Online Lives: Meet interiors stylist Bronagh Fleming
Bronagh Fleming from Co Clare has been using Instagram to share photos of her home, Fox Hollow. She spoke to .
Bronagh lives with her husband, who is an artist. They met while both attending Limerick School of Art and Design a number of years ago.
The Instagram account, @foxhollowstyle, shows the design and decor of their 1980s bungalow.
“We firmly put down our roots in Clare five years ago when we bought Fox Hollow. It is very much the bog-standard 1980s Irish bungalow,” Bronagh said.
Bronagh loves interior design and enjoys sharing tips for those on a budget.
“The aesthetics of interiors has always interested me. I have admired and been inspired by designs that may not have been within my budget — in other words, I’m perpetually broke!
Necessity means figuring out ways to design our home as a joyous space that reflects us as a couple, our personalities and the way we live. I want to share that clarity. I believe that beauty in the home is for everyone, regardless of budgets, style, square footage, whether it’s your forever home or a space you are inhabiting for the moment.
Bronagh’s love of writing led to her making the jump from Instagram to setting up her own blog, which can be found at foxhollowstyle.com.
“Instagram is where I started off, and I was probably drawn by the visual aesthetic more than anything else. It is still where I spend most of my screen time, it’s a hugely interactive platform for me. But the love of writing eventually prompted me to start my own blog. Those little insta squares just aren’t big enough sometimes.”
Being online led to Bronagh feeling creatively fulfilled.
“It’s changed everything for me. I liken it to my creativity having been stuffed into a tiny box for years, but now it is out and there is no hope of jamming it back in again. I am happier and more fulfilled now than ever. I have been presented with opportunities that I would never have even dreamt of a couple of years ago.”
Social media is what gave Bronagh the push to be brave about her design choices.
“It’s a place to connect, to find inspiration and to get advice,” she says.
“We hear so many negatives about social media, but I wouldn’t be as brave with some of my interiors choices without it. The encouragement on a platform like Instagram does so much for you, and it’s a chain effect, you will inspire someone else in turn.
“And the DIY disasters, the colours that don’t work — they are just as much a part of it as anything else. It’s endlessly fun.”
