Love pink and red? Then this one's for you...
Fans of neutrals, look away now - because this influencer doesn't know the meaning of the word! Interiors influencer @OurLayeredHome (aka Tara Slinger, below) likes a bit of colour in her life - and that's something of an understatement.
Those of you who follow Tara will know that red and pink are her go-to colours, but when Halloween rolls around, there's always scope for more. We catch up with Tara to find out more about her signature style - and get a sneak-peek into how her home will be looking over the spooky season...
Q. So Tara...we have to ask! Why pink and red?
‘When I was younger I didn’t like pink (shocker!) but I did go through that ‘shabby chic’ phase, which included lots of red patchwork and hearts. It unlocked a love of colour and vibrancy, and an addiction for quirky items that would make people stop for a moment.
‘My two favourite colour combos are actually pink and red or pink and green, and this is reflected in my wardrobe too – my home and my wardrobe are continually trying to outdo each other!
‘I can’t explain my love for red and pink, it just makes me smile and inspires me so much.
I know people can see red as the colour of anger, but paired with pink all I see is love and inspiration.
'To me, they’re the colours of a big comforting hug, so I think they’re perfect for the home.’
Q. What triggered your interest in interiors?
‘I grew up in a low-income family, which meant that there wasn’t much spare cash to spend on homeware. Instead, though, my parents were super creative.
'I remember when the ‘purple and silver’ interiors trend was going around, for my birthday all I wanted was for my bedroom to be transformed to reflect the theme. I went to school and came home to a whole new bedroom – my parents had painted second-hand furniture and accessorised in the colour scheme and I absolutely LOVED it. They taught me that anything is possible with a little creativity.
‘Then when lockdown hit and the world shut down, I started rescuing other people’s ‘rubbish’ from the alley behind our house. I’d upcycle these pieces and share them online – little did I know that people would be inspired by this and love following along.
‘From there, my passion has grown. There’s something so rewarding about doing it yourself, and I love being able to show my son Henry that anything is possible if you try - just like my parents taught me.’
Q. How else do you like to express yourself creatively?
‘Well, before content creation became my full-time job, creating my dream home through DIY and craft projects was my creative outlet. It still is – I’m so lucky to be able to do what I love every day. I have my dream job that supports my ADHD by letting me experiment with new things constantly, and means no two days are the same.
‘I also love to use my wardrobe to express myself creatively – the school run is my catwalk and I 100% dress for the little girls! When the Barbie film came out, I turned up at school in a pink organza dress and silver boots and so many little girls asked to have their picture taken with ‘Barbie’. That's 100% my claim to fame now!
‘Another way I like to be creative away from home though is something I discovered last year. After years of suffering with chronic pain that was ruining my quality of life – and after years of medical tests and scans – in January 2023, I decided I wasn’t going to let it control me anymore and I joined a local studio and tried out Pole Fitness and Aerial Hoop. I loved both, and found that I was quite good at them!
'Fast forward to now and I’ve made so many incredible friends, become part of a whole new community of women supporting women and I am now even an Aerial Hoop Instructor and teach a few nights a week.
'If ever I feel a bit overwhelmed, I head to the studio and train – pushing my body to create beautiful, fluid shapes that I can then teach to my students.’
Q. What’s the key to creating an interiors theme that works?
'Don't overcomplicate things. Just do what YOU love! As long as you love it, that’s all that matters; don’t even worry about what other people think.
‘If a colour brings you joy – use it. If an accessory makes you smile – buy it. Interiors, like everything creative, is completely subjective – but in your home, your opinion is the only one that matters. Try not to be driven too much by trends, because that is when you fall into the trap of creating a space for other people.
‘That’s something I love about RSG – it’s less trend-driven and more about those quirky timeless pieces that just add that ‘WOW’ factor to your space.'
Q. When you’re creating a look, or a room, what’s your process?
‘It can happen in so many ways. I’m a huge fan of wallpaper, so that’s where most of my rooms begin. I find a wallpaper I love and then build from there, picking paint colours and accessories.
As a general ‘rule’ [though I use that term loosely] I always begin with no more than three colours and if I’m introducing a few patterns, I make sure they have a colour scheme in common. Though all of that does tend to go out of the window over time. I tend to do a room using my chosen wallpaper, paint and accessories, but it’s what happens after that that really makes it into something special. Adding more accessories and patterns as I discover them is really what makes a room sing.
I do wish I was a ‘plan, do, done’ type of girlie, but I’m more of a ‘just go for it’ and ‘add to it over time’ girl. I don’t think that will ever change!’
Q. Do you have a signature Halloween look?
'I love to go spooky but cute, it always involves pink and usually a little bit of magic and humour too! We actually pride ourselves on being the house in our area that everyone ‘must visit’ on Halloween night.'
How do you marry pink and red with darker Halloween colours?
'Red comes very naturally with Halloween so that’s a big tick – and pink and red are the ultimate combo, so it usually involves me spray painting skeletons pink or painting pumpkins and making pink potion bottles to sit along side everything.
'This year I’ve embraced a little ‘Beetlejuice’ and gone for black, white, pink and disco! Because the RSG disco pumpkin had to be centre of attention!
'I believe that all seasons and celebrations don’t have to stick to any particular ‘traditions’ and ‘colour schemes’ so you can make everything work for you.
'At Christmas our living room goes practically rainbow and our dining room sports my favourite pink and red colour scheme!'
Finish this sentence: ‘The secret to creating a home you love is...’
'The secret to creating a home you love is to fill it with things that make you smile every day and fill you with joy - especially at Halloween and Christmas. Happy Halloween, everyone!'
