Member Stories
Leanne Kilroy
Leanne Kilroy is a renowned designer and creator behind the hugely popular Instagram account Good Bones. She spoke to us, perched in her sun-drenched bedroom bay window, about her renovation, design philosophy and role of art in interiors.
On renovating…
“We bought our home in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. It had been owned by the same family for 25 years. Over time they’d divided it up into two flats, and then back to one house, and there were seven boarders when we bought it. There were two kitchens and lots of little bedrooms. And it really needed a good overhaul. When we originally came to see it, it wasn’t looking great but I did notice things like the cornicing, and it’s just so beautiful…
Pretty quickly I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. We had the builders start in April [2020]. We were able to extend in the back and to the side, and then the first phase of work was the ground floor. About a year and a half later we did the first floor and controversially got rid of a bedroom and made it into an en suite bathroom. Quite brave, because normally, people want to have more and more bedrooms, because it seems to increase the value of the house. But for us, if this was going to be a home we live in for a long time, the best use of space would be to have a bathroom connected. We also wanted to keep it a family bathroom, because it didn’t feel right to kind of block off this massive room just for us. So we maintained the connection with the hall so that our kids can use it.”
On art…
Leanne takes a refreshingly eclectic approach to art around her home, with accents of interest in nooks and hallways. Having tried our curated membership service in the very early days of Interrupted Art, Leanne also fell in love with a Victoria Harrison piece (pictured here from her shower!), which she added to her collection and hangs in the bathroom using ribbon from her picture rail.
“I love art, and I love moving art around. And I also love old photographs. You know, I just saw one of my Instagram acquaintances had her, I think, grandparents’ photographs beautifully framed and mounted. It’s just such a great idea. I get so much of my design inspiration from my parents and every wall of their house is just covered in art. My husband and I don’t necessarily have the same taste, which so often happens. But we’ve also been pouring all of our pennies into the bones of the house, and then we’ll get to things like fine art, which is why I’ve loved using your service, because it’s given us a taste of what can come.”
“Your home has to bring you joy and meaning. And it’s the keeper of memories. The whole point is to be a place that reflects you.”
On finishing touches…
“I think when it comes to finishing a client’s home, I never specify accessories, if that makes sense. It’s just the little things that bring you joy. On my vanity I keep my earrings in shells and have this silly little cat thing. I have no idea where that’s from, but I just love it. I don’t even like cats that much. I mean, sorry Cato [the family cat]! I know he’s here somewhere…
Over time, I always say, if you love something, just buy it. Don’t be over-designed. Your home has to bring you joy and meaning. And it’s the keeper of memories. The whole point is to be a place that reflects you.”
