Ready to see an inspiring home in England filled with color, love, and three creative kids? Meet Shella Anderson (38), a talented mother and collector of fabrics who lives in Tollesbury, Essex, UK with her husband Bubs (38), and three daughters Freya (8), Millie (6) and Bibi (22 months).

What's it like in your city/town?
It's a lovely English coastal village with great community spirit.

What do you like to do with your children locally?
We live near the water--so long walks around the sea wall. We also have a little man-made beach/pool which is filled by the tide--so lots of swimming and sandcastles. The two oldest girls are also into horseriding, so they help at the local stables at the weekends.

Do you live in a home or apartment?
We live in a converted bungalow. Basically, we converted the loft of what was once a one-story building.

How many rooms total?
7 downstairs and 2 upstairs.

How old is your home (it appears to have some lovely architectural details) and what style was it built in?
The house is Victorian, so 18 something. I cant remember the exact date! Sorry. But before I found out the date it was built, I assumed it was 1930's as the windows are all really large and the layout seemed a typical 30's style.

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband is an electronic design engineer (in short he designs and installs safety systems for oil rigs and gas platforms). I am a stay at home Mum for now, but I have a real passion for collecting vintage fabrics and 50's, 60's and 70's pottery. I scour secondhand markets, car boot sales and charity shops--and also eBay. I also love anything to do with print and pattern and I have made a few things out of my fabric collection so far but do intend to expand on this--not really sure how--but I am so inspired by all those clever crafters and designers out there that are featured on blogs and Flickr.

What is your overall approach to decor?
I love mixing white with blocks of color and/or pattern. I love the mix of old and new and dream of one day owning some classic design pieces and an Eames chair for instance.

How would you define your style?
Quite eclectic, really. I try to create a colorful, creative, and comfortable home that the children will also love too, and will hopefully have fond memories of as they grow older. I love using color against a mainly white background. Most of my house is painted white with color added on feature walls or through textiles and accessories.

What are three tips for creating a simple, happy home?
1. Organization. With three children, you need to be organized! Plenty of hooks and storage!
2. Plenty of light. Our old house was a beautiful period house with lovely old features but unfortunately not a lot of natural light. This was one of the main things I noticed when we moved here, and I realized what a huge difference having large windows and natural light makes.
3. Surrounding yourself with things you love and creating a balance with it being clean and tidy. I want my visitors to feel welcome and not as though they can't touch anything or sit anywhere. My friends quite often have to carry out an obstacle course down the hall between a rocking horse or a doll pram.

What's one decorating mistake you think people often make?
Playing it too safe! Not having any of their personality in their home because they're maybe a little worried to add color or pattern.

What inspires you when it comes to home decor?
Mainly pattern and color, really. I see inspiration everywhere--color mixes and patterns on clothes or shop window displays and restaurants. I'm also inspired by interior magazines, my favourites are Livingetc, Elle Decoration (UK) and Country Living (UK) as well as all the brilliant posts and homes on Flickr. I also have quite a few books, I have just recently purchased Over & Over by Mike Perry--a book full of hand-drawn designs including one recently featured on decor8 and Brie Harrison. Wow! I also love the new Marimekko fabric and home collection for 2009--totally inspiring!  I also enjoy browsing the Anthropologie website, which is so fantastic. I also love it when Flickr folks post pictures from Anthropologie's catalog because I wish we had one in the UK! At least they do ship here. The children also inspire me. I love decorating and re-arranging their bedrooms because I can have just that little bit more fun with color. I love making maybe a new cushion for their bed or some bunting. (UK),

Do your children have a say in decorating their rooms and if so, how much of the design was their idea?
Yes, kind of.  They say what colors they like, and I incorporate these. I also use them for inspiration. For instance, Freya's love of horses I've incorporated in the little artworks displayed. Millie is really into her drawing and art, so I make sure that lots of her work is framed and displayed.

When it comes to decorating where do you draw the line with your kids?
Mmmm maybe I'm gonna sound a little mean here, but I would maybe just try and tame those ideas a little, say keeping it to one wall of accessories. But I suppose if they really insisted ...

How do you manage to keep your home looking so nice despite having children?
I just try to be organized really. It also helps that their bedrooms are on the ground level, so toys can literally be swept back into their rooms at bedtime.

What inspired some of your color choices?
I always seems to include green somewhere. I am naturally drawn to it, but pattern plays a big part. The old 50's wallpaper we have used in our living areas bought from eBay dictated the colors used around it.

What do your children think of the home's aesthetic?
They love it--especially their bedrooms and often rearrange their Russian dolls and knick knacks. Millie often adds to her art collection--she's my little artist!

Where do you shop for furniture and home accessories?
I visit our local secondhand shop for my furniture. It's amazing what a difference a coat of paint can make to a piece. For home accessories, I love charity shops and car boot sales for crockery items or old enamelware. I also love Zara Home, Monsoon, IKEA, Habitat, Cath Kidston, Petra Boase and Urban Outfitters.

What's one of your favorite memories in your house?
Summertime! Friends around  sitting on the veranda, barefoot children playing in the garden, lots of food and drink, long evenings--ahh, bliss!

What books do you recommend for parents who are trying to attain a similar style to yours in their home?
Bazaar Style by Selina Lake, Flea Market Style by Emily Chalmers, Home by Anita Kaushal, and I thoroughly recommend the Japanese Paumes books. They are full of inspiration especially and are just brilliant.

For more, see Shella's Flickr photos here. - Holly Becker, decor8.