Carol O’Callaghan chats timeless style with content creator Anna Bougharbel of Iaorana House and the value of taking a ‘slow interiors’ approach to creating your dream home.
Imagine moving abroad to start a new job, to a city you have never heard of before, only to find out later you have a 26% DNA connection with your new country.
Was it sheer coincidence or the call of ancestors that brought Frenchwoman Anna Bougharbel back to her roots now been planted in Blarney, Co. Cork?
Fifteen years later, Nantes-born Anna is immersed in Irish life with partner Conor and children, four year old Jake and Mia aged one, in their self-build home perched high on a hill surrounded by lush green countryside and a panoramic view of 15th century Blarney Castle.
By contrast, Anna’s home is a 21st century contemporary design where she has applied her discerning eye and love of Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and minimalist interiors to create a serene and super-stylish space.
“My look is to go neutral with sleek lines and making the most of heights and lengths of the rooms, bringing in textures and colours like deep brown and the colours of autumn, she says.”
Her covetable kitchen, living and dining space with double height ceiling is airy and lightsome and the perfect location for the EZ Living Interiors Hyde cream corner sofa, set against a backdrop of warm white walls and floor to ceiling glazing inviting in the changing colours of nature.
“I love the Hyde Corner Cream Sofa. Its spacious design means you don’t have to compromise on aesthetic, comfort or practicality,” Anna says. “I love the detail of the black feet to play around with and maybe add a black accent floor lamp or a black coffee table.”
What Anna has managed to achieve, and often eludes contemporary homes, is the all-important element of warmth.
“In the living room you want to invest in cosiness and textures that are comfortable,” she says, citing the Morgan sofa as an example.
“I’m fascinated by organic shapes,” she says. “The Morgan has that vibe. It looks like the comfiest to sit on. It’s a, ‘don’t call me for the next two hours, I’m relaxing,’ sort of couch for a family curled up watching a movie together.”
It’s this blend of style, comfort and practicality that defines her style and works so well for family life.
Since the family moved in three years ago when the house was only partially finished, Anna has made choices with timelessness in mind, slowly adding warm woody accents in her statement piece coffee table and vintage finds from online resources, now carefully curated throughout the home.
“Resist impulse purchases,” she advises. “I think the more furniture you have the more clutter you create. Just get what you need, timeless furniture pieces instead of following trends; things you will keep for a long time and not get bored. If I could give myself advice three or four years ago it would be to live in the house first to get to know what you need.”
This summer saw the development of her garden, and she has plans to finish her guest room and add a significant architectural accent with the installation of timber ceiling beams in her open plan area. It’s another textural element and design statement in the double height ceiling to draw the eye upwards.
At this time of year, one of her favourite winter activities are bringing the outdoors indoors, foraging for winter branches and flowers to make nature’s seasonal hues and textures part of her styling.
Some of this foliage will also make its way on to her winter tablescape which this year she has designed around a yummy white and chocolate colourway.
“I have foliage in the centre of the table with fairy lights,” she says. “My napkins are brown linen, and my tableware is matt white and silver with chocolate brown candles, and I scatter little snowflakes around it for decoration.”
But you can’t have a tablescape without a beautiful table to form the backdrop. Anna highlights the rectangular Lyra for tablescaping self-expression.
For all her emersion in Irish life, her French upbringing and traditions also play a part in family life. Things, she says, like, “Snuggling up on the sofa watching kids’ movies together and drinking hot chocolate.”
It sounds heavenly, especially with the comforting glow from her contemporary bioethanol fire making it the perfect spot to also cosy up and watch through the floor to ceiling windows for new year snowfall.
