You may have already noticed that we're obsessed with jungle vibes and love interior design. So you can imagine how excited we were to stumble across the magical Instagram account of @zebodeko!
This French creative soul transforms her bedroom into a different dreamy jungalized wonderland every week - on a budget. Last week, she surprised us by designing the most beautiful room dedicated to our very own feather pens. We are absolutely in LOVE with it!
Dreaming of your every own boho-inspired jungalow? We caught up with creator Biche to share her secrets and her best room makeover tips.
Biche! We were so excited when we found you on Instagram! Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m Birgitte De Paepe living in Hyeres, south of France. I own and manage a restaurant with my brother and live with my kids and two dogs. I love to create things and the house is filled with thrift finds, my own designed woven wall hangings, and tons of plants. I’m super inspired by nature, so I constantly change and move things around the house!
So you totally revamp your room once a week. Where did you get this idea from?
It all started a long, long time ago, in my mum’s belly! She’s a florist, so I was born in our flower shop in Antwerp, Belgium. Being an artist herself, she gave me the hunger to create. I studied economic sciences and moved to France once graduated, 26 years ago. Why? I fell in love with a Frenchman, of course!
I’ve been exploring the world of drawing, painting and mosaic my whole life, being creative has always been a necessity. And then, about two years ago, I discovered the world of weaving and it felt like coming home.
That’s when I started my @zebodeko Instagram account. I’ve always loved decorating my home in different ways, but my weavings were the only things I posted until last year. It started with one room. I received some nice messages and reactions and suddenly my head was full of ideas I just HAD to try out.
How do you plan a room? Do you sit down and draw it first, or do you just go for it?
The plan starts in my head with one detail I want to use, and then I add more details as the idea ripens in my head. I transform this mental mood board into a sketch. Sometimes this process goes so fast though, I don’t have to draw it and I start styling out of the blue. It feels like an unstoppable creative drive is taking over control, and I love it!
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everything I see, but especially nature, inspires me. I often go to thrift stores where a simple item can be the start of a room. It can also be a movie, or a piece of wood on the beach, or a feather.
Where do you find all the furniture?
The only ‘fixed’ furniture in my room is my DIY bed. A lot of the accessories are thrifted except for the pillows, throws and carpets. I make a lot myself with driftwood, leaves or things bought in the garden store. And of course, I use my woven wall hangings.
We're so excited to see our books in your designs!
I really love the design of the books and the details inside. My favourite is Life’s a ROADTRIP. Might have something to do with my passion for adventurous desert rallies, where we always used road books. I’m leaving for a road trip to Spain this week, so I’m so happy to use it immediately.
What's your best advice when decorating a room?
Jungelize your space by bringing natural elements inside, follow your own taste (not trends), and create what you dream about.
What would your dream home look like?
My dream home would be a super natural circular adobe, a bamboo eco construction or a tiny house. I’m in love with Roth Azulik’s design, Azulik UH MAY in Tulum, Mexico. I’m also in love with the Philip Dixon house in Venice, California.
What does the rest of your home look like? Can we get a sneak peek, pretty please?
Describing my home’s style in 3 words, it’s a Bohemian Jungle Fairyland. My house was built in the ’70s. I bought it in 2009 and completely renovated it from floor to roof, only keeping the old doors. I also added a swimming pool with a terrace built around the existing trees because I didn’t want to cut them. The house is filled with thrift finds, my own designed woven wall hangings, and tonnes of plants. We have four bedrooms, one beach pebble bathroom, and separate toilets.
What's the best thing that’s happened since you started styling?
The most exciting thing was being featured in a real magazine and on some huge insta accounts and blogs like @apartmenttherapy, @fashions.tv, @myinterior and @roomporn. It really validates your work. And of course people messaging you lovely things or asking you for advice is giving me all the vibes I need to continue.
Have you had any mishaps or crazy stories that happened while styling?
I once had a canopy falling on my head! I was standing on the bed screaming for help with my arms in the air, pieces of rope in my mouth and a hammer between my knees that would fall on my feet with the slightest movement…
What's next for you?
I would love to write a book.
Check out more of her work here.
Find our feather pens here.
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