Annie’s home, a Victorian townhouse in the creative heart of Oxford, is colourful, creative and full of art and interesting finds.

Her home is a true reflection of her creative spirit and love of travel, from her collection of Indian glass paintings to a Ghanian barber’s sign and 19th-century French flea market finds. Somehow it all comes together, showcased against a backdrop of bold and bright colours on the walls.

“Some people say my style is bohemian but it’s just layers of texture and colour and collections of things that I find beautiful”

Annie and her husband David bought the house in 2000 and raised their family of three boys here. The house has beautiful architectural features and original cornicing, so the couple did very little to the house structurally. Two reception rooms on the ground floor were knocked together to create a bigger space and a contemporary garden room was added to the back of the house. “I wanted to be able to open the front door and see right through to the back to view the garden.” says Annie.

The house is full of inherited furniture, unique finds from reclamation yards and pieces she has crafted herself. Each room tells a story, showcasing Annie’s love of colour and design.

Annie has chosen a mix of her own paint colours for her home, often trying out new colours in to see if they work.

The high-ceilinged entrance hallway is painted in earthy Piranesi Pink.

The hall walls are hung with Annie’s collection of art from her own sketches to old Dutch oil paintings, Graham Sutherland drawings and Chinese prints.

In the front of her sitting room, Annie has painted the walls in Schinkel Green, a bright statement green named after the neoclassical German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, while keeping the original beautifully restored cornicing in Old White and the ceiling in Country Grey. Schinkel is a strong colour but because the room is hung with Annie’s collection of art, it doesn’t overpower the room.

Annie has painted the shelves either side of the fireplace in a riot of colour to showcase her collection of treasures.

“I find it impossible to describe my style’ says, Annie. “It’s grown organically over the years. I’m like a magpie, I love bits and pieces and beautiful things, and you’ll find them dotted all over the house.”

In the back part of the sitting room the walls are painted in Cambrian Blue to create a more relaxed feel to the room, which showcases more of Annie’s finds. Annie has also painted Firle behind the 18th century doors salvaged from the University of Oxford which are displayed on her sitting room wall.

In the back of the house is Annie’s garden room, where she used Chalk Paint in Graphite on the walls to create a soft, uneven effect as a textured backdrop to a collection of vintage paintings found in junk shops over the years. The exception is a striking drawing of a pregnant woman by her son, Felix.

The French carved sofa was painted in Chalk Paint in Château Grey, then furnished in a variety of cushions made from African fabrics from Urbanstax, Peruvian striped wool from Inka Fabric and others made from Annie’s own range of fabrics.

The painter’s palette sitting on the colourful pink sideboard was a happy find in New York.

Annie eats her breakfast in the light filled conservatory which was inspired by a Cuban restaurant. The walls are painted in Antibes Green, Antoinette and Aubusson Blue and sealed with Clear Chalk Paint Wax. Old mouldings painted graphite create planters for her collection of houseplants.

Annie’s house is not all a riot of colour. In her kitchen, she painted the cabinets French Linen, which is a perfect neutral – although the splashback features a colourful freehand mural of acrobats to help Annie get creative when she’s cooking!

“I do love a home that has colour in it – I think we all need colour in our lives!”

Annie painted the walls of her cosy basement dining room using Wall Paint in Emperor’s Silk, finished with Clear Chalk Paint Wax to give a luxurious feel. Annie’s Linen Union Fabric Collection is showcased on French 19th-century chairs around the dining table, which is also painted using Château Grey.

Upstairs Wall Paint in Aubusson Blue forms the backdrop to Annie and David’s master bedroom. David crafted the bedhead from 18^th century mouldings which Annie then painted and gilded. Annie also made the bed cover from Linen Union in Emile + Graphite. Two modern peacock bedside table lamps were painted in Versailles.

Annie made a style statement in her Aubusson Blue bathroom by painting a sweeping landscape on the bath panel, which complements the beautiful old crewel work embroidery fabric she’s used for the outside of her shower curtain.