Interiors expert reveals ‘one of the safest expensive bets you can make’ when renovating your home
I love my work. I love my family. And I love spending time with my family when I’m not buried in work. So to have a chance to work on a project that fundamentally combined this trio of personal loves felt so ridiculously special that the lucky feeling stays with me still.
Now, here’s the crazy part. Having a recreational retreat for my close family and friends was something I’d wanted for pretty much forever. But having a lake-life fantasy come to fruition in the summer of 2020 gave this personal life change and major project a whole new layer of meaning (you know why).
Amber Lewis lived in this lake house before deciding how to design the interiors. Shade Degges
When the world becomes unpredictable, you want your closest as close to you as humanly possible. This house was the answer. Just roomy enough for adults, kids, and pets to rally through the days together in, with the right kind of spaces for playing games, whipping up comforting meals, recovering from outdoorsing, and, of course, resting.
This home, and the people in it, felt just right when everything else in the world felt wrong. But like all projects in my world, it didn’t come to me turnkey. I didn’t start renovations for a couple of years – mostly because I kinda needed to cool my jets a bit after deciding to make the purchase. Buying this beautiful place was the first major step, and it felt intuitive to me to take some time with the design.
That pause wasn’t just practical. Turns out, it was kind of magical. We got to spend a couple years living in the house – like, really living in it. Shoes on the furniture, wine spills on the rug, kids doing parkour off the sofa.
Getting acquainted with a territorial skunk that greeted us every time we came around. This place got broken in hard, and those years of letting the house exist around us told me everything I needed to know and helped guide how I ended up designing it.
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The fact was, I learned quickly that I didn’t need a showplace – I needed a home that could take a hit or two but remain charming and beautiful. A kitchen that wasn’t precious, floors that got better with a little wear and tear, and finishes that could survive all manner of things: spaghetti sauce, muddy lake feet, and at least one small indoor scooter accident.
I wanted to honour the original character of the house and embrace the beauty we’d inherited. My goal was never to erase the home’s history, but to let it evolve into something that felt deeply personal.
Over time, through considered choices and layered details, the space began to shift. Slowly but surely, it started to speak to me and reflect the rhythm of its people. A little lived-in, a little quirky, and unmistakably us.
This house, and what it gave us, was life-changing. And though our family has recently moved on from calling it ours (sniff sniff), I can truly say that it changed me in all the right and best ways.
It also altered the way I approach rooms that focus on togetherness and gathering. And to be honest, I continue to think about this wonderful get-away pretty much every day.
Pull it together
With this house, I found that the more I added, the better it became. With each new layer, each addition of pattern and colour, each extra pillow, rug, or roll of fun wallpaper, everything worked together. The house welcomed the abundance, as if it had been waiting for it all along.
What’s funny is I still think I could’ve added more. From the start, I chose pieces with personality that could play well with the more foundational elements that were neutral enough to build upon but exciting enough to stand on their own. That’s always been part of my design approach. I begin with something adaptable, leaving space to grow and room to evolve.
However, this project pushed that philosophy a bit. I chose to lead with more colour and pattern than I usually do. For example, in the family room, a patterned grasscloth wallpaper set the tone. I layered in a Moroccan-inspired rug and the deep-eggplant-coloured sofa. The primary bedroom featured hand-painted Swedish furniture, batik curtains, bold marigold-yellow oversize lampshades, and a plaid headboard in sweetly enlarged sun-gold checks. These weren’t quiet choices, but they told a story that reflected a colour-infused haven.
Lewis used more colour and pattern in this house than usual, as demonstrated by this wallpaper. Shade Degges
This home was a master class in that approach. I knew that a striped drape could sit comfortably beside a patterned wall, as long as they both stayed grounded in the same tonal family. That shared neutrality gave me the freedom to be more daring elsewhere. I had flexibility to inject vibrant patterns and unexpected pairings without overwhelming the space. It became a rhythm of restraint and release. And the house wore it well.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper is one way I go all in. It’s dramatic, it’s personal, and unlike many design decisions, this one is actually reversible. That’s why I consider it one of the safest expensive bets you can make.
If you’re on the fence, even better. That’s when wallpaper is at its best. It’s perfect for those commitment-curious moments when you want to take a risk without locking in forever. Want some design math? Think about how much you love it, how many days it’ll bring you joy, and divide that by the cost. Even if it’s just two or three years, I say: WORTH IT. And when you’re over it? Get new wallpaper.
I love using wallpaper to inject personality into a space, especially when everything else is feeling a little too neutral or predictable. It’s a great way to weave in colour or pattern without letting it take over the room. Before you go all in on purple pillows or a statement sofa, maybe start with wall-paper. It works beautifully in small spaces.
My go-tos are powder baths, guest rooms, random hallways, and dining rooms. Places where you can go bold with colour, pattern, and texture and not think twice. But I’ve also used it in big rooms, where the goal is to set a tone and punch it up.
Lewis is a huge fan of wallpaper because it makes a big impact but isn’t permanent. Shade Degges
My instinct is that wallpaper should always feel like a statement, even if it’s a subtle one. Textures like grasscloth, embossed prints, sisal, and painted motifs will undoubtedly change the way a space feels. They will add depth and dimension.
Even solid wallpaper can break up the monotony of flat painted walls. And that’s the beauty of it: Whether you want to make a strong impression or just shift the atmosphere slightly, wallpaper delivers.
This is an edited extract from Interiors by Amber Lewis, with Christina Poletto, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally from the 27th of October.
