Author Archives: Design_Soda_Ruthie

About Design_Soda_Ruthie

I write Design Soda, a design blog with a focus on interiors. My blog aims to be an unpretentious, stimulating, fun and naturally curious delve into inspirational design and Londoncentric culture. I describe my style as boho-eclectic and am open to most design which doesn’t look too serious or composed. As a design geek with a love of vintage and upcycling, I am passionate about my home and love blogging ideas and looks that I find inspirational. Since the time when my teenage bedroom was an Aladdins cave of upcycled furniture, Cecil Beaton photography and Situationist slogans I have been interested in the way the home environment can make you feel and inspire your inner life. As a new mummy, trying to negotiate my passions with my lovely new baby's schedule can be difficult, but in my spare time you will often find me snapping the things that catch my eye in my wonderful home city London. Or, reading, upcycling, spending longer on Pinterest than I should, baking and watching old movies. I have a lifelong passion for French New Wave cinema.

A lesson in Colour: masterclass on colour and styling with Karen Haller and Ashlyn Gibson

April 18, 2016

Image: Copper Blush sample and pink objects I love

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to an event on colour psychology and styling led by colour psychology expert Karen Haller and super-stylist/author/shop owner/Clapton laundry and location house owner, Ashlyn Gibson. The event was put together by Get Living London, as part of their Make Yourself at Home Campaign, they formed with the aim of offering a new kind of rental to Londoners and creating a true community in the East Village in Stratford. One of their unique offerings is that they encourage tenants to be creative in their homes, to design them to feel like their own spaces, painting walls, putting up shelves, mirrors etc. without fear of losing deposits. I rather like this idea and would have been glad of it when I was renting. As a part of this campaign, the event took place in Ashlyn’s new Olive Lives Alfie store in the East Village on the Olympics site, and I relished the excuse of being on the other side of London to follow my nose (getting a little lost!) and seeing how the planners and architects had built a new city within a city that was in some places quite beautiful and very tranquil and, dare I say it, not very British in feel, which I really liked.Read More

Brass Hardware – A love letter and sourcebook

April 13, 2016

I blame Emily Henderson for my obsession with brass, hell maybe American styling in general, but I’ve become a bit of a Hollywood Regency enthusiast over the last year or so. In the past I happily tripped along with pewter and pewter effect as a more stylish alternative to silver (which seems to be my families metal of choice and style) but the warmth of brass has really captured my imagination in the new house. I’ve used it in loads of places and totally love it, it brings a bit of sunshine to a door or a light fitting and when done well adds lots of class. We luckily bought a house with no plaster work needed so, not only have I been able to merrily paint away in our new home, I’ve also been able to buy and install the fittings that I want without having to wait for boring things to be done first (have I mentioned I’m naturally impatient?!). So, today, as it’s Milan Design Week, I’m celebrating by focusing in on one small area of design and sharing my top picks for places in the UK to pick up classy brass.Read More

Faux foliage: Ten of the Best

April 8, 2016

It may seem a little irregular to be writing this post just as Spring blooms with real botanical gems, even more so when we’ve just done our first bit of proper gardening in our first ever garden, but this trend is everywhere right now and I can’t help being a little intrigued. In my family home growing up house plants were a bit of a staple and I have to admit I winced a little as I kept coming across them in home decor as they make me think of a slightly hippy-ish strand of the eighties which feels at odds with my personal style. I love the idea of plants, I love the fact that they detoxify pollutants, can neutralise your carbon footprint and at their best they can look very lush.

labeled : Design Favourites: Sourcing & Inspiration - Green Fingers | LEAVE A COMMENT

House Tour: Our Blue, Brass & Metro Bijou Bathroom

April 4, 2016

Images: Design Soda

Bathrooms are one of the lushest things when they are done, nightmares whilst they are happening, and more expensive than I’d ever imagined. That’s how I’d sum up my first experience of putting in a brand new bathroom. I had been hoping to put the bathroom project off until we were further through the house, it was relatively neutral compared to lime green walls or purple psychedelic wallpaper in other rooms and having never done a bathroom from scratch before I’d rather have crossed other things off my list first. However, after a few weeks in the new house and several drain unblockers, living with funny smells and the final straw when black gunk starting spitting out of the whirlpool valves of the Jacuzzi bath at our then 12 month old, it started to rank next to urgent on the list of things that needed doing.Read More

labeled : Home Design - Room Makeovers | 69 COMMENTS

Shop Love – CB2

March 30, 2016

Whilst looking for some hard to find object or other I stumbled upon this fantastic store. I think I may have seen other things sold by them in the past and instantly dismissed them as international and therefore expensive. But I am wrong, as they are almost as well priced as fellow American stalwarts Target. CB2 by Crate & Barrel have fast become an American favourite of mine.Read More

labeled : Design Favourites: Sourcing & Inspiration | 2 COMMENTS