A New Life For An Old Piggery

Husband and wife super-team, Michaela and Remy, are the brains behind @theoldpiggery, an Instagram account charting the couple’s renovation journey of a quiet rural site. Filled with DIY and a carefully curated craft spirit, they’re a modern country inspiration for the ages.

 Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your home and your go to style.                      

We are a husband and wife renovating team!! Our home is an eclectic mix of repurposed, sustainable and world-gathered styles. We have injected a huge amount of our personality into our home through our love of travel. We took great joy in purchasing beautiful items from makers all over the world. Our style is all about starting with a hero item, be it a light fitting or another unique piece, which then sets the tone for the space. It's an inspirational starting point.

You used Morris & Co. Paint to decorate your guest bedroom. How could you see Morris & Co. Paint being used in other rooms in your home?

I feel the 40 available hues are so incredibly versatile. For example, we would love to explore using Wooded Dell on our stairs or Chrysanthemum  in our kitchen teamed with pops of gold with a blue, for example, Emery Blue. I could see River Wandle and Red House working well together in our office space.

How has using Morris & Co. brought you joy, and how have they lent themselves to your modern country style?

I absolutely love the history behind the brand, in particular the paint hues which were born from 19th century logbooks and William Morris designs.

I feel the creative heritage of Morris & Co. really inspires you to play with different techniques, from contemporary to historic. 

What advice would you give to those who want to create their own wood panelling?

If you’re going for a similar panelling to ours using MDF, make sure you use a suitable primer. This ensures that you will get a crisp finish. We used a rail saw to cut grooves in full sheets of MDF which meant we cut the installation time right down.

What is your favourite interior trend at the moment that you would love to try?

We’re loving the bold borders in rooms and also coloured concrete, especially for bathrooms where the sink, bath, floor and wall are all made out of the same material. Cork is a material I really want to use as it’s more sustainable and I feel it has untold flexibility.

For more design inspiration and to hear from incredible craftspeople, follow us on instagram @wmorrisandco and explore @theoldpiggery