Cane webbing, boucle, Pampas grass, curves, pink painted doors and abstract face art were all interior decor trends that were keenly embraced in 2019. As we begin a New Year, I always find it fun to try and predict what interior trends will be at the forefront of 2020…
Read MoreThis dried flower festive wreath is a little bit different to traditional Christmas wreaths. The good news is that it is really easy to make and as it is mostly all dried, it lasts the whole holiday season. In this blog post I’m going to list all the flowers I used to make this wreath, plus the few simple rules you need to follow in order to make it successfully.
Read MoreAs it edges closer to that time of year, where you scratch your head and think ‘what on earth am I going to buy them this year?’, I want to introduce to you the idea of giving the gift of art. I think we can all confidently say that 2019 has been the year that we focus on being more sustainable. The idea of giving your nearest and dearest something for Christmas that will ultimately end up in landfill after they have left it untouched in a cupboard for 6 months is more unappealing than ever. Art, in contrast, is a timeless gift that will never go out of style. From a Matisse print to a framed iconic record cover, art is something that is cherished and often adorns the walls of a home for a lifetime. Choosing a piece of art for someone close to you also feels a very considered and thoughtful gift. By picking out that perfect print, there’s no sense of any rushed, ‘oh I just thought that will do’, style of gifting!
Read MoreSimple, Scandi-style paper decorations provide a stylish edge to any Christmas tree and if you hand-make them, you can personalise them to be any colour, shape and size that you like! My formula for making these is a simple cut, fold and glue method, which creates that very on-trend ‘ribbed’ look that is so popular in interiors and on glassware this season.
Read MoreI recently created this imagery for the Laura Ashley blog and had so many questions about the DIY fireplace garland, I decided to dedicate a post on how to create it yourself here! This garland is made up from a mix of fresh foliage and dried flowers, so should last a good 2-3 weeks over the Christmas period if you keep topping up the water regularly.
Read MoreThe decline in square footage for both rental and owned properties has been steadily consistent for a long time as we grow as a population and urban, city living draws new residents every year. As the spaces we inhabit generally become smaller, we need to be clever choosing the right furniture and decor so that our rooms, although modest, feel as large as they can possibly look. Below I’ve listed my five favourite tried and tested tips for keeping a room feeling spacious, all though carefully considering the interior decor..
Read MoreJust a quick post from me this week, as I just wanted to share my DIY Halloween decor! This year I created everything myself using my Cricut crafting machine, some Pinterest inspiration and a crazy idea for some ‘scary trees’ around the entrance using dead twigs, hollowed pumpkins and some concrete!!
Read MoreI was first introduced to Diane Hill a couple of years back when I read an interview with her in Estila Magazine. An image of her reading to her young daughter in a teal room adorned with intricate drawings of birds and florals on the wall behind them really drew me in. The interview revealed Diane to be an incredibly talented yet exceptionally humble person, so I started following her on Instagram.
Read MoreThere has been a recent flurry of really good interior books being released in recent weeks. While we all love an Instagram and Pinterest scroll, there is something about a beautifully curated interiors book to browse through. Hardcover interior books also make great styling props in the home - place a few down flat on shelves with a candle on top, or slot a few into a decorative tray on a sideboard to create a sophisticated, full-time flat-lay.
Read MoreA bright wall mural in a child’s bedroom or nursery is a great way to create a bespoke interior for them, without spending too much money. Thanks to the recent release of Gorilla Crystal Clear Mounting Tape Squares, part of the new Stationary range from Gorilla, I decided to go one step further and create a 3D wall mural in my son’s bedroom. These clear, pre-cut 1” x 1” squares allowed me to bond toys and figures to the mural up to seven pounds in weight, adding another dimension to the landscape scene that I had painted.
Read MoreChoosing the right paint colour for a room is probably one of the hardest decisions to make when you decorate. Colour choice seems endless as the UK alone has over 25 well-known paint brands, whose palettes start at 100 colours, going into the thousands for the larger suppliers. Just how do you pick the perfect hue for your walls without choosing the wrong one?
Read MoreAs we move into the new season and 2019 starts coming to an end, new colours are released by the paint companies and there is a focus on certain shades which are likely to be popular in 2020. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I consistently bang on about the ‘power of paint’. Yet, with a tin of emulsion and a bit of determination, you can transform an entire room with paint in a couple of days (and all for less than fifty quid.) This is why I look forward to and really enjoy the announcement of certain pivotal hues and the release of new paint collections. It provides a whole new opportunity to give your house a new look, or think about what you want to achieve in your home. This could be creating a calming space, or making it feel more modern.
Read MoreIf I say ‘DFS’ to you, what do you think of? Boxing Day sale bargains? Crushed velvet corner sofas? A large retail presence? All this is true, DFS do cater to mainstream taste and are one of the largest suppliers of furniture in the UK (it’s estimated that a quarter of the UK have owned a DFS sofa at one point in their lives). Yet, if you scratch under the surface, you’ll be surprised to learn that this British company, now celebrating its 50th year of business, is incredibly trend-led and forward-thinking with many of its designs. It also still retains the old-school charm of manufacturing via craftsmanship, with the majority of its products being made, by hand, in the UK.
Read MoreAs the summer months wind down and we move into the new season, new bits and pieces from the AW19 home collections have started to pop-up in-store and online and boy, there are some gorgeous things out there to purchase right now. All the items listed below are currently on my personal ‘lust list’. Some I know I’ll cave in and purchase, others I have no space/need for but would snap them up in a heartbeat if I did!
Read MoreMy house needed a facelift. Lots of bad British weather, a leaky gutter and rotting windows were just not doing this beautiful Georgian building any justice. A priority was sorting out the front door. Placed perfectly in the centre of the symmetrical exterior, the front door is the focal point when you look at my house from the street. Having not been touched in well over 5 years, the door was faded and cracked. While the conservative, Oxford blue that it once was didn’t give me any pangs of excitement when I looked at it.
Read MoreThis week MADE.com announced it was launching a collection of 8 prints in collaboration with the Natural History Museum. It’s something very different, a little bit vintage (some of these drawings have sat in the Museum’s archive for decades) and felt quite special, so I wanted to share it with you on the blog today.
Read MoreI’ve recently decided to swap around some furniture in my home, which has led to some space becoming available for decorative shelving in an alcove. I have shelves made from marble off-cuts in my bathroom and I love them, so I decided to go down the DYO (Design Your Own) route again and have more marble shelving made (I just amble on down to my local stone yard, flick through their worktop off-cuts and choose a couple of pieces which they cut and polish up for me for a small fee). Marble shelves are definitely a show-stopper, so they need the brackets to not let them down in the style-stakes. I’ve been hunting high and low for the best shelf brackets for sale in the UK the past week for these shelves, so here are my top ten picks!
Read MoreWithout a doubt, the questions that I get asked about the most are all centered around paint. What’s the best type of paint to use on radiators? What paint should I use on windows? Should I use gloss or eggshell? What paint is best with kids and pets? So, in order to round up all these questions, I’ve decided to dedicate a full blog post on the types of paint you can buy, the different finishes and where you should use them in and around the home.
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[AD] This post is part of a current working relationship with Grand Illusions. A styling, images, thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Celeste design has a casual blue floral pattern on a white background, while the Florido bowls are a deep, inky blue base with a white floral pattern. Even though they look like they cannot go in the dishwasher, they are all dishwasher safe (as washing up is the last thing you want to be doing on a warm summers day!)
The woven shopping bag below is not a new product, in fact, I’ve owned this from Grand Illusions for a while, but I’ve been using it all summer. It’s completely lightweight, but the boned structure of it means that it better supports picnic items than a tote bag. I chose this Paris shopper in yellow because I’m all about colour, but you can also get it in beige and black.
New build vs period property - it is one of the many decisions you may need to make when you consider buying a home. Older buildings, with their funny layouts, wonky walls, cracks and problem areas often have character and charm due to original features like detailed plasterwork and iron fireplaces. New builds can often appear to have a lot less character in comparison and may at first feel like an empty white box. Yet, by using lots of pattern, colour and texture, it is possible to create an inviting, warm home full of personality, as well as having all the benefits a news build offers such as energy efficiency and a great location (often being near great transport links.)
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