Interiors Stylist & Blogger Emilie Jacob From Stella & The Stars Invites Us Into Her Gorgeous Home
Lovely mama, interiors stylist and blogger Emilie has lived in Dubai for just over a year with her husband and little girl Stella (hence Stella & The Stars – the name of Emilie’s awesome blog). With a very unique, quirky style that incorporates pops of colour and funky pieces, Emilie not only works with clients to get their homes looking fabulous but is also a brand ambassador for A Lovely Little Company and Caramel and Sun. Take a look around her crib and get some major style inspo, mamas!
Beautiful images courtesy of Karen Pissarra from Design K
How long have you lived in your home – and why did you choose it?
We’ve lived in our villa for just over a year now. I am well known for shopping around when it comes to interiors, and house hunting was no different. I viewed, ahem, 40 villas before finding this gem. Let’s just say I drove more than one estate agent up the wall, but in the end, it was definitely worth the pain. We chose it because it ticked literally all the boxes on our wish list: modern looking, completely refurbed, spacious, great layout, perfect location, walking distance to the beach and my daughter’s pre-school (hashtag priorities), the compound had great common areas, and it’s a bungalow style so the whole space is on one floor which, after living for years in a 3 storey-house in the UK, has been totally life-changing.
How did you decorate your own home? Was it very planned out or impulsive?
Let’s just say it was my own version of the Interior Design Challenge as I was working with a very tight budget to furnish a house twice the size of my old one. We left our London pad totally furnished to rent it out on Airbnb for the first year, so I only had a handful of pieces of furniture shipped over to Dubai and had to start pretty much from scratch. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do but had to be clever with my tiny budget. Let’s just say some of the process was meticulously planned (finding the perfect and affordable grey corner sofa) and some of it totally impulsive (repainting my bedroom in blush pink…)
Read More: The Sassiest Mama, Emilie Jacob
How would you describe your interior design style?
Bold, colourful, fun, that doesn’t take itself seriously. I adore surrounding myself with funky pieces and accessories that make me smile. Life is too short to have a beige house…
What are your best places to pick up home furniture in Dubai?
Oh there are so many! If money was no object, The Den, Comptoir 102, for bargains, Home Centre and Pan Emirates, for quirky scandi pieces The Bowery Company and Nook Concept, for high street gems, H&M Home and Zara Home, for kids décor Caramel & Sun, and Marmaland, and for timeless stylish pieces, West Elm.
Read more: 3 New Home Stores We’re Loving In Dubai
Do you gravitate to a certain colour palette or design style?
I seem to have a penchant for grey walls paired with pops of neon colours… My style is quite eclectic and I love mixing different styles, old and new, modern and classic. Design-wise, white walls never satisfy me for some reason. I just love how artwork and accessories pop with a dark background…
As a mum how do you balance functioning design and a pretty home?
I think I am quite lucky as my daughter seems to have inherited some of my OCD and is very respectful of our house and always has been. She’s not the kind of toddler that will scribble on walls or spread yogurt on the sofa. We’ve also established clear zones of the house where she has carte blanche (her play room, her bedroom and a corner of our lounge) to unleash her creativity. She’s so far respected the boundaries. That said, I am quite relaxed about stuff as I tend to change things around regularly so a stain on a chair for me is just a good excuse to go shopping for new stuff…
What did you splurge and save on when decorating your house?
I tend to decorate my house like I dress myself, mixing bargains, quality accessories and statement pieces. I tend to invest in big pieces and source affordable options for the accessories. I love pairing an Eames armchair with an IKEA rug for example…
Did you use any websites or interior design apps to brainstorm ideas?
I use Pinterest like 99% of the population, Instagram of course, Morpholio which is a very easy moodboard app that I use to make collages for room schemes.
Read more: The Sassy Mama Guide To Where To Get Things Made in Dubai
What’s your favourite room/area in your home and why?
I think it’s Stella’s bedroom closely followed by our sitting room. There are the two rooms where I kind of went completely bonkers with the décor and really had fun.
If you had unlimited space (and budget) and could turn one room in your house into whatever you wanted, what would it be? Eg Bakery, Gym, Studio?
A styling studio 100%! My home office is tiny and we also use it as a guest room when we have visitors and it’s getting quite cramped. I would love to have a big room that I could use as my studio, where I could spread all my samples, use a wall dedicated to test paint colours and wallpapers, have a big table for meetings, a coffee station, oh my god, my mind is racing just thinking about it!
Playroom or bedroom and playroom in one?
Playroom and bedroom. I like to have only one room that can stay messy even when my daughter goes to bed. Her bedroom has more books, wall decorations and cosy lights, where all the mess and toys are in her play area.
Do you have any tips for easy ways to update décor without breaking the bank?
Of course, that is basically my motto! My first advice would be to start by shopping your own house in other words have a swaparama: look around your house and reshuffle things and swap things around can be a great way to update a room without spending any money. You wouldn’t believe how many clients I have worked with who have absolute gems hidden in guest rooms and in boxes. I always ask people to show me everything they already own before starting shopping.
Second tip: Update your textiles! Reupholster old furniture with cool, modern fabrics is another budget-friendly way to refresh your pad. And old armchair will get a new lease of life with a tropical print fabric. And you could totally transform a room by just changing the colour of the curtains and rugs.
And of course shopping for new affordable accessories (cushions, candles, trinkets, artwork) is another brilliant option to refresh a space without burning the credit card…
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