At Home - Hannah + Alex

You know when you just know?  This is how we felt about Hannah and Alex's home.  We knew before we even saw it, that it would be something special.  And so, it was an honour when one warm summer's day, we were able to visit Hannah at home, to discover the place she and Alex have created in a relatively short space of time.  We talked about what is was like to move country and set up a new home amidst a pandemic and got some great photos to share with and inspire you.

 Enjoy! x

(Photography by Simon Hutchinson).

Can you tell us about your home and who lives there?

My husband Alex and I live in a Victorian townhouse near Ormeau Park. We moved to Belfast from Brooklyn  in early 2021 for Alex’s work, but we split our time between here and New York, where my job is based. This is the first space that we’ve set up together!

What is your favourite bit of your home?

It’s hard to choose! Alex and I both work busy jobs, so my favo(u)rite places are where we spend time together. At night we like to watch TV in the snug using a big projector screen. On weekend mornings we both sit in our front room with a cup of coffee, and when the weather is nice we like to sit out front with a fire going!

 Where do you get your ideas and inspiration for your home?

 A combination of our travels and the internet. Between us, we’ve lived in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. We’ve also each been to at least 30 countries and we like to reflect our love for travel in our house. Japan - where we’ve both lived - has extra special meaning to us, so there’s definitely a strong influence from our time there.

When we moved to Belfast during the height of lockdown, we wanted to create a comfortable home vibe with pieces we really loved as quickly as we (reasonably) could, so I spent a lotof time on Maven’s site. It always helps to have a curated portal into the world of furniture to help you along the way!

Your colour palette is very restrained, tell us about that.

We both really like neutrals and natural materials. Keeping things to a simple palette makes it easier to mix and match pieces, and no matter what era, natural materials look and feel nice! That said, we’re still so early on in our home decor journey, I’m eager to get a bit bolder and more expressive as we collect art and furnishings. I dream of a surprising and quirky  patterned wallpaper!

If money was no object, what would you buy for your home.

I’m currently looking for an antique sideboard to offset the modern dining area. I’d love something really different, like an Italian mid-century parchment piece with cupids on the front, perhaps? Better we can’t afford it, Alex would hate it! If it were up to him, Alex would like a swimming pool, but I’m not so sure how that would work in this climate. Or in our small garden area for that matter. 

We can both agree that we’d love to have the furry Menu Knitting Chair in our bedroom.

You work from home, have you any habits or rituals to separate work life and home life?

It’s been so nice to have an office space while I’m here in Belfast. When I’m in New York, I work from the dining table, so the whole apartment feels like the office. Having a designated space for work makes a huge difference, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s on the top floor - it’s a commute!

How would you spend a perfect weekend?

We love to take the train to Lisburn and run back along the Lagan Towpath and then make Sichuanese food for dinner with a nice bottle of wine!