‘Great handle’ was the first thing that sprung to mind when coming across Frances and Ben’s home renovation account @itsnotsogrimupnorth, what a great use of the thirty character limit. Particularly because their beautifully vibrant, colour laden home has never heard the word ‘grim’ and we love a good oxymoron. Frances and Ben bought their charismatic Yorkshire based Victorian terrace in full need of renovation and their journey of making their house a home has been nothing short of delightful. Both freelance creatives, covering everything from photography to print design, their flair for interior design and style shines through in every part of the house in a timeless, but modern, light. What, of course, caught our eye was their carefully curated selection of artworks. From painterly landscapes to intricate still life studies, their collection has a flow to be admired. Each piece speaks to the room it’s in, stylistically through complimentary colour palettes and also through nature with lots of flowers, mountain tops and luscious tree lines bringing the outside in. We have loved following Frances and Ben’s renovation journey (and have been jotting down their colour combinations as they go) - we’re so pleased that they sat down to answer some questions for us, talking about all things art, interior design and renovations. Love their taste? Keep reading for a curated selection of Sulis pieces picked by Frances and Ben!

We love how colour is very clearly at the heart of your home. Where do you start when choosing a colour theme for a room? 

As we are both freelance designers, colour is something we work with on a daily basis so choosing a scheme for our home felt very instinctual to us. We tend to start with a colour we both are drawn to and build from there, adding different colours through artwork and textiles until the room has a sense of balance. Also light plays a huge role in choosing paint for a home, we tried a lot of different tones until we found the shades that really made the most of the natural light and made our home feel cosy throughout the day. 

Are there any interior designers/Instagram accounts that you have been particularly inspired by throughout your renovation journey? 

We are constantly looking at so many different sources of inspiration but Instagram definitely played a huge part during our renovation journey. There are almost too many references to name but we are absolutely obsessed with Lucy Williams’ home, her use of colour and her love for unique collected pieces really helped ignite our love for curation within our own spaces.

The handle ‘@itsnotsogrimupnorth’ is such a unique and fun element to your account, what made you decide on the name?

We’re actually both originally from Yorkshire, so as our account was created during our relocation from London back to the North of England it was only fitting to reflect that in the name. We also truly believe that it’s not so grim up North - we absolutely love living here!

We adore how you’ve bought a really modern twist to your Victorian Terrace. Were there any original details of the house you were adamant to keep during the renovation process?

Sadly the only original feature that was still salvageable in our house was the Victorian tiled entrance hall. Although damaged from years of mistreatment we were determined to keep the beautiful pattern and we restored it as much as we possibly could. There are still imperfections but we are so happy we managed to keep a little piece of history alive within our home.

Gallery wall or statement piece?

Although we have a soft spot for a well-curated gallery wall, there's something undeniably powerful about a single piece of art that can hold its own in a room. Being passionate collectors, we're constantly searching for that perfect centrepiece to elevate a space. However, a gallery wall provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our ever-growing collection!

Do you have a favourite art movement?

We both really gravitate towards the Impressionist style, we love the way the more expressive brushstrokes feel personal to each artist - like a handwriting. We find it so captivating when an artist can describe the elements of a scene so well and create such a sense of light and depth within a less literal interpretation of the subject.

What do you look for when sourcing a vintage piece of art?

For us when it comes to choosing Art, it's all about how it makes us feel. We may be drawn in by the colours, the way light is captured, or the details in the image, but in the end, we always trust our gut feeling. If a piece really speaks to us, we know it's meant to be part of our collection. We love paintings that capture more unique still life imagery, portrayals of interiors and of course we can’t resist a beautiful landscape.