There are three things Amber Clery is great at: interior design, wedding styling and treasure hunting. For years she’s been passionately sourcing and unearthing unique pieces of furniture and decorative items. And, last year, she took the plunge and launched her own home and lifestyle collection, Amber + Willow (Willow is the name of her seven-year-old daughter). ‘I love searching for objects that spark a memory and add magic to a space,’ she says. ‘I have a particular weakness for anything with a time-worn patina or an unusual feel.’
Amber’s home, in the rolling hills of the Irish countryside, was built just over a decade ago, yet is inspired by Georgian architecture. Despite the classic architecture that Amber and her husband, Mick, decided on, the interior is much more bohemian and modern. It’s a look that suits family life well.
‘I’m drawn to different styles and love adding playful touches,’ she says. ‘But, most importantly, we wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels at ease.’ She explains that the home will never be finished because they are constantly collecting things that tell their story, picking up items on their travels or at local flea markets.
Ian Mankin ticking fabric. The beaded pendant lamp was found on Etsy. The French urn, which serves as a vase, is from Chic Antique. - Ruth Maria Murphy/Living Inside -
a piece of vintage wallpaper at the back. - Ruth Maria Murphy/Living Inside -
Market. On the wall is a vintage kantha from India, and next to it stands a reclaimed wood-carved panel, also from India. - Ruth Maria Murphy/Living Inside -
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The most important and cherished of their treasures is a set of reclaimed Indian panels, found in a salvage yard in Somerset, which is a favourite go-to spot for finding pieces. Elsewhere, nostalgia and light-heartedness mix in her collection of vintage advertising posters, while a Narnia-inspired ‘magic wardrobe’ door that opens to Willow’s bedroom generates a sense of wonder that she’s always trying to encourage in her children.
That feeling of awe is what guides Amber. She first developed a love of textiles on a trip to Peru, ‘where streets were lined with little shops heaving with piles of handmade blankets that hit the ceiling’, and she started appreciating handmade craft and design as she watched how fabrics were made. It’s from Peru that she now sources her adored vintage frazada cushions. Other pieces for Amber + Willow are sourced from across the world, mostly from women artisans – from Ireland to Asia and Africa.
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‘A key focus for the shop is sourcing one-off finds, whether it’s a vintage cabinet in a striking turquoise paint or a beautiful piece of architectural salvage that could be mounted on the wall,’ she says. ‘These imperfect yet charming objects come with a soul and elevate any interior.’ In her own dining room, a pink cabinet that stores vintage and heirloom china was an inexpensive flea-market find that Amber upcycled by painting it in Annie Sloan’s light-pink Antoinette, adding a finishing touch with a piece of vintage floral wallpaper.
Amber’s travels have very much inspired the look and feel of the house. In the showstopper of a kitchen she’s gone for a Mediterranean vibe – a villa in Spain that the family stayed in provided the inspiration for the cooker hood and open shelving, while the kitchen island was custom-made from an antique French baker’s table, and given added charm with fabric panels from Cabbages & Roses. ‘I wanted it to be a statement piece of furniture and I think it adds so much character to the room,’ she says.
Something Amber often finds herself doing is figuring out what makes a place feel lovely; the unbeatable feeling of being on holiday is what she aims to evoke for herself in her own home, and for others in theirs, too.