HOUSE GUEST: SARAH KIRK

 To carefully curate a thoughtful interior that truly represents you, it can take ages of searching and experimenting,’ says Sarah Kirk, the eyes and taste behind the dreamy interiors account @godsavethescene. Sarah describes herself as an ‘American homesteading in the Cotswolds countryside,’ – her feed full of beautiful images from her period cottage in rural Gloucestershire where she lives with her young family. Describing her style as ‘relaxed traditional’, Sarah has that enviable knack of creating spaces which balance warm and inviting with whimsical elegance, often with a perfectly judged, sometimes unexpected pop of colour or print.

She traces her love for interiors to her upbringing in America – ‘I remember stopping at yard sales and antiques barns with my mother,’ she says – ‘the thrill of the hunt inspired my love of vintage and thrifting now.’ Alongside a passion for antiquing, Sarah’s home is an paean to the countryside which surrounds her home, often filled with ‘whatever in blooming at the moment.’ We caught up with Sarah on our virtual sofa to talk natural colours, rotating decor and why she’s ‘not precious about possessions’…

WW: What inspires your interior style? 

SK: I’m inspired by the landscape of the countryside here, the period features in our cottage, and I’m influenced by the simplicity of American colonial style which is prevalent in the rural mid-Atlantic states where I was raised.

WW: What’s your colour philosophy? 

SK: I think every room needs injections of colour but not necessarily to be dominated by colour. I like mixing patterns and colours, but I do prefer naturals like blues, greens and muted yellows.

WW: What are your top three interiors tips? 

SK: 1. Home takes time. 

To carefully curate a thoughtful interior that truly represents you, it can take ages of searching and experimenting. 

2.Keep things moving.

I rotate decor throughout different rooms of my home, using the same items over and over again in different places to give them new life – and to keep the dust from settling! When you find pieces you really love, it's so satisfying to see them pop up in new places around your home.

3.Bring the outside in. 

Whatever is blooming at the moment, I snip bits and bring them inside. I love watching the seasons change here in the countryside as we see new blooms month to month, even week to week. From potting snowdrop bulbs in mossy baskets and bringing them in at the beginning of the year, through to harvesting mistletoe and making pine garlands for Christmas at the end of the year, I am constantly dragging leaves, branches, blooms and stems into the house and displaying nature everywhere.

WW: Favourite room in your house? 

SK: I love styling my children's rooms. I find I can be more adventurous and whimsical with kids' spaces. I find myself in their rooms the most, putting little details in place. I love to see their reactions when they notice something new.

WW: Most precious interiors possession and the story behind it? 

SK: I'm actually not precious about possessions and I prefer items that have a purpose as well as look lovely. So I'll display old ironstone platters and stoneware pots but I'm not afraid to pull them down and actually use them. If I lost it all today, I'd just be back out at flea markets, brocantes and auctions collecting again tomorrow.