I know I say this every time I pull together one of these “Your Gathered Home” tours, but it’s always true – I’m so struck with awe at how much creativity, resourcefulness, and sheer talent there is among the people I’ve been lucky enough to connect with along my blogging journey!
This month is no exception, coming all the way from across the pond, from an Instagram friend who never ceases to inspire and dazzle…
Meet Pati:
You know, I’m not exactly sure when and how I first connected with Pati on Instagram (@patirobins), but I immediately developed a huge crush on her confident approach to color and playful accessorizing! Her style is so big and bold, you would never guess that it’s all contained with 78 square meters — or around 840 square feet for those of us still on the imperial system 😉
Pati is also one of the collaborators behind Style Squeeze, an online mag full of inspiration for squeezing style into small spaces and where you can find more details about some of her decorating and DIY projects!
I was so thrilled when she agreed to jump in on this series and share her home tour and killer photography with us all! I’ll let Pati introduce herself:
Pati says:
Hi, my name is Pati and I am originally from Poland, but moved to the UK after meeting my husband. For the past 11 years, I have lived in a (not owned by me) home that is 78 square meters – with my husband, daughter, 2 dogs, and a fish 😉 My style is eclectic, dark, or rock glam and full of color.
Pati’s Rock & Roll Glam Gathered Home
Rock & roll blended with a heavy dose of glam is the perfect way to describe Pati’s home! A little bit classic, a little bit kickass + a lot of fun — now that’s an album I’d listen to!
In the living room, Pati’s signature dark walls not only provide a superb backdrop for the bright colors and bold patterns of her accent pieces, but also create a restful environment to meet her family’s needs.
Pati says:
Here is our living room. It is a place that we socialise, relax, and entertain. As you can see, we love dark colours – this is partially due to the fact that my husband, who is a disabled army vet, can’t relax in lighter rooms, although we do love looking at other people’s homes. This room was also filled with all the pieces that we all love and all that thrown together created a space that is personal for us.
Why do you gather?
Me and my family love surrounding ourselves with objects that make us smile or have a special meaning for us. Gathering is an amazing thing to make our house a home that shows our personality and is unique to us. I also get a huge buzz when I find a good bargain!
See? Kindred spirit! If your home doesn’t make you smile yet, take a page from Pati’s playbook and layer in the personality and humor until it does. I love how each Your Gathered Home tour shows that there are so many ways to put your stamp on your space through finds and DIY projects that don’t cost a fortune!
Do you have a favorite gathered find or story?
My XL chandelier, that in reality is too big for the low ceilings, was won on auction for 20x less its value. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the price it sold for – I raced to collect it just in case the seller changed his mind. And the person [who sold it] had his hallway freshly plastered (also a narrow hall), so while he was taking it out – the chandelier was that wide it pulled most of the plaster off the walls! I had similar problem getting it through my hallway, much to my husband’s horror, and “Where do you think that elephant of a light is going?” questions.
I will always and forever be fond of striking light fixtures for the power they have to transform a space! Even though the chandelier makes a huge statement, the airy wireframe design keeps it from being too heavy and overpowering the rest of the room — it’s a perfect complement.
Do you have a favorite home decor piece or project that you’ve made?
There are few, actually, but my favourite is the chesterfield chair, also a Gumtree (Craigslist) find, that again hardly fitted through my hallway. When I bought it, it was red – my husband again thought I was going mad and was gently hinting to me “You know it’s red, right?”
Safe to say, I bought rubbing alcohol, leather dye, and wine (just in case I messed the project up and need a pick me up 😉 and within a day, the chair was black – that was few years ago and so far so good!
Another favourite piece that gave my husband horrors was a dog bed that I made using a very old and very dirty barrel with the help of wine – I mean tools – and some elbow grease. Our girl’s bed looks and fits in the home well.
Would you believe Pati is not the first (or second, or third) acquaintance of mine who has rescued a tragically-colored leather object and remade it with the help of leather dye? Just think of the endless possibilities to revive stained leather or rescue dated color schemes! File this one away under: “Brilliant”.
A tiny eating area is tucked into one corner of the living space and surrounded with a jungle of houseplants. This is one of two hilariously irreverent art prints with a huge paint smear/splatter defacing a prim antique portrait – part of the appropriately-named “Downton Shabby” collection once sold by UK art studio Palm Valley.
This angle of the living room looks into the entry hall, aptly labeled with an “Exit” sign over the doorway.
Pati says:
Not sure if you can see, but our hall is only 1 meter long. For a family with furry friends, storage was a must – we managed to fit that storage unit with only inches to spare. I have painted all walls and ceiling with a blackboard paint so I can quickly jot down important appointments (that always get wiped off by my daughter 😉 ) and to give the room a bit of an edge, I tiled the floor with Gumtree (UK version of Craiglist ) tiles.
The graphic black and white floor tiles add just the right punch to this teeny alcove!
No space is too small or too utilitarian to have a bit of fun, as this upstairs hallway landing proves! I believe this is the shot that first introduced me to Pati’s style, and I was absolutely transfixed!
Pati says:
Since the walls are heavily artexed – very British thing that was hugely popular in the 80 ‘s – the only way to fix it (as I can’t plaster the walls as yet ) was to paint the wall dark and cover it with as much art as possible to camouflage it.
The next room on our tour is Pati’s daughter’s room, painted in an enveloping cobalt blue:
Once more, bold colors and Pati’s perfect pattern-mixing make this room feel much larger than it actually is! She managed to pack so much function and style into this space.
Pati says:
My daughter’s room was created by putting her ideas into life. Since the room is short and narrow we had to find a short bed that fits and can accommodate an adult (thinking ahead for the future). My daughter loves pattern, so we mixed and matched as much as we could fit. I have made a custom desk that runs all along the window wall using a kitchen worktop that I cut to make it narrower and Ikea Kallax unit. For the handles, I used my husband’s belt and made leather loop handles.
If this next shot doesn’t inspire you to start blending black and white and blue in your home (something I’ve never quite been brave enough to try), I’m not sure what will!
Here’s a peek at the Ikea-hack desk that squeezes every last drop of use out of this efficient space, without feeling visually crowded in the least:
In Pati’s bedroom, another large chandy brings glamor and whimsy, while the room’s dark walls and luxurious textures feel straight out of a boutique hotel!
Pati says:
This is just temporary. I always say that to myself as I really want to change few things in there, but due to lack of time – it’s still not fully how we would love it to look. I recycled all the furniture I had – including an Ikea metal bed that I chopped off the headboard and a footboard in order to accommodate an oversized upholstered headboard. My yellow dressing table was painted over the years in many colours – but yellow seems to be my favourite (can you tell ;)).
Mountains of pillows hide my husband’s bed lift.
I’m sure we all wish our “temporary” spaces could feel so effortlessly chic!
Steal this formula: the bedroom mantel blends black + white + yellow, graphic fonts, an eye-catching piece of art, strong shapes, and the juxtaposition of a classic form (the Greek bust) with something unexpected (the jeweled epaulettes and the censorship of the gingham tape over his month). It’s definitely not a “safe” design choice, but it’s certainly effective!
The master bathroom manages to seamlessly combine accessibility and style – with easy, affordable updates that completely transformed the space! Pati stuck to a strict color palette in here, and once more, I feel like I’m peeking into a luxurious resort:
Pati says:
It’s really boring and full of disabled adaptations – but my favourite spot is the sink I managed to win on an ebay auction for 99 pence, and dark grey wall cladding that covers white tiles. The small hexagonal shelves I made myself, and to give the space a bit of a lift I have added some orange accessories.
Pati recently completed an unbelievable kitchen makeover for just £650! (That’s around $850 for us colonials.) As you can imagine, black and white play a prominent role in the space, as do artful pops of color:
Pati says:
This was my latest project. It is still not finished, but it’s slowly getting there. I kept the cupboard carcasses and replaced doors and worktops. Tiling was a bit of a challenge and in a way, I am glad I haven’t lost my sanity. I added scaffold shelves that most likely will end up being used for other non-kitchen objects.
The whole project is truly a testimony to the power of paint and a little good old-fashioned elbow grease!
I just think you cannot go wrong with a classic subway tile and wood countertop combination — but these stunning reclaimed “wood” tiles totally steal the show, don’t they?
You’ll have to visit Pati’s blog post detailing the entire makeover, because you just won’t believe how this eating area was completely transformed with just a few small changes!
What is your best advice to others on creating a gathered home?
Do what you love, go with your heart, and don’t worry if the pieces dont go together. That is the whole point -making your mismatched pieces stand out from the rest. My mum once told me you only get one life – live it. I apply that to our interiors also.
Finally, we’ll end our tour with this peek into Pati’s beautiful outdoor garden area! I dream of having an outdoor living space like this, although I’m sure it definitely won’t happen unless we move to another climate — sitting outside in Texas is always pretty hit-or-miss!
I’ve never been one for skulls in my decor, but the way Pati rocks it in her home definitely has me reconsidering.
I love the blend of classic black Panton chairs with these red stackable options! Mismatched seating always gives off a fun and relaxed vibe. Add in some swagged strings of outdoor lights and some soft music and some chilled drinks — I’m literally pining away at my keyboard over here!
The Takeaway:
Black is the new neutral.
Sure, it takes guts, but look what an amazing backdrop black walls can be for your eclectic decor! I can tell you, I am absolutely making plans to take at least one space in my home to the dark side, and I’m itching to break out my paint brush right away!
Know your power colors.
Repeating one or two accent colors from room to room can be a powerful tool for creating a cohesive home that just “feels” like you.
“Look over there!”
Distraction can be so effective! I’m sure we all have aspects of our floorplan or architecture that we don’t love, but they are rarely as prominent as we imagine them to be. Simply calling attention to something else in the room can be all that’s needed to help them disappear! Take a cue from Pati: who’s even noticing the wall texture when there’s so many eye-catching pieces of artwork to peruse?
Share your gathered home!
1. If you are a “kindred spirit” gatherer with a love for photography and a home full of stories to share, I would love for you to get in touch via email (thegatheredhome@gmail.com), or by posting pictures using #yourgatheredhome on Instagram! I can’t promise to share every space, but I do promise that I will be absolutely thrilled to hear from you and connect over our shared love of finding and making!
2. If you live remotely near the Dallas/Fort Worth (or surrounding Texas cities) area and you would be interested in participating in the “Your Gathered Home” series and having me photograph your home for a home tour, I would LOVE for you to reach out! We’ll have a blast hanging out in person, taking pics, and I promise I’ll let you laugh at the funny positions I get into when I’m in the photography zone 🙂
I can’t thank Pati enough for sharing her gorgeous gathered home (and absolutely jaw-dropping photography) with us today! What’s your favorite part?
Her living room has always been a favorite space of mine, but I’m also wildly in love with her newly-revealed kitchen!
Emy says
Pati’s home is so amazing! It makes me want to paint everything black. I was just showing my daughter Pati’s feed this weekend to try and sway her to a more stylish black room than the goth dream she has. (She’s 9….)
When I saw this home, my jaw dropped. So different from what we we online everyday and so COOL! I want to be this badass. Totally following her now. Thanks x1000 for bringing Pati’s home to our attention.
Dark and moody but I love the use of color to break it up. Such a creative home, I love seeing someone who really makes it their own.
Gosh do I feel ordinary and boring after seeing such a fantastic, stylish and fun tour. Really enjoyed seeing Pat’s home