Chic, gorgeous and full of heart, this home swept the colour category during the House Beautiful Real Style Awards 2026. Ignoring trends and following her heart worked out pretty well for Megan McCluskie when she added layer upon layer of whimsical, nature-inspired shades to her four-bedroom Edwardian semi in Folkestone. Meet the creative talent behind the most adorable doorways, best plate collection and jauntiest chequerboard floor on Instagram (you can check it out on @home_folke).
What’s your decorating style in three words?
Layered, playful and personal.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned about creating a great colour palette?
I’ve learnt that the best colour palettes evolve rather than being forced. Our coastal setting naturally led us towards blues, greens and sandy tones. Focusing on colours that feel happy and easy to live with has made the whole house feel more like us.
What advice would you share about finding the right palette?
Start with the colours you genuinely love and want to live with, rather than what’s trending. I’ve found that when a palette feels personal and makes you happy, everything else falls into place, and it becomes much easier to create a home that feels natural and lived-in.
What was your biggest colour challenge?
Definitely indecision. I’ve repainted more than a few rooms along the way, even despite covering the walls in (many!) sample pots. Colours can look so different once they’re actually in the space, so it’s often been a bit of trial and error.
Can you share any decorating hacks?
Painting woodwork is such an easy way to introduce colour without committing to a full wall of it. It’s a great way to add personality on a smaller budget. Sometimes just changing skirting, doors or trim can completely shift how a room feels.
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What stage of decorating do you dread? Which makes you do a happy dance?
I definitely dread the messy middle, when everything feels chaotic and you start questioning your choices! The happy-dance moment is when the room finally comes together and you add the finishing touches, like art, textiles and little personal pieces that make it feel like home.
What’s the one colour you feel you always need in your home?
Green is the one colour I always come back to. It seems to work in every room and with every mood. It feels grounding but still playful, and it’s an easy way to bring a bit of the outside in.
What does ‘home’ mean to you?
Home is our family’s safe, happy place, a space where our children can grow, play and feel completely themselves. It’s busy and lived-in, but I love making it feel playful and thoughtfully put together at the same time. More than anything, I hope it’s the kind of home they’ll always want to come back to as they grow up.
