At home with…Helen Calvert
What makes a house feel like home? In “At Home With…,” I explore this question with fellow business owners and public figures, uncovering the unique ways they shape their spaces. Through a shared set of questions, each guest reveals what’s important to them—from treasured items to thoughtful design choices that reflect their lives and values.
Today, I’m thrilled to feature The No Bullsh*t Coach, Helen Calvert. Step inside as Helen shares her style, her inspirations, and the details that make her home a true reflection of who she is…
Helen Calvert, The No Bullsh*t Coach (photo credit: Emma Boyle Photography)
Please Introduce Yourself…
Hi, I'm The No Bullsh*t Coach, passionate about supporting midlife neurodivergent people to banish the BS and live their happiest lives. Even if you are not neurodivergent, I would still love to work with you to develop your inner strength, clarity, and the ability to put yourself first. You have been keeping everything going, but underneath, you're exhausted. Life feels loud. You're craving calm, not another thing to add to your list. You might be neurodivergent or just done with pretending you're fine. What you really want is space to breathe, feel seen, and slowly build a life that actually feels good. I've got your back.
Tell me a little bit about your home and who you share it with?
I share my home with my two boys and my cockerpoo, Esme. After my divorce in 2018 I was fortunate enough to be able to completely redo my home decor, so it is now all in various shades of yellow and blue - because I am all about sunny days. My bedroom is the exception, that is in sunset/sunrise hues so gentle pinks and greys. I used to hate my home but it is completely representative of me now and I love it.
What is your favourite spot in your home and why?
My bed! I have a fabulous king-sized bed and it is my safe place. I can see out of the window into the garden, see the sunrise, and feel completely cosy.
Do you have any family heirlooms, or items inspired by your family history in your home?
I have a cupboard full of things I cannot bear to part with which I call the Cupboard of Sentimentality. In there I have two of my bibs from when I was a baby, and one bib from when my mum was a baby! They all tie around the neck rather than having velcro, so they're completely impractical - my boys never used them but I have to keep them. My ones are towling material, and my mum's is a little pink bib with elephants hand-stitched onto it.
Do you have any quirky or unusual items?
I have a painting of a baby cheetah in my hallway that one of my friends painted, and a lovely framed piece of parchment with a gorgeous quote on from another friend. I love having items in my home that people I know have created.
Helen’s friend painted a baby Cheetah, which hangs in the hallway.
What is the oldest thing in your house?
Probably that bib of my mother's!
What is the last thing you bought for your house?
From a practical point of view, my boyfriend got an air conditioning unit for the heatwave we have just had. He lives in the States, and whilst it can get a lot hotter over there they have AC as standard. Knowing he was coming here for 10 days I couldn't ask him to cope with the heat the way we do here in the UK - cold water bottles, cold flannels and dodgy fans! So we split the cost on AC and it's the best decision I've ever made. From an aesthetic point of view, the last thing I bought was a pale blue lampshade for my hallway. From good old Vinted.
Helen has used blues and yellows throughout her home - the colours of sunny days and Helen’s business brand!
What colours have you used in your home and what inspired those choices?
As I said before, I am all about the sunny days. My business brand colours are yellow and blue, and so is my house. Mustard and navy in the living room, lemon and baby blue in the conservatory, and various shades around the house. I love being able to pull down the yellow conservatory blinds in the winter, so even if it's dark and raining it's still sunny in that room.
A well-designed home doesn’t only look great, it works on a practical level, and makes life easier for those who live there. Are there any life-enhancing, practical design features in your home?
Like most of us, I grew up with a lot of internal rules about what we should have in our homes and how homes should be set up. I am gradually rewriting those rules so that it is all about comfort and how we truly live. I now have a giant human-sized 'dog bed' in the living room, and whilst it's not the most visually pleasing item it is the single most comfortable thing I have ever owned. I hardly use my sofas anymore - they are for the boys. I'm always under a blanket on the big dog bed.
We have at least two blankets in our living room at any given time. We have also moved the dining table into the conservatory, and the dining room which is a bit of a 'through room' as it links 3 rooms now has the dog's crate and two comfortable chairs. So we have a space where one or two of us can sit comfortably if the living room is being used for gaming on the Switch.
Rather than having a home that looks good to outsiders, we now have a home that is comfortable for us. And I am determined to keep comfort at the top of the priority list from now on.
Helen’s top priority is comfort and she loves to lay in her human-sized dog bed.
If money were no object, where would you live and what would your home be like?
I don't think I would change this house, but I would own more properties if money were no object. I prefer my own space to hotels, so I would love to have apartments and holiday homes in various different places.
My real dream though is to have a swish motorhome, so that I can live absolutely anywhere. That would be the ultimate. I'll keep saving up!
Nest and Flourish Interiors is known for creating accessible and inclusive spaces, can you describe what makes you feel welcome and comfortable in a space?
A space feels comfortable to me if there is somewhere that I can curl up. I get uncomfortable sitting straight for any length of time - like a lot of neurodivergent people I prefer to curl up or sit on the floor.
Any space with a dog in it is immediately safe for me!
I also love light. A lot of neurodivergent people prefer dim lighting but I am the opposite. All of the light, all of the time! I hate sitting in a dark or dimly lit room. I feel much safer in warm yellow light.
And what puts you off and makes you want to leave a space?
Harsh white light or darkness / dimly lit spaces. Anywhere I'm expected to 'sit nicely'. I also feel ill at ease in places where the design is too cunning. If I can't find the bin or the fridge or the toilet brush or the things I might need without wanting to ask for them, I get anxious! As a teenager I was always upset if a bathroom didn't have a bin in it. Disposing of sanitary wear as a teenager is one of the most anxiety-inducing things ever.
What makes a house a home in your eyes?
Coffee, blankets, warm lighting, preferably a dog, definitely lots of softness. Home is about being able to relax and take off the mask. And have everything I need easily accessible.
Tell me about your business, what you do, where you do it, who you help, and how people can contact you?
No idea where to start?
You've got a sh*t tonne to do but you've frozen up and don't know where to begin. I hear you. When the overwhelm hits it can be so hard to know how to move past it - but you don't have time to be overwhelmed!
You are not alone.
In my 5 years as a life coach, the people I have worked with have all had one thing in common: they are overwhelmed, and they are frustrated that they can’t seem to shift that feeling of overwhelm and find more balance.
I get it.
If that is you then I have got your back. As an autistic, divorced mother of two, one of whom has a congenital heart defect, I know all about overwhelm. And I also know the ways to bring ourselves back to calm.
Manage the overwhelm
5 tips to get out of freeze and into action
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You have been keeping everything going, but underneath, you're exhausted. Life feels loud. You're craving calm, not another thing to add to your list. You might be neurodivergent or just done with pretending you're fine. What you really want is space to breathe, feel seen, and slowly build a life that actually feels good.
I've got your back.
Head to happier-life.co.uk to find out more.
Instagram - @happierlifecoach
LinkedIn - Helen Calvert Manchester
Podcast - The No Bullsh*t Guide to a Happier Life
Many thanks to Helen for allowing us a peek inside her home. If you would like to be featured in the Nest and Flourish “At home with blog…” email Kim Heslip kim@nestandflourish.co.uk.
Nest and Flourish Interiors, founded by interior designer and former nurse Kim Heslip, specialises in creating beautiful, accessible, and inclusive spaces that promote dignity, independence, and wellbeing.
With 20 years of nursing experience, Kim understands the transformative power of supportive environments and designs homes and workspaces that promote long term health and wellbeing, and cater to health needs, disabilities, and different neurotypes.
Based in Yorkshire, Nest and Flourish Interiors provides tailored, one-to-one design services across Leeds, York, Harrogate, and beyond.
Contact Kim to discover how she can help you create a thoughtfully designed space that works for everyone who uses it.