Dark décor helped to create my cosy space

RUSTIC & MOODY TOWNHOUSE

Match point

Coordinate shelving with the walls for a floating shelf effect

My story

I’ve had a passion for interior design as long as I can remember: ever since we bought our first house when we married, I was always in wallpaper, paint and furniture shops. In my last property I tended to have bright, bold wallpapers. Moving here, it was all magnolia and cream and so I started using deep, dark grey tones – that was my first introduction to a moodier style. An interior design course gave me the confidence to break some of the rules I thought I had to stick to, like leaving the ceiling white. Discovering the designer Abigail Ahern helped too – I get a lot of inspiration from her work with her furnishings and paint colours, which helped me finally materialise the look I’ve always wanted, but bring my own style to it as well.

I love raw, natural materials such as stone and concrete with rich, earthy tones of grey, brown and green and little pockets of light at different levels and angles to create a cosy space. Industrial styling can be a bit harsh and cold in a home so I use soft and luxurious fabrics and textures to warm the look up. My house is always evolving, and I like to redecorate each room every few years or so, repurposing and upcycling furniture and décor to keep the space fresh and creative. This might be my haven, but it’ll also never be finished. I’ll always keep adding to it with pieces I fall in love with!

Welcome to my home

A BIT ABOUT ME

I’m Donna Wilson, an interior designer, and I live here with my husband Alan, an electrical engineer. We have four adult children who have all left home, and three grandchildren.

WHERE I LIVE

My home is a three-bed townhouse in Belfast, built in the 1990s; we moved here 10 years ago. You can see my interiors journey on Instagram @decorbydonna_

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE

Structurally, th