Looking inside the Cheerful Home of Plinka Life
Ilonka Dekkers is the person behind the Instagram account @plinka_life. With almost 70,000 followers she inspires a lot of people with her summery and cheerful interior. Think: lots of pinks, flowers and natural fabrics! We asked this lovely lady some pressing questions and she allowed us to take a look around her gorgeous interior.
Ilonka is 52 years old and lives with her husband in a beautiful green village near Nijmegen. Her house is warm, cosy and cheerful and gives you a summer feeling all year round. When we asked her if we could interview her, she was immediately super excited. We asked her about her inspiration, dreams and colour aversions. Read what she has to say!
If you had to describe your living style in five words, which words would you choose?
"Cheerful, colourful, cosy with a twist and a passion for travel. Okay, that's a little more than 5 words..."
Colour is not to be missed in your home – especially pink! We're curious: what does your husband think? ;-)
"It may look like my whole house is pink on Instagram, but it's not so bad in real life. In a room, for example, one wall is pink, and the rest is quite neutral. Also, the pink I have in my house is not princess pink, but a warm pink tone that luckily my husband likes very much. There are also many trendy counterparts, such as a lot of woodwork (whitewash wooden floor, large brown rocking chair) and sleek design items like the Vitra shelves in my kitchen."
If you could radically change things in the house, what would you do?
"I would like to show many more truly natural products, such as a sturdy brick wall, natural tiles or beautiful wooden walls."
What colour would you never apply in the house?
"Purple or turquoise. I also don't like primary colours like red and bright yellow. I don't want black in the house either."
What feeling do you try to create in your house?
"I want people to feel warm and cosy in my home. That they are embraced by the interior and that the house feels like a warm blanket, without having to turn on the heating."
“ I want my house to feel like a warm blanket! „
Where do you get your home inspiration? And what are your favourite home stores?
"Sometimes I am triggered by a particular item, such as a beautiful painting, a hand-painted plate or a special tea towel. Often this happens when I'm traveling. I then look at the colours that are in it and get ideas on how to use and apply them further in my interior. So, I often get my inspiration from products myself!"
Do you do everything yourself in the house? Are you a practical handyman?
"Yes, I do everything myself! A lot of people are afraid to do jobs, but I think it's just a matter of doing it. Soon I'm going to tackle the bathroom: the whole ceiling is going out!"
What's your favourite item in the house?
"The lanterns from Vietnam. My sister-in-law brought them for me. They are hand painted and add lots of atmosphere to the house. They also remind me of the wonderfully relaxed feeling I have when I'm on holiday in Asia."
What's your favourite place in your house?
"I prefer to sit at the large table in the living room because I can see everything from there. Through the large glass window, I can look into the garden and see the birds flying, which gives me a wonderfully free feeling and at the same time I can look into my beautiful, cosy living room."
Do you want to be inspired by Ilonka every day?
Follow this wonderful lady on Instagram: @plinka_life
