‘Have fun with your spaces, layering up eras’ – a 1930s semi that mixes old and new

In Alison Sharpe’s house living room, a velvet Bo Concept sofa is paired with a mid-century recliner and Yepa coffee table by Made. All photographs by Claire Bingham Photograph: Claire Bingham/The Guardian

A lison Sharpe has long surrounded herself with stylish, colourful people from whom she takes inspiration. She was a punk on the Manchester fashion scene before becoming a textile designer, and her love of interiors has been a constant.

The 1930s semi in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that she shares with her husband is filled with personal treasures, from a vintage bergère armchair upholstered in a Vivienne Westwood fabric to a painting by friend and artist Ben Mayman that brings the blue-painted walls of the dining room to life.