It can be hard to pin down exactly what makes a room feel homely, but there are usually clues. Chances are there’s a well-worn rug, artwork picked up at a market and a lamp that’s moved from house to house. Nothing quite matches, and none of it was bought on the same day, and that’s what gives a collected room its charm.
To help us recreate that feeling, we spoke with Lisa Mehydene, self-confessed rug addict and founder of the online homewares store edit58. For over a decade, she’s been sourcing vintage rugs and textiles from dealers across the world, finding one-of-a-kind pieces for her clients and a few treasures of her own along the way.
From the prints she’d pair together to the rug she’d put underfoot, here’s how Lisa would style our A Tale of House & Hedgerow collection.
1. Mix vintage finds with new favourites
If you want a room filled with pieces that look gathered over time, rather than bought all at once, don't keep the old and new in separate corners. Put them together. "A vintage lamp base paired with a new lampshade. New bedlinens with a vintage eiderdown. A new sofa scattered with vintage cushions," says Lisa.
"The end result is that it is hard to pinpoint where anything is from. It just feels like a considered, warm and comfortable space."
You don't need to buy everything vintage to get the look, either. Lisa often gives new pieces a vintage twist: "Buy a cushion off the shelf and then add a vintage trim, panel or fabric remnant to make a bespoke, one-off finished piece."
For the bed, Lisa prefers mixing prints rather than matching them: Berry Heritage Gingham pillowcases and fitted sheet on top, with Blackberry Bramble pillowcases and duvet cover.
Playbook tip: Add one vintage layer to new bedding, like an eiderdown, a kantha quilt or an old wool blanket at the foot of the bed.
2. Pair a floral with a stripe or a check
Lisa likes to balance a loose floral with something a bit more structured.
"I always love a floral fabric like Heirloom Rose or Blackberry Bramble paired with a vintage ticking stripe (in fact any style of stripe) or a vintage Vichy gingham," she says. "You can pick out a colour that features in the floral and repeat it in the stripe or check."
Her picks? A dusty pink French ticking for Heirloom Rose, and a deep burgundy French Vichy for Blackberry Bramble. With Walderton Stripe in Berry, she does it the other way round, adding a bold floral kantha quilt and a chintz lumbar cushion. "The pairing of florals and stripes always works."
Playbook tip: Pick one colour from your floral and look for it in your stripe or check.
3. Let a vintage rug do the heavy lifting
If you buy just one vintage piece, make it a rug. "I call them artwork for your floor," says Lisa, "and I really do believe they have the power to completely alter the feeling of a space; both visually and emotionally."
Better still, a good rug stands the test of time. "They can move houses with you, and they also hold their value," she says. "They are without doubt the hardest working pieces in a home, and to me, just get better with age."
For our Berry, Rhubarb, Fern Green and Oatmeal tones, Lisa would go for a Turkish floral kilim with "warm ochres, deep brown and tan tones" mixed in, so it doesn't all feel "too matchy matchy".
Before you buy, think about how you want it to feel underfoot (a deeper pile is lovely and soft in a bedroom). And be a little wary. Not every rug labelled ‘antique’ really is, which is why Lisa suggests going through a trusted dealer or specialist. If you do buy at a market, “ask lots of questions, give the rug the sniff test, and check it over carefully.”
Playbook tip: Keep your room measurements saved on your phone, so you never fall for a rug that won't fit.
4. Keep romance from tipping into twee
"I love the gentle romanticism of the Heirloom Rose print," says Lisa, "but I would layer in modern elements alongside vintage and seek to mix patterns, textures and colours to keep the finished space from being too nostalgic and sugary."
A forest green gloss lamp with a rattan shade is a good example, pairing a modern finish with a timeless texture. And for the headboard: "If you can't stretch to upholstering, throw a vintage fabric over an existing headboard for a similar effect."
Playbook tip: For every pretty, romantic piece, add something a little more modern, like a gloss lamp base or a crisp stripe.
5. Ground bold prints with quieter moments
We love gingham, but a whole room of it can be a lot. "Ultimately, bedrooms are meant to be restful spaces," says Lisa, so with Pembroke Gingham in Rhubarb & Rose she'd look for calmer pieces to sit alongside it.
The Patchwork Quilt picks out the rhubarb check, "but thanks to its plain oatmeal ground, would calm the overall feel," while a simple sisal rug "acts as a plain but provides texture through the natural fibres." Beyond that, she'd add vintage artworks, a mirror in a glossy frame, a simple armchair with a cosy vintage blanket thrown over it and "a bookcase filled to the brim."
Playbook tip: Pair a bold check with plain pieces in the same colours, like a plain linen lampshade with a coloured trim.
6. Look for woven and handmade pieces
Lisa admits to two weaknesses when she's sourcing. The first is rattan: "I am always and forever sourcing rattan baskets, trays, lampshades, lampbases, chairs...the list goes on," she says. "It has such a grounding effect in a space, it works in traditional and contemporary interiors, is hardwearing and acts as a neutral."
The second is embroidery. "I am a complete sucker for an embroidered fabric, rug, framed sampler or table linens. Anything worked by hand always feels so special."
By the bed, she'd choose a ceramic that "echoes the palette but is maybe in an unexpected texture", such as a hand-painted terracotta pot filled with edit58 paper flowers. “These are perfect in bedrooms as they add a natural element without any of the upkeep of the real thing!”
With a soft print like Hedgerow Floral, a rattan side table and a chunky wooden lamp stop things from feeling too delicate.
Playbook tip: Bring in different textures, like woven rattan, hand embroidery and painted ceramics.
7. Collect pieces with a story
Some of our favourite things at home are the ones that remind us of somewhere. For Lisa, it’s the vintage artwork she picks up on her travels: "It always reminds me of the place and adds a meaningful, storied feel to the decoration of our home."
“Often they are already framed, which can be the expensive part of buying new, and the aspect you never actually get around to doing!”
Closer to home, it's worth trying charity shops, eBay, Vinted, car boot sales, vintage markets and salvage yards. Online, "be as specific in your search terms as possible, save searches and set alerts." In person, "get there as early as possible, start at the back (so you're not battling the crowds) and always buy an item that you love. It's not worth buyer's regret, as you'll likely never find the same piece again."
Her own favourite is Kempton market in West London, on the second and final Tuesday of each month from 6am. "Get there early, get a coffee, take cash and make a morning of it with a friend."
And don't worry about trends. "If you go with what you genuinely love, you will no doubt still adore the pieces years down the line."
Playbook tip: Bring one small thing home from every trip, whether it's a print, a ceramic or a scrap of fabric.
Lisa's Christmas Wish List
Before we let her get back to sourcing, we asked Lisa which Piglet pieces she'd love to find under the tree this year.
- Patchwork Quilt: "It leans into the folk, cosy barn aesthetic I love. I would use this over the bed, over the back of the sofa, and then in Spring and Summer it would be perfect outside over our bench seat."
- Hot Water Bottle Cover in White Woodland Stripe: "You can never have too many hot water bottles. I love filling it up and placing it in my bed as I do my evening beauty routine. My side of the bed is then toasty warm when I get in!"
- Pembroke Cotton Hairwrap and Headband: "The perfect tools used in the evening beauty routine."
- Berry Gingham Pyjama Trouser Set: "Such a classic and will be worn nightly until Easter at least, knowing how long our UK winters last."
- Cosy V-Neck Cardigan in Soft Grey: "This is far too lovely to be kept as indoor loungewear. I'll be wearing mine from country walks to cosy fireside pub drinks."
- Wallow Bath & Body Oil in Untamed Moss: "I adore this product, probably because it contains geranium – a favourite. Whether used as a bath soak or a body oil, it feels indulgent and relaxing."
- Wallow Candle in Untamed Moss: "This clean-burning candle is endlessly calming. I like to burn it whilst soaking in the bath (filled with the bath oil from the range)."
Shop A Tale of House & Hedgerow, and discover more of Lisa's vintage finds at edit58.
