uFurnish.com Founder Deirdre McGettrick sat down with Camilla De Cesare - winner of Best First Time Home Renovation in the 2025 uFurnish.com Home Awards to talk all things interiors inspiration, renovaton challenges and advice for those taking on their own first time Home Renovation.
Name: Camilla De Cesare
Instagram handle: @ave.camilla
TikTok handle: @camilladc
Location: London
Sum up your home interior style in 3 words or less: colourful, happy, patterned
What’s your favourite item in your home?: All the small pieces of art I’ve bought over the years from local artists
If your home had a theme song what would it be?: “Dream a Little Dream of Me” – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong it feels like my house in a song: vintage, colourful, and a little romantic, with a warmth that makes me feel instantly at home
Toilet roll over or under on the holder?: Over!
Do you place your cups and glasses facing up or down in your cupboard?: I actually do both depending on the glass, which I never realised until I answered this question!
What inspired your home’s interior style and how did you bring that vision to life?
I wanted my home to feel like a happy home, somewhere you can’t help but smile when you walk in! Honestly, I didn’t follow any design rules; it was all about what felt right in the moment. I worked slowly, one room at a time, and I never tried to match them. Each space has its own character and colour scheme.
What has been your biggest challenge designing your home and how have you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was learning not to rush. There’s so much pressure to have a perfectly finished home, but I’ve realised it’s better to take your time and let it evolve naturally. Some of my favourite pieces are things I waited months to find. I’ve learned that a home never really needs to be “done”, it just needs to feel right.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting their own renovating journey what would it be?
Don’t get caught up in trends or what other people are doing. Your taste will keep evolving, so create a space that feels right for you now. The most beautiful homes are the ones that reflect the people who live in them!
Is there a particular space in your home that you’re most proud of and why?
Probably my bathroom! It used to be a bedroom, and I turned it into the space I’d always dreamed of with a tub in the middle of the room, a fireplace (even if it doesn’t work), and antique mirrors I found on Etsy. The plumber kept asking me “are you sure you want the tub there?!”. I was sure then and I still am sure now haha.
Where do you find your inspiration? Are there designers, Instagram accounts or brands that influence your style?
I’ve moved around my whole life (on average every three years) and I still travel often. So my inspiration comes less from specific designers and more from the places I’ve lived and visited. I love noticing how different cultures use colour and texture. I think that’s what’s shaped my style the most, just a mix of everything I’ve experienced.
What did winning Best First Time Home Renovation in the uFurnish Home Awards mean to you?
I never imagined winning something like that was even a possibility, so finding out it was real was such a wonderful shock. My journey with this house hasn’t been straightforward. There were definitely times when it was part of some of the hardest moments of my life. So to come out the other side of that, genuinely happy here, and to know that other people can see the love that went into it, means more than I can put into words.
What's the next interiors project you want to work on?
My fiancé is Cypriot, and we’ve started working on our own little place in Cyprus. It’s a new build, which is a bit outside my comfort zone considering how much I love old architecture, but I’m finding ways to bring my colourful, character-filled style into it. My long-term dream is that if we settle in Cyprus one day, we’ll find an old traditional house that’s been forgotten and restore it as I’d love to bring one of those beautiful buildings back to life!
Any other information you’d like to share about your home interiors journey?
I never imagined interiors would become such a big part of my life, but I’ve loved discovering how much of yourself you can pour into a home. It’s such a personal process. If something inspires you, try it! Homes are meant to evolve, and sometimes the best decisions come from a bit of instinct.
Each month we'll be interviewing one of our uFurnish.com Home Awards winners asking them all about their home renovation journey, their inspiration and more so be sure to come back each month to learn more. Find out more about our Home Awards here, follow us on Instagram here for more inspiration and updates and subscribe to our emails here for weekly offers and more.
