning countryside views. It was one of the main reasons the couple bought the house, so when they moved in Meg was keen to get started on this room straight away.
She chose a light-reflecting pink paint for the walls for a brighter feel. ‘Originally, the room was painted dark grey so I chose a pale pink which instantly made it more inviting,’ she says.
The hearth was covered with grey slate tiles that Meg found imposing, so she ripped them up and installed blue tiles with pink grout for a quirky look. ‘I haven’t seen this idea anywhere else, so I love that this little update idea of mine is unique to our home.’
Meg also took down the short curtains the previous owners had left, which blocked the view and daylight, replacing them with Roman blinds in the same shade of fabric as the walls. These can now be raised up so they don’t block the view.
Hallway
‘We encountered our fair share of mishaps when decorating this home, particularly with the staircase. We used the wrong primer on the bannisters, which Jack painstakingly applied one weekend, and all three coats of the paint started to peel off. He had to sand it all back and start again, which he wasn’t happy about!’ says Meg.
The couple painted the bannisters and staircase sage green, and swapped a grey carpet runner with a neutral one for a fresher look.
‘We thought we had original parquet on the ground floor, but it turned out to be vinyl, which was sad news! We replaced it with patterned tiles that we laid ourselves,’ Meg explains.
‘We did a lot of tiling in our old house so we felt confident we could do it. It helped us save a chunk of our budget which we could spend on other areas of our home.’
Bedroom
Meg’s design for the bedroom centred around her favourite colour combo. ‘I wanted this room to be a place that we can’t wait to retreat to at the end of a long day,’ she explains.
She repurposed the bedside tables by adding scalloped edging, giving them a fresh coat of paint and new handles.
‘I also had long pendant lights installed either side of the bed to complement the new colour scheme and give us more space on the bedside tables without needing a lamp either side,' she says.
'For storage, I made use of the alcove space with a Mustard Made locker wardrobe in one, and an IKEA drawer hack in the other, made from two IKEA drawers stacked on top of each other and fitted with gold legs.’
Nursery
Meg wanted to create a nursery scheme packed with vibrant colours and sweet details. ‘Although it’s a small room, I didn’t let this limit my creative decorating ideas!’ she says. ‘I wanted it to look extra special for our baby girl.’
She installed a dado rail to section off the wall so she could mix and match different colours and prints, and chose a fun wallpaper on the top half with a minty green shade below, along with pink woodwork.
‘I also added a canopy and mobile above the bed to make it feel like a fun little hideaway, and boosted storage with a rattan chest of drawers. I found lots of cute accessories in Dunelm and George Home, and sourced a rug from Etsy to finish off the space.’
Home office
As the couple both work from home, they decided to turn the spare bedroom into a multi-functional workspace and guest room. Meg created a spacious double desk by placing two lockers from Mustard Made at each end and adding an IKEA kitchen worktop so the couple can work side by side.
‘We love working next to each other, even though we have very different jobs,’ she says. They added plenty of storage for office essentials with open shelving above the desk.
After installing a picture rail to add character, they painted the ceiling an energising coral, bringing it down to the picture rail for a modern look.
‘We use this space as a guest bedroom when we have friends or family to visit, so we invested in a super comfy sofa bed from Snug so we can host any time,’ says Meg.
Bathroom
Meg and Jack were relieved that the previous owners had installed a brand-new bathroom, as they had Aubrie shortly after moving in, so didn’t want to take on a big reno job.
Although Meg isn’t a fan of the dark panelling, she made this room her own by styling it with accessories in her signature pink. ‘The bathroom panelling looks pretty but it’s not very practical. It’s a pain to dust and keep clean!’ she says. ‘In the future, once we’ve saved up, we plan to change things up in here.’
In the meantime, Meg has introduced splashes of colour with towels, a cute bath mat and prints. ‘I love going to charity and vintage shops to find unique accessories, like the pink storage canisters on the window sill that I found for next to nothing.’
How to decorate with pink like a pro
If you love Meg’s pink schemes but aren’t confident about using the colour in your own home, follow these top tips:
- Start with small accessories such as throws, pillows, vases, or artwork. These accents can add pops of pink without overwhelming your space, and are an easy way to try out a new colour, without spending a lot.
- Pink and blush shades pair beautifully with neutral tones like white, grey or beige or opposite tones like green and teal. Consider using pink as the accent colour against a backdrop of neutral walls or furniture. This allows the pink to stand out while maintaining balance in the room.
- Explore different shades of pink to find one that suits your style and the mood you want in each room. Lighter pinks can create a calming, romantic feel, while brighter fuchsia or coral-toned pinks add energy, and darker, dusky rose-tinted shades look warm and cosy.
- Try painting a statement wall in a deep pink, using pink tiles in the kitchen or bathroom, or upholstering a piece of furniture in a blush fabric. These unexpected touches can add personality to your home.
- To prevent the space from feeling too saccharine, balance the pink with contrasting elements. For example, pair pink with dark wood furniture for a sophisticated look, or add metallic accents like gold or brass for a touch of grown-up glamour. If you want a more modern look, pair pink with black or navy for a bold scheme.
Read more:
- Farrow & Ball alternatives: colour dupes from Dulux, Crown and B&Q
- How to allergy-proof your home like an expert: easy tips for a sneeze-free summer
- Make your home feel bigger without an expensive extension: 8 ingenious ways to maximise your space
Feature by Maxine Brady. Photography by Colin Poole
