Have you ever seen a breath of fresh air? It usually appears suddenly, boldly, always beautifully, and leaves you much happier than you were just a second ago. And that’s exactly how I’d describe Jane Foster’s home. Jane is a brilliant screen printer and fabric wizard who lives in Totnes Devon in the UK with her partner and young daughter. Together they’ve built a contemporary modern eco home where she creates all of her happy designs. I promise her home tour will make you want to paint every wall in your house white!
Three words to describe your decorating style:
Retro, cheerful, and mid-century modern.
Tell us the story of the caravan! Do you use it for travel or as an outdoor space?
Our caravan is used for holidays in Cornwall.
That red poppy table and pink couch are unexpected and very cool bursts of color. Where did you find them?
They were both from different antique shops in Brighton. I spotted the Marimekko formica table in a junk shop one Sunday and phoned them to ask if I could buy it. They opened up the shop the same day and sold it to me! The rest of the shop was old horrid-looking antiques so this caught my eye!
Your collections are so unique. Who are your favorite artists to collect?
I don’t collect any one artist, just ones that catch my eye. I particularly love Scandinavian ceramics from the 50s and 60s. The cars and figurines are all from second-hand shops, car boot sales and eBay. The artwork on the walls is mostly my own or a friend’s.
I love the yellow picnic table. How do you use that outdoor space?
The doors are open in the summer to create one large living space. We often have a paddling pool on the deck, rugs and floor cushions. It’s an easy, low maintenance space. In the winter, we make our space cozier by closing off the room with curtains and getting our log burner going.
What is your secret to using so many bright colors together?
Keep the walls white! I tend to prefer bold primary colours to pastels. I avoid black and brown and we have pale maple floor which also reflects the light and keeps the space bright and sunny.
What is that little piece in the corner of your family room? It looks like slices of pie. I’m so curious!
This is a Dutch 1950s birch-ply sewing box! It’s one of my favourite belongings.
I don’t see a television. Your home looks almost too creative to have one!
We have a very small TV that sits on a small low down table on casters so it can be wheeled in and out of the corner and is never a focal point!
What does your daughter love most about this space?
She can ride her scooter up and down the open plan space and can dance to my piano playing!
Shops or sources you can’t leave without buying something for your home:
A car boot sale or Ikea.
Where do you find the most design inspiration?
Looking through coffee table design books from the 60s and 70s. For example, The House Book by Terence Conran and anything by Marimekko.
Your family room works best when…
we’re all in one room doing what we all love: drawing, painting, or dancing to my piano playing. Mostly nursery rhymes for my daughter!
Did you just add Buy White Paint to your to-do list? I did, too. Thank you, darling Jane, for inspiring us with your fresh style! By the way, I very much prefer car boot sale to flea market, don’t you? Be sure to keep Jane’s shop on your radar as she’s just about to launch a new Make Your Own Santa kit and add more adorable Clothkits designs to her collection.