Meet Heather Barnes @ourbarnesyard. If you follow her on Instagram (and you should), you already know just how incredibly creative and awesome she is.
Straight out of Winnipeg, Heather has managed to create a space that feels inviting, warm and full of life. One look at her IG and you will be inspired to take on any do-it-yourself project by yourself!
Heather is someone who satiates her creative need by creating a beautiful, cozy and plant-filled home.
Here's 7 cool facts about Heather
1. How did you get into styling content creation?
I originally started when I was on maternity leave. I wanted to start doing projects and sharing them informally online. I didn't realize there was a business to be made there but as things grew and grew, I realized it was something that I wanted to do.
I grew my online presence after I went back to work for two years, and after the second, decided to leave my job as a teacher and pursue this full time.
2. What is your favourite part of home styling and why?
I love seeing my vision come together at the end. So often I create a mood board to guide me through a project and then when it all comes together as I had envisioned in my head, its a pretty cool feeling!
3. Which home styling project has been the most satisfying and why?
It's not a home "styling" project as much as it was a 100% renovation of our basement bathroom. Taking a room that was a blank space and creating something incredible with my own two hands has been so enjoyable to experience. I learned so much through that project and grew in my confidence as well.
4. What type of decor is the most effortless item to add to your home?
I'd say a rug. A good (and correctly sized) rug can really pull together a space and changes the vibe completely. I often will add the hashtag #rugmadetheroom to my posts because it's so true. If you're thinking of adding a rug, be sure to go big; you'll never regret a large rug, but you'll likely be unhappy with one that is too small.
5. Where did your love of plants come from?
I'm not totally sure haha I started having plants on a smaller scale when we moved into our current home, but with the incredible natural light that we got, it just felt like the perfect place for more. I love all of our rooms to have lots of plants because of the vibrancy and life they bring to a space. My love of plants really increased over the pandemic as they were a great distraction from what was going on in the world.
6. What advice would you give to a first-time home styler?
Find your personal style and follow it. There is no reason to incorporate trends into your home that you don't LOVE. Do what speaks to you and what you love. A great way to hone in on your personal style is to create boards on Pinterest or Instagram and add images to the boards that you are drawn to. After a while, you will be able to see some patterns emerge that you can begin incorporating in your own home.
7. What is your favorite plant tip?
It's a toss up between not overwatering and keeping plants potted into nursery pots rather than directly potted into decorative pots with no drainage. These two concepts are related and speak to the issue that most beginners struggle with; overwatering. Less really is more for most house plants.