Five Minutes With... Swoon Worthy

We've loved sharing our new mini interview series with you all so far, and today we have yet another fabulous interview with one of the UK's best-loved interiors bloggers, Kimberly Duran of Swoon Worthy.

"Unashamed maximalist" Kimberly definitely feels the Barbeline vibes, stating that she loves cheeky animal prints, touchable textural fabrics, bold pattern mixing, a touch of vintage and bohemian-style comfort - our kind of woman!

1. How did you fall in love with interior design?
I realised, looking back, that I’ve loved interiors since I was a small child. I remember my mom had an interior design book from Better House and Gardens (a popular US homes magazine which is still going) and it was one of my favourite books. I’d look at all the pictures and thumb through the pages over and over. It was the 70s, so I have vague recollections of a lot of brown, orange and green rooms! I also used to help her with decorating as I got older – from moving around furniture to painting and wallpapering. When I was 14, I got some money for a birthday or something and instead of spending it on clothes or going out, I redecorated my bedroom. I think it’s just something that’s always been in me!

2. What’s your favourite colour to bring into the home?
Gold is probably more of a finish than a colour but I’ve loved gold and brass now for around 7 or 8 years, before it became the big trend it is now. It just adds so much warmth and glamour to a room and I adore it, so I use it quite a lot. If I was pressed for a colour, at the moment, it’s a warm peachy coral. I’m loving it when combined with blush, rose and burgundy.

3. Maximalism or minimalism?
Definitely maximalism. I admire when people do minimalism well but I like my ‘artfully arranged clutter’! Rooms that are absolutely bursting with personality are my favourite. (Ours too!)

4. What’s the one piece in your home that always makes you smile?
I was lucky enough to be gifted a beautiful vintage brass and glass shelving unit from Pierre Vandel by a friend and it’s probably one of my most prized  possessions. It’s a stunning piece and I can’t see myself ever parting with it.

5. Any interiors disasters you’d care to tell us about?
I don’t think I’ve had too many disasters per se, but I do look back on my decorating style even from around 5 years ago and there is a lot of cringing going on! I love colour and pattern and always have, but I have a much better eye for it now. I’ve learned over the years that sometimes restraint is actually a good thing!

6. What’s your golden rule for interior decorating, the failsafe tip you give everybody?
One thing I always say is to make sure not everything in your room is from the same era – whether that’s 2018 or 1958, because nothing will date a room faster. Mixing and matching vintage with contemporary will always create a timeless look and the added advantage is that it simply looks more interesting and creative. That and to have fun with it. I think people can get very stressed out about decorating their homes and there’s no real need for that. It should be an evolution and it should be enjoyable. Pretty much anything can be ‘undone’ – you can return items that don’t work, repaint a room, remove wallpaper. It can be disappointing when things don’t work quite as you planned but it’s all a learning experience.

7. What’s your interiors trends predictions for 2018?
A few of my favourites… In kitchens and bathrooms, mixed materials are really on trend right now and people are getting creative with finishes and colours. Speaking of colour, I’m seeing lots of warmer shades coming in. I mentioned coral and peach as well as deep rust colours and we’re seeing these combined with warm berry shades alongside last year’s darling, blush pink. I’m also rather loving all the curves in furniture – we seem to be moving away from the harder lines of mid-century modern and I’m seeing a lot of quite glam 70s and 80s inspired designs.

Thank you to the lovely Kimberly for being a part of our 'Five Minutes With...' series - you can find more swoonworthy interiors by following Kimberly on Instagram @swoonworthyblog.