Q&A with Kerry Lockwood, interior stylist & content creator.
First of all Kerry, a big hello! We’ve been fans of your interior talents here at Vincent & Barn for years now. So, let’s imagine we’re sitting over a cup of coffee (and a large tin of biscuits) - tell us about your career and how it got started.
Hi! These biscuits are deelish!! It all started when we had to relocate for my husband’s job. We decided to rent our house out and then rent somewhere up in Northumberland rather than selling straight away. Then I found myself looking at ways to decorate a rented house to make it feel more like home, without spending a fortune. That’s when I decided to start my blog, to document the changes as we went and to help inspire other tenants to do the same. I also got lots of requests for help with interiors, so that’s when I decided to offer an interior styling service.
You have over 100k followers on Instagram, which is staggering! Did it start out as a hobby, which turned into a tool to complement your career?
Thank you! I’ve just hit 100k, I’m so happy but it feels very surreal That’s exactly how it started. After starting the blog, I then used Instagram, along with other social media channels to promote my posts. I’ve worked on it daily for the past three years, so achieving 100k is amazing.
How would you describe your style?
It’s a tricky one really, with me renting I’ve had to adapt my style to fit around the house that we live in and the features that it has. So, for example, my kitchen at the moment is nothing like what I would choose if I was given the chance to have a brand-new kitchen. Obviously, it’s not something that I would change in a rented house, so I’ve adapted my style to make the most of what we have. I’ve picked up lots of tricks along the way like using statement furniture to distract the eye from areas that I don’t particularly like! If I could start a fresh, then I would say my style is very eclectic. I love to mix old and new. My dream house would be a converted warehouse with industrial features, softened with touches of glamour and lots of rustic wood!
Obviously at Vincent & Barn we love industrial inspired interiors, and we can see elements of this in your home. Is this a style of décor you’re partial too?
Definitely, I love the textures of industrial interiors, raw materials like concrete, metal and reclaimed wood mixed together to give a sleek but rough around the edge’s kind of look!
You really have stamped on the myth that rentals can’t be stylish with your beautiful home. Can you give us your top tip for making a rental feel more like home?
I think it’s really important to furnish it with pieces that you love rather than just buying cheap to “put you on” because more often than not, you’ll find yourself living there for much longer than you expected.
Which is your favourite room in your home at the moment and why?
I would probably say the kitchen. We spend a lot of time in there as a family, we sit around the vintage workbench most evenings for dinner, discussing our day. It has two large windows and a sky light so lots of natural light streaming in, which makes it lovely and bright.
We’d love to know where you draw your inspiration from? Do you look to other bloggers, magazines, etc?
I take a lot of inspiration from travel and nature. I love architecture, shapes and designs of buildings, styles of windows, textures, colours, lights and shadows. Also, hotels like Artist Residence, The Hoxton and Soho group. I’m forever taking photo’s wherever I go! I also use Pinterest and have old copies of interior magazines going back 10 years which I often pull out and flick back through.
Finally, are you a trend hunter or more of a timeless buyer when it comes to purchasing things for your home?
I’m definitely more of a timeless buyer. I don’t really follow interior trends because I find that I soon go off them. If I buy something because I love it then I know there’s always going to be a place somewhere in my home for it.
