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Inside Emelia Erland’s Colourful Victorian Townhouse in Bristol

Sep 8
3 min read

Emelia’s Victorian townhouse in Bristol is a characterful blend of bold colour, restored period details, salvaged furniture and handmade touches. Across four floors, she has combined traditional architecture with an expressive, highly personal approach to interiors, using family artwork, second-hand finds and her own creative skills to shape each space. From the colourful entrance hall and bespoke kitchen to the layered bedrooms and converted loft, every room reflects her belief that a home should feel individual, practical and full of character.


DESIGNER

Emelia Erland

TYPE

Family Residence

LOCATION

Bristol, England

SERVICES

Full feature on YouTube, IG, FB & TikTok

PRESENTED BY

Emelia Erland

Bright narrow hallway with peach and cream walls, mirrors, red runner rug, yellow front door, and staircase.

The Entrance Hallway


The entrance instantly introduces the home's colourful character, with a bold orange and pink palette balanced by a fresh, green-based white. Original cornicing, plaster corbels and an archway provided inspiration for restoring period details elsewhere. “It’s really nice to have them as a reference point when you’re then trying to restore the other areas” Emelia says.


Colorful vintage kitchen with blue painted cabinets, wood floor, white fridge, and wooden stairs under a bright orange ceiling

The Kitchen


The open-plan kitchen, living and dining space is the heart of the home. Emelia and her mum made the kitchen themselves, using salvaged pine cupboard doors sourced from eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Their different sizes give the cabinetry an intentionally uneven appearance, while the angled cooker adds another distinctive feature to the kitchen.


Colorful geometric tiled kitchen counter with blue, pink, yellow, and white patterns beside a vintage white stove, retro feel

A Victorian-style tiled worktop adds another layer of pattern. “These tiles were all slightly different thickness which made my life a nightmare. But I love the design.”


Colorful dining nook with round wooden table, patterned chairs, blue sofa, pink wall, and decorative cabinet; cozy, artistic mood.

Blue patterned armchairs with matching pillows beside a small lamp table on a wood floor in a cozy sitting room.

The Living and Dining Area


A round dining table helps the space flow between the kitchen and living area, while second-hand chairs were reupholstered in a richer patterned fabric. Nearby, Emelia restored a pair of damaged sofas herself, stripping them back, re-springing them and adding new upholstery.


Decorated fireplace with pink-and-blue painted mantel, potted plants nearby, and a black TV in a cozy room.

The fireplace was also created from salvaged pieces, including a mantel from the bungalow where she grew up.


Pink room with framed abstract art spelling BRONIE, dried flowers, and a large green leaf sculpture.

Pink wall with framed abstract art, a tall lamp, and dried branches in a cozy room.

The Art and Colour


Art is central to the home's design. A painting by Emelia’s father became the starting point for the colour palette, with pinks and blues repeated throughout the interiors. Family artworks appear across the house, including pieces by her father, grandparents and brother. “It actually became an amazing way to connect with him” Emelia says of using her father’s work as inspiration.


White wrought-iron table and four chairs on a tiled patio surrounded by lush garden plants and brick walls.

Colorful mural-covered house facade with a yellow door, potted plants, and a leafy courtyard, creating a bright, eclectic mood

The Garden


The colourful approach continues outside with a large mural inspired by Emelia’s father and the work of Klimt. Salvaged bricks from the renovation were reused for raised beds, while plants came from family, neighbours and even a skip. “You don’t have to do things really, really perfectly. If anything, it makes them a little bit more charming when they aren’t.”


Cozy bedroom with wooden bed, cream blanket, pale blue walls, fireplace, shelves, and vintage art in a tidy, calm room
Ornate black fireplace in a light blue room, with a wooden stair railing in the foreground and no fire burning.
Bright vintage bedroom with white wardrobe, fireplace, blue walls, wooden mannequin, and framed Chinese poster with text.

The Blue Bedroom


The blue bedroom takes a softer approach, combining a strong blue wall with bright white walls and off-white woodwork. Salvaged fireplaces and bespoke-built shelving bring back character, while the generous storage adds practicality. “I’m a huge fan of putting shelves in all over a room” Emelia says. “It just completely changes how your eye moves around the space.”

Cozy vintage bedroom with iron bed, mint blanket, wooden dresser, wall art, bookshelves, and red curtains.
Cozy vintage bedroom with green bedspread, brass bed, wooden dresser, shelves, lace curtains, and red rug in soft daylight.
Cozy bedroom with orange fireplace wall, white wardrobe, patterned curtains, framed art, and a potted plant by the window.
Bright vintage bedroom with brass bed, fireplace, bookshelves, and art; text includes Pablo Picasso and Radical Matter.

The Twin Bedrooms


Upstairs, the two bedrooms share a similar Victorian-inspired language, with reinstated fireplaces, traditional storage, picture rails and large shelves.

Bright bedroom with teal bed, red accent wall, fireplace, patterned rug, white wardrobe, and window with burgundy curtains.

Full-length windows replaced the original short uPVC windows, making the surrounding greenery a focal point of each room. Vintage furniture and small decorative details complete the spaces.

Cozy attic bedroom with a bed, rustic wooden wardrobe, white beamed ceiling, and colorful decor; no people.
Bright rustic studio with wooden wardrobe, patterned rug, easel and stool by large windows overlooking green trees.
Cozy loft bedroom-studio with wooden floor, built-in desk and shelves, plants, stairs, patterned bedspread, and warm yellow walls.

The Loft Bedroom


At the top of the house, an unused loft has become Emelia’s bedroom, bathroom and creative workspace. Old roof rafters were reused to make the bed, wardrobe and workbench, while leftover floorboards became shelving. “This was definitely a present to myself,” she says, describing the space as the culmination of the skills she developed throughout the renovation.

White bathtub in a cozy bathroom with blue patterned tile, green towel, potted plant, and sunlight by a window.
Small white bathroom with a toilet featuring a wooden seat and lid, rustic wood floor, and a wall-mounted toilet paper holder.

The Loft Bathroom


The compact bathroom features a cast-iron Japanese hip bath, chosen for its deep shape without taking over the room. Getting it upstairs was a challenge, but Emelia says the effort was worth it. “Wow. It is worth it when you sit in here in the evening and you look out over this view, it is unbelievable.”


Smiling woman sits in a chair in a colorful vintage kitchen, with blue cabinets, a staircase, and a potted plant nearby.

A Home Full of Character


Emelia’s townhouse shows how period architecture can be reimagined through colour, creativity and salvage. Rather than aiming for perfection, she has created interiors filled with personal history, handmade details and objects with a story. The result is a Victorian home that feels both connected to its past and distinctly personal.





 
 
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