From Army Quarters to Home Interiors: The Story of La Di Da

Our Story

What makes a house feel like a home? For me, it’s about creating a space that feels safe and inviting. But my journey into interiors started in a rather unexpected place: army accommodation.

I come from a creative background having studied Jewellery & Silversmithing at university, however ended up working for over a decade within a corporate world.

During that time I met my husband who was in the British Army. We ended up moving into “quarters” (also known as SFA or Service Family Accommodation). Anyone who has ever lived in quarters will know that these are little better than student housing. They’re usually incredibly tired, dated and full of magnolia walls, 80s patterned curtains and practical nylon carpets. Not exactly the foundation you need to build a beautiful home! As an army family tends to move approximately every two years, there is little point in buying furniture as you can’t guarantee that it will fit in the next place.

So with limited resources and time, I started getting creative. In our first married quarter we needed a dining table and bought one from eBay. It was pine and orange, and I decided to paint it to try and coordinate it with the chairs that we had been given. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and the table came out so well that my addiction was born. As we moved from place to place, my love of design and interiors evolved and I got even more creative at turning shabby interiors into places we could call home.

Fast forward a few years and I was tired of corporate life and we had decided to start a family (and buy our first house where magnolia was banned!). A career change was needed. I had been painting furniture for family and friends, and with some words of encouragement (and a large shove) from my husband decided to create La Di Da Interiors. A space where I could stock my favourite paints, furniture and home accessories AND champion eco-friendly shopping with carbon-neutral shipping and reduced plastic use. The rest, as they say, is history.

Home is so important – now more than ever. Having a base to retreat to, a sanctuary, your own personal space. The fact that I help people to express their identity and create their own bespoke homes is really important to me. According to a report carried out in 2019 by the Happiness Research Institute, our homes rank third in the line-up when it comes to happiness. First is mental health, followed by physical well-being. But what is so interesting is that home happiness ranks above both financial wealth and social standing. The global study also revealed that a sense of pride in your home is key to happiness.

It’s rather satisfying to think that my obsession with interiors, adding texture and finding the perfect paint colour really does matter! Not everyone has their actual dream home as yet, but I’m here to help keep that dream alive. I’ve lived in rental houses, flats, and quarters. I’ve done renovations, extensions and juggled really tight budgets, as well as undertaken residential and commercial interior design projects for clients with budgets ranging from £500 - £40,000, so I understand what it takes and what will help you to transform your house into a home. Whether it’s a small addition such as a new vase to fill with blooms to brighten up a room or a complete redesign of your living room, I have carefully curated the collections at La Di Da Interiors to enable you to create a home that fills your heart with joy every time you walk through the door.

I hope you enjoy browsing through our stock as much as we enjoy sourcing it!

Steph, Founder

Steph Briggs female smiling in front of yellow wall with black artwork