People of Belarte - Daniela Tasca York
Welcome home to Daniela, a talented interior designer who has beautifully incorporated our wall murals in both her previous and current homes over the years. Discover how she has transformed her living spaces with our unique designs, and get inspired by her impeccable taste and creativity. Daniela shares her insights on the importance of longevity in wallpapering, ensuring that her choices stand the test of time both in style and durability. We are thrilled to continue our long-standing collaboration with Daniela and eagerly anticipate the stunning results in her new home.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi, my name is Daniela Tasca York, I'm “currently” an interior designer, content creator and proud mom of 4: 2 girls and 2 boys! I say currently because I'm always changing things up, I initially started out in fashion designing luxury womenswear but my life was turned upside down when I won a British TV competition on interior design, The Great Interior Design Challenge. It was the best start I could have wished for and I have been given the most incredible opportunities since the program. I feel very confident designing interiors and hope I am good at it, but I also dream of one day designing my own furniture and products.
I also love doing everything I can think of and when renovating my home I like to challenge my skills and learn new things. I've tried everything from plastering walls to building kitchens and anything in between. Nothing is ever perfect, but I get great satisfaction from creating things with my own hands.
What is the story behind your beautiful home?
We have recently moved from a busy city on the outskirts of London to a quiet little village in Suffolk, UK. The house is over 200 years old and Grade II listed. It used to be a Georgian Coaching Inn and is noted in some of the oldest road maps of Suffolk as one of the main stops along the original coaching route. It was recently renovated but really badly, sadly not sympathetic to the period at all but we fell in love with the bones of the building and saw the huge potential. We have a lot of work left to do but it's actually very liveable as it is, which means I can take my time with things.
You do a lot of the decorating yourself in the form of DIY projects. What's your best advice on how to renovate or decorate on a budget for someone just starting out?
The best advice I can give is to give things a chance, start small and begin with handheld tools until you have built up some confidence, then you can move on to powered tools and bigger projects. As well as painting and wallpapering I think wall paneling is a great first project to start with, there are so many tutorials online and it's easier than it looks, it always looks so impactful too so you get a great sense of achievement at the end. When I have big ideas, I actually always try to think of the most budget-friendly way to implement them first. You don't need to spend huge amounts of money to make your home unique and beautiful, you just need some creativity and to think outside the box. I know quite a few people who think they have to get tradesmen for every job, of course electrics and plumbing should be left to the professionals but in my experience there is so much online now in the form of tutorials, there is no reason why you should let things like having a small budget stop you. YouTube will be your best friend in this case!
Gosh wall murals can be the most transformative and simple thing to add to a room, they are magical! We installed 'scenic landscape' in our garage conversion. It was an awkward, narrow, long room but the mural tricked the eye, gave it so much depth and honestly made the room feel at least a meter wider than the plain walls before. If you have a newly built property that lacks features, wall murals can add so much visual interest and atmosphere. Similarly if you have a new period home, wall murals can further elevate the original features to dramatic effect.
One of your latest projects is your daughter Bambi's beautiful bedroom. How do you go about planning a children's room that is as practical as it is beautiful?
I always involve the children from the very beginning of the process, whether they are my own children or those of my clients. I find out their favorite colors, things and ideas, show them samples and make them choose their favorites. Think about their hobbies, for example, my daughter Bambi loves to craft and make jewelry so a big desk was super important here. My other daughter loves to dress up, so I'm going to build a little clothes shop with rails for all her wild clothes!
Make the practical stuff fun and personal for them. I'm also never afraid to limit certain things, their rooms don't always have to be so literal, say if they like cars, I wouldn't necessarily plaster the walls with car wall murals and have a car shaped bed, but you could add some car shaped cushions, artwork or a lamp to reflect that. The reason I do this is because I know all too well that children's likes and tastes change quickly. Instead, I try to design with a bit more of a long-term view, imagining how the room will grow with them, while reflecting who they are and trying to get the balance right. It's not easy, but it's always one of my favorite rooms to design.
What is the process for you as an interior designer when you take on a new project?
Every project is different, sometimes I work on a whole house and sometimes I take on a single room. But in general I have an initial consultation with the client and talk through their ideas, I then go away and do research and compile inspiration for them to copy, just so I can see if we are on the same page as each other. The next stage is the initial design phase, I compile a list of materials, furniture and accessories and present these to the client, we then refine these ideas and I go away and design a full final renovation of each room. Sometimes I manage the process and sometimes the clients do, it depends on the services they want from me, but I really enjoy seeing a project come to an end, seeing all the hard work and vision come to life. It's an intense job at times and recently I decided to take some time off while we moved, just so I could focus on my family and settle in, but I can't wait to get back to work, I miss creating and working with wonderful people and homes.
Do you have any decor items in your home that have a special meaning to you?
I have so many things that I love and they are all vintage! I love finding treasures in unexpected places and my favorite pieces all have a unique story. Another special thing is a white lampshade from Ikea that I let my son paint on when he was only 2 years old, it's abstract to say the least but so cool and every time I look at it I'm transported back in time to when he was just a cute, soft baby with a paintbrush in his hand!
Where can we find you?
Currently I am only on Instagram (@danielatascayork). I've put my website on vacation while I had some time off but it will be back up and running soon. TikTok scares me, everyone says I should start a TikTok account and I know they're probably right but I have so little time on my hands as it is, I'm not sure I can fit in all the extra admin, especially with this new renovation, life is busy at the moment!
