uFurnish.com Founder Deirdre Mc Gettrick sat down with Orima Kamalu - winner of Best Showstopping Home Feature in the 2025 uFurnish.com Home Awards to talk all things interiors inspiration, design challenges and advice for those on their own interiors journey.
Name: Orima Kamalu
Instagram Handle: @alittledetached
Tik Tok: @alittledetached
Location: Bristol
Sum up your home interior style in 3 words or less: Classical but jazzy
What's your favourite item in your home? Changes every day but currently our homemade upholstered ottoman
If your home had a theme song what would it be? "I Can" by Nas - an empowering Hip-Hop song with a classical music sample
Toilet roll over or under on the holder? Over (when I remember)
Do you place your cups and glasses facing up or down in your cupboard? Up, of course! Who does otherwise?
What inspired your home's interior style and how did you bring that vision to life?
I don’t believe we have a specific interior style or inspiration, as our design and style preferences seem to have evolved gradually over time as we have done up our two recent homes. I find myself drawn to period/traditional decor and architectural styles interspersed with bold prints and mixed textures in earthy toned multicolours, and the odd bit of ultra modern decor thrown in usually in a bold brass finish!
I am a big fan of planning decor goals using a computer based visualiser, such as HomeByMe, so I can try out different designs and furniture layouts virtually, create lifelike renders and use this as a template to research how to bring the full idea to life. AI based tools such as ChatGPT are also increasingly helpful for visualising ideas using just a photograph, but as a lifelong fan of PC game The Sims, I am particularly fond of building visuals on screen myself!
How did you balance your design goals with your budget and do you have any clever hacks or cost-saving tips for readers?
Constant shopping around! I have naturally expensive taste but a limited budget, but luckily I also have a constant need to find a bargain. If I see something for the home I like, I will always look to see if I can find it second hand, or similar for less money. Failing that, I will start to research if it is something I can build or make myself, which is often the case for much less money than buying new! I also personally find getting something repurposed or making it yourself makes me appreciate it even more!
What has been your biggest challenge designing your home and how have you overcome it?
Our home is a relatively modern (1990) build, which contrasts with my slight preference for traditional original features and architecture. I have been keen to add hints of decorative features such as moulding, ceiling roses, panelling etc. to give the lovely spaces we luckily have a bit more character, but I have to be mindful not to over do it, as anything too grand or ornate may end up being quite out of place in this style of home.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting their own DIY journey what would it be?
Believe in yourself! Many home projects seem very daunting on the face of it, but with time and patience, it is surprising how many skills can be learned from various sources, such as YouTube or reaching out to other people who have achieved something similar (I am always asking questions on Instagram!). On the flipside, don’t feel bad about having a limit on what you feel happy to commit to DIY-wise, be it due to time or confidence, some things may be better left to professionals, so it is all a balance and personal journey at the end of the day!
Is there a particular space in your home that you're most proud of and why?
I am most proud of our Kitchen renovation; even though I am someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy cooking, I could spend a lot of time in this space because I am so happy with our DIY efforts and how they turned out. We completely transformed the look of our existing kitchen without replacing the units, saving us thousands while creating a space much more attuned to our design tastes. It involved a lot of learning of new skills and time and effort to create the desired look, and even though it is not “perfect” like a new kitchen would be, we get lots of compliments from visitors about it even when they don’t know it’s nearly all DIY!
Where do you find your inspiration? Are there designers, Instagram accounts or brands that influence your style?
So many sources of inspiration! I love interiors magazines and always try to peruse hardcopy/print versions as my preference. But the main source of inspiration comes from other interior decor and DIY accounts on Instagram. To name but a few recent sources of inspiration:
Leekim @thehouseof_willow
Hannah @thatstonecottage
Eirwen @hopeandhughes
Rita @ritamillat (Interior Design Masters S6 finalist)
Sarah @thatruralhome
What did winning Best Showstopping Home Feature in the uFurnish.com Home Awards mean to you?
Winning this award was a dream come true. Being able to have a creative project that was so dear to my heart not only shared with other interiors enthusiasts, but recognised and in receipt of an award has reignited my confidence in creating art and pursuing even more challenging home projects, with the aim of continuing to inspire others to do the same. It has opened so many doors, through connecting me with so many wonderful creators in the interiors Instagram community, for which I will be forever grateful.
What's the next interiors project you want to work on?
We have quite a few small and large projects we would like to complete this year, including building and decorating an extension in our home as we welcome a new member of the family in 2026. My sister has also requested that I complete another ceiling mural in her new home, this time of space or the night sky, so I am currently researching how I will design and paint this for her!
