‘I’m a proud gypsy mum – trolls name us soiled however complete home is wrapped in plastic’

Pashy Goldsmith, 42, is a stay-at-home mum who is regularly trolled for being a traveller, but insists people’s opinions would change if they visited her home in Kent

A ‘proud gypsy’ mum who has been trolled for being ‘dirty’ has hit back by showing off her immaculate home, where she even wraps the furniture in plastic and has taught her children to clean from the age of three.

Pashy Goldsmith, 42, says her family often face prejudice due to their traveller background, with accusations of being “dirty thieves” and even being turned away from pubs and shops based on their appearance.

However, the stay-at-home mum and content creator insists that people’s perceptions would change if they saw inside her two-bedroom council house in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Pashy, who takes great pride in her home, redecorates her living room every six months – a habit that costs her £10,000 annually – and spends 10 hours each day cleaning her yellow and grey-themed house from top to bottom.

In an unusual move, the mother-of-two also revealed that she saves money by wrapping her furniture, including sofas, chairs, and rugs, in plastic to keep them spotless, as she can’t stand any dirt.

After sharing videos of their home on TikTok, Pashy and her landscaper husband Ray, 41, have received mixed responses to their design choices, which include oversized faux flowers, sparkly crystal ornaments, Roman-style vases, and designer sofas.

But the couple are unapologetic about their style, stating they are “very house proud”.

“People are shocked when they visit our home,” Pashy admitted. “I think they’re surprised that we don’t live in trailers and that we respect our home – which is a huge part of our culture.

“When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is clean. When I see a speck of dust, I wipe it. When I see a mark on the wall, the paint comes out.

“Our furniture isn’t cheap and neither are the ornaments and rugs, so we wrap them in plastic to protect them from getting dirty.

“People may think it’s strange but I’m very house proud.”

Pashy opened up about the prejudice she’s faced as a traveller, recounting a 2024 incident where she was made to wait outside a fish and chip shop because ‘only non-travellers were allowed inside’.

“As soon as you walk into a pub, a restaurant, or even the fish and chip shop, they can tell what you are,” Pashy explained.

“They don’t give us a chance, and people treat us like filth.”

Raised in Thistlebrook, Abbey Wood, one of London’s largest travelling sites, Pashy was taught from a young age to take pride in her home as part of her culture. In 2004, she moved to a charming village near Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent with her husband, whom she met in 2000.

The couple began dating after Ray invited Pashy to a millennium party with his family and later asked her out, leading to their marriage in 2018.

The family of four, who reside in a cosy two-bed house with their kids Patience, 13, and Tommy, aged three, are the stars of Pashy’s online videos where she busts myths about traveller life. She’s keen to show that “cleanliness is a top priority for gypsies” and they treat their abode “treat their home like it’s a castle”.

For them, this translates to giving their living room a makeover every six months, splashing out around £10k annually on fresh furniture, paint, and tools.

This year’s spree included bagging two Versace sofas at a discount for a cool £7,400.

“People think we are dirty, but don’t know how much effort we put into maintaining and cleaning our home,” Pashy revealed. “There’s a lot of money and work that goes into it – your home should be your most valuable possession and I’ve been taught to respect and care for it.

“That’s why a lot of our furniture is covered in plastic. We wanted things to last and with a three-year-old child, you fear things may get scratched, drawn on or broken.”

It’s the same story with Pashy’s yellow rugs, which she admits aren’t the first to be swathed in plastic – she’s got spares stashed in the loft ready for a colour swap.

She continued: “The plastic doesn’t bother any of us and I may remove it when the kids get older. But it keeps things safe and protected – and has saved us thousands in damages, replacements and washing costs.

“I don’t think we’ll be in a hurry to take it off.”

Pashy has hit back at critics who’ve been left scratching their heads over her unique design and lifestyle choices, with some branding it “looks tacky” and “uncomfortable”. She’s not having any of it, though.

“People are way too quick to judge and don’t understand our culture fully and how much we strive to keep things tidy,” she fired back.

“We don’t tell other people how they should decorate their homes, so no one should be telling me how to do mine.”

Her kids are even on board with the household upkeep, with her three year old getting stuck into picking up litter and hoovering the floors.

“My daughter has been cleaning since she was six years old and my son, who is three, has started now and they love it,” Pashy proudly stated.

“It’s part of gypsy culture and I want people to stop thinking we’re dirty thieves who aren’t good enough.

“We all come from the same place. There’s good and bad in everyone. “Please don’t judge us, before you even know us.”