No.1

Comfort & joy

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

An abundance of natural foliage brings festive beauty to Paula Asple’s already warm and welcoming home

DINING AREA

Candelabras adorned with foliage are tied to the pendants to make a striking feature.

Try Vinterior for vintage white Arkana chairs.

Shoreditch dining chairs and brass hanging candelabras, The Wilds. Glass pendant lights and tableware, all House Doctor

For Paula Asple, the festive season begins in earnest when she and her husband, Simon Nelson, put on a Christmas playlist and start to decorate their home in County Wexford, Ireland. ‘Our daughter, Ellen, who is 11, loves to get involved,’ says Paula, adding, ‘When she was younger she would go for the really brightly coloured decorations but recently she has come round to my approach, which is more neutral and Scandinavian in style.’

Paula’s penchant for natural decorations – think armfuls of eucalyptus mixed with foliage foraged from the garden and hedgerows – chimes perfectly with the understated aesthetic of her home, where vintage pieces and tactile materials lend warmth to pared-back spaces. It is the result of a painstaking refurbishment of a 1930s cottage in Paula’s hometown in County Wexford. ‘We moved back to Ireland in 2014 after spending four years in London,’ says Paula. ‘Our original plan was to move to Dublin but having lived at my parents’ home for a couple of months, we realised we wanted to settle here.’

The purchase of the house coincided with the pair launching their business The Wilds, a cafe and homeware and lifestyle store in the nearby town of Enniscorthy (their second store and cafe, The Wilds at the Beehive in County Wicklow, opens in early 2024). ‘It was a busy time to put it mildly,’ says Paula, who drew up the plans for the refurbishment herself. ‘I’ve always been passionate about interiors, so I knew what I wanted to do with the cottage, although when the outrageous quotes came in from the builders, I realised I had to dial back some of my ideas.’

The revised version of the plans, drawn up with the help of an architect, was still ambitious: the cottage’s hip roof was turned into an apex shape to accommodate three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor, while on the ground floor, a double-height extension was added to the rear of the house to provide a contemporary kitchen and living space.

The layout of the ground floor was kept, and this became a sitting room and a playroom, as well as a guest suite and shower room. ‘I was keen to preserve the character of the original cottage,’ says Paula. Having lived on a tight budget in London, Paula is adept at hunting down bargains, such as the rosewood sideboard purchased on eBay for £80, or the farmhouse table bought at auction. These pieces ha