Scrolling through digital creator Alanna Doherty’s Instagram, her keen eye for colour and eclectic flare is clear, and in abundance. Known for her statement style, we explored her home and studio to see if her artistic aesthetic extended into her interiors… spoiler: they do!
Delve in as we discover the inspiration behind her bold looks built around our Romy & Tiffany sofas, as well as where she developed her passion for fashion and her tips for elevating your interior…
When Alanna met fashion…
“I’ve loved clothes since I was a little girl playing dress up in my mother’s closet in Barbados! My mom has amazing style so it only made sense that I would also love fashion. I’ve experimented with many many styles over the years from all-black minimalist (if you can believe it!) to full of colour and prints. I’ve absolutely LOVED exploring my style through it all, it’s been so fun!”
In a world where everyone is making an effort towards sustainability, deciding on a statement piece that you’ll still love for years to come can be a tricky task; Alanna shares how she knows she’s found the one… “One, when I can’t stop thinking about it! And two, for fashion, when I know I’ll be able to incorporate it into my existing wardrobe and have a lot of wear! If I’m only going to wear something once, I’ll leave it or try to rent it!”
Inspiration is key
While Alanna’s playful interior may look effortlessly artful, the key to any curated interior is tapping into inspiration; whether this comes from vogue icons or vibrant places. “I certainly get a lot of style inspiration from colourful countries like Barbados, Morocco and Portugal! I love going to a place where colour surrounds you – from the plants to the colours of buildings. I’m also a massive fan of Tracee Ellis Ross and Solange! Both of these women just exude style and play with colour and various silhouettes in the best way possible!”
“My interiors are just as, if not more, colourful than my outfits are! In the same way that I’m inspired by going to colourful countries, I want my immediate environment to inspire me too! I take tons of inspo for my interiors from colour combinations that I’ve already tried in my outfits and certainly different textures and shapes, too! I love scrolling on Pinterest to find interiors inspo – it truly is the best place. I find that even though the trend now is this minimal aesthetic, on Pinterest colourful interiors are still very much appreciated there!”
Creating a happy space
In recent times, interiors have seen a surge of maximalism for the everyday; eclecticism doesn’t have to engulf your whole home, for some, small playful pieces is enough to reveal a little personality.
“The vision was to go wild with the terracotta moment! When I visited Marrakech I fell in love with the natural terracotta colour that you see on most buildings there and knew that I needed a space that made me feel as happy as I was when I visited! On the walls, on the ceiling, even the Romy couch is in the closest colour that I could find to match! Then find accents that truly compliment that base colour and make you feel like you could be in someone’s house in Marrakech! All of the little trinkets that I brought home from my trip truly make the room feel like heaven!”
Found the one(s)
“The Tiffany was the first couch that I received from sofa.com and it made me fall in love with the brand! The blush pink colour is so luxurious and truly warms up my home! Plus it’s massive enough that both my partner and I can lay out while watching tv!!! The Romy, which I have in my studio, is truly my dream couch! It’s a couch that just looks yummy when you see it, especially in the room that I’ve designed for it! It’s such a deep and comfortable couch but also looks INSANE in photographs!”
“I want that when people visit this room that they feel inspired to create but also feel really warm and cosy. I would loveee for my granny to be able to come and see it! She is an incredible artist and lives in Barbados so hopefully she can come one day and add some art to the space!”
Elevating your home?
“Painting your walls and ceiling is a fabulous way to switch up and elevate a space! It can also be quite cost effective as opposed to re-furnishing the entire space! Find a colour that you love in your existing space and make a bold moment out of it! Alternatively, switching out a couch is a great way to transform your space while keeping other existing pieces! You could even use the shape of the new couch as inspiration to rearrange your space and give it a whole new life!”
“I’m loving different shades on blue at the moment, which is very odd for me! Normally I find blue too cold since I’m more of a pink, orange and yellow lover but something about the right shade of blue that’s slightly dark and vibrant is speaking to me! The next room that i’m designing in my studio is actually based on this! I’m not sure which colour exactly for 2024 but I certainly hope that people are inspired to wear more colour, especially in the colder months! We need the vibrancy to get us through it!”
SHOP ALANNA’S LOOK…
