Introducing Sarah Johnson and her ultra-modern, Manchester new build that she shares with her boyfriend, Justin. Sarah works in Press & PR, but also loves her second role as an interior designer and stylist. 

Sarah & Justin have owned this house for three years now, and really enjoyed adding their own styles and character to the freshly painted white walls! Sarah describes her interior style as an even mix of contemporary, Scandinavian and industrial. She loves experimenting with bursts of colour, too; ensuring no room stays as just one colour palette. 

A COAT LOVE AFFAIR…

Our sustainability ethos and dedication to a greener planet is what initially attracted Sarah to our brand. That, and our think-smart, recyclable Peel & Stick Swatches. We love how important this way of life has become for many more people these days.

“The beauty of our Peel and Stick Swatches is you can take them all around the house, move them onto different walls, and see how the light hits them at different times of the day – without having different patches of paint all over the place! I was a little sceptical about relying on them, at first; but for every paint I have used so far, it has been 100% accurate - it’s incredible really!”

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Sarah has used our paint in several rooms of her home now, and has a particular soft-spot for our neutral collection. So far, she has tried swatches of ‘Good Intentions’, ‘Pampas’ and ‘Sunday Soul’; and has ended up decorating with two of them! ‘Good Intentions’ has been a particular favourite, as it now exists in both her principle bedroom and her office. She describes it as the “perfect taupe-grey colour”, and one of her favourite colours in the house. She then used 'Pampas' in her living room, the space her and Justin love to retreat to after a long day at work. 

“I was really delighted with how quick the delivery was following an order of the swatches and paint. Next day service is incredible, especially when you’re keen to get started on a project, but always end up making last minute colour decisions, like me!”

We also loved to hear that Sarah recommends (and uses!) COAT colours with her interior design clients. Not only do the Peel & Stick Swatches come in handy for sharing mood board samples, but she also feels confident in the quality, accuracy and finish of our paints, too. 

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE…

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As Sarah & Justin’s house is a new build, all the rooms were blank white canvases when they first moved in. Anyone who has moved into a new build will know, that preparing the walls for decorating is so much easier than in an older, period property. Walls are generally freshly skimmed and painted, and there’s no layers of dodgy wallpaper to contend with! 

First up, we take a nosey inside Sarah’s office. Her days in here are often long and stressful, so creating a space that felt sophisticated, calm and clutter-free were high on the priority list. 

She was eager to give DIY panelling a go, as this trend has been all over the interiors scene for a while now. Instead of following a traditional panelled frame look, Sarah added vertical batons to the wall to create a modern edge, then finished off with our paint colour, ‘Good Intentions’. 

“I find the colour so calming – it also feels warm, too. The perfect neutral, in my eyes!”

Once decorated, she added the desk and chair, and styled the space with industrial lighting, wall prints, vases of pampas and a patterned rug. 

Next, we venture into Sarah’s favourite room in the house – the lounge. This space doesn’t get much light, so it was important to her to create a cosy atmosphere; replacing the cold, white walls with a warm neutral. She discovered our very own ‘Pampas’, which turned out to be the perfect match for the blue accent colour of her feature wall and sofa. Styled with plenty soft furnishings and accessories, this space has become a relaxed, comfy sanctuary for both Sarah & Justin… 

“I don’t like Winter at all, but having this room makes me look forward to dark nights and cold evening’s, being snuggled up in here!”

Inspired? Grab Peel & Stick Swatches to try at home 🙌🏼

Finally, we feel lucky enough to explore one of her latest interior design projects, which she recently completed for a friend. The brief was to create a nursery that would last more than just the first few years of the baby’s life, as well as ensuring it didn’t feel too girly. 

As the space overlooks trees and fields, Sarah was instantly drawn to the idea of creating a green feature wall; which would also imitate the feeling of bringing the outdoors in. It’s a super fresh and calming colour, so our shade ‘Home Grown’ became the winning feature, teamed perfectly alongside our greige, off-white - ‘Mindful’. 

Minimally styled, with just the essential pieces of furniture and accessories, we think Sarah did an amazing job for this soon-to-arrive, little bundle of joy.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS…

Sarah doesn’t necessarily have another big renovation on her list, but more a bunch of a smaller projects. She loves to refurbish and upcycle old furniture – injecting new life into pieces that maybe aren’t as loved as they used to be. Let’s just say there’s plans to sand, prime and paint!!  

She also wants to change her bedroom décor, and add a whole new style to the space; but the big question is – what colour?! Stay tuned COAT fans…

SARAH FROM @thenorthernhome_ LENDS SOME ADVICE…

“Use Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration, then create a mood board to pull your ideas together. Really think about how you want to feel when you are in that room; are you looking for a room that is going to be calming & cosy, or is the room going to be used for entertaining guests? How you use the space, and what you want to feel when you’re in there, should determine what colours you choose. 

It’s ok to try samples and then realise they are totally not what you want, too - decorating is a learning process and it doesn’t matter if it takes you a bit of time to get it perfect. You’d much rather try ten samples, than put a whole new colour on the wall and hate it – not to mention having to re-decorate all over again!”

Inspired? Grab Peel & Stick Swatches to try at home 🙌🏼