Home in on Happy… with Ola Zwolenik

Home in on Happy…

Home in on Happy… with Ola Zwolenik

This week, as part of our Home in on Happy series, we sat down with a self-proclaimed advocate of uplifting colours and bold patterns, Ola Zwolenik from @thistimeincolour. True to her Instagram handle, Ola’s home is a paragon of style with contrasting tones and hues that simply radiate with positivity. Starting her account following the move into her first home, Ola’s interior style blossomed as she experimented with bold design choices and colour blocking, something that soon caught the attention of Instagram users. Today, @thistimeincolour has over 122,000 followers, all of whom are captivated by her eye for pattern, colour, and statement features. Read on to discover more about how Ola discovered her love for interiors and how she creates a happy home.

Ola’s interior style

I’ve always had a thing for interior design, but for some reason I convinced myself that I should wait until I had bought my first home to really express my love for interiors. When living in rented accommodation, it was not always possible to paint the walls, so instead I brought colour into the space with upcycled furniture. I was able to buy my own home in 2017, and this is where my love for colour was able to shine through! I started experimenting with some bold design choices, and documented the makeover on my Instagram account – people seemed to love the interior of my home, and now the interiors world is a big part of my life.

I’d describe my interior style as colourful, eclectic and maximalist. I tend to start with a simple design, or a colour story, and then introduce more colours or patterns to the space – I could never limit myself to just one colour or style – I love the variety so much!

For me, colour blocking is a big thing. I’m not afraid of contrasting combinations, and often find myself drawn to really bold designs – whether that’s a wall mural, or playful wallpaper – anything to step away from that underwhelming grey colour palette!

Ola’s interiors inspiration

Anything can be used as inspiration when it comes to interiors. Whether it’s a beautiful film, a colourful poster or a trip abroad to a destination like Morocco – the most important thing is to keep expanding your visual library. Recently I visited the Historic Dockyard in Chatham with my husband, and although historic warships aren’t really my thing, I found myself really inspired by some of the colours. I took pictures of a pastel blue warship, bright yellow telephones and gold porthole windows, and now I’m using these elements as inspiration for my bedroom!

Creating a home full of colour

My love for colour first started when I discovered furniture upcycling. I always enjoy small DIY projects, and colourful furniture is a great way of introducing more personality without making more permanent changes. Now I have my own home, I am able to do whatever makes me happy, and colourful walls are a big part of that.

With that in mind, when looking for a new sofa I knew that I wanted a timeless, super comfy design, but also something that really showed off my personality. The Izzy sofa fitted the bill – and the bold Paprika smart velvet brought that bright bold colour into the room, making it the star of our living room.

Bringing colour into your home can start with something small, like a cushion, and just seeing how it makes you feel. If you can’t paint your walls – invest in some colourful furniture. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to change your mind. Designing your home is a process…and most things are easy to change with just some paint!

How to home in on happy

To me, home is not only my safe space, but also the place where I most feel like myself. It allows me to express my personality, and surround myself with things that make me happy.

I’ve learnt that everything in the home is important – not just how it looks but also how it feels, and how practical it is – does it allow you to use the room in the way you want to?

It’s so important to surround yourself with things you truly love and things that make you happy – don’t just paint your home bright yellow because it’s the pantone of the year, but paint it in your favourite tones! If you have a piece of art, or vintage treasure that you love, find a way to incorporate that into your design. At the end of the day, it’s more about how the space makes you feel than how it looks!

Get inspired by Ola’s Style

source : sofa.com