A Calm Retreat With A Restraint Color Palette

If you are tired of colorful designs and want something peaceful and quiet, look no further. The home of artist Caroline Walls and her partner is a study in restraint. The palette is astonishingly muted yet the house doesn’t lack personality: minimalist surroundings perfectly reflect the busy and intensely creative couple who live here.

Artwork is a recurrent theme throughout the house – including lots of Caroline’s own work, which explores themes of femininity, sexuality and identity. Alongside these prints, paintings and sketches is an impressive collection of ceramics – many by local makers, alongside thrift shop finds.

One of the biggest challenges the couple faced was a lack of space, so the owner’s studio doubles as a dining room, for example. A shelving unit that once housed Emma’s (ever-growing) record collection has become the ‘mini bar’. The dining table also masquerades as Caroline’s work table. The French doors open out onto the little sunny courtyard so in the warmer months the space really comes into its own and it’s a beautiful, airy place to be.

The pair love to cook and eat, so the kitchen is a focal point, and looks out across the dining area and courtyard. Located in the front of the home, the bedroom gets lots of beautiful afternoon sun. Small print above bed by Jan Yoors from the 70’s and to the right is one of Caroline’s first hand-pulled screen prints.

The home is a real culmination of art, objects and furniture the couple has collected on our travels over the years, both together and separately. It’s an eclectic, personal space that tells a bit of their story, it has a character, warmth and a sense of depth.