Category Archives: Design Favourites: Sourcing & Inspiration

Faux foliage: Ten of the Best

April 8, 2016

artificial boston fern jungalow plants on pink

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.

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Shop Love – CB2

March 30, 2016

CB2

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.Inline image 1Read More

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Lipstick for walls – Wallpaper Edit Part 2

January 29, 2016

Kalahari Vignettes Anthropologie Wallpaper

 

It’s been a while since I last posted on wallpapers and there are so many eye catchers on the market. I saw some great ones at London Design Festival in September, patterns are a bit of a weakness for me so this was truly testing ground, but I haven’t got round to sharing them all yet. Some are pretty neutral, others perhaps more fitting on the ubiquitous feature wall which I’m a big fan of, it can be a great and inexpensive way to feature art in a room, and some high end ones really are like pieces of art. It seems fitting that I post this today as I am going to use Ted’s afternoon nap to remove some anaglyphta from the hallway in our new house. I include a few American papers as some people are happy to shop internationally (or are reading from other countries) and in fact I have ordered the wallpaper in the main image for my downstairs loo from Anthropologie’s American website. Here is my smorgasbord of favourites,  Enjoy!Read More

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Design Crush #8

January 19, 2016

Bethan Gray G&T brogue table

Now, I have design crushes and design crushes, this one, the brogue table, definitely falls under the category of capital letters DESIGN CRUSH. I could not shout my love for this table more strongly. It is perfect. It comes in many colours and is a wonderful design, but this design in this one colour,  I may just sell my own nanny for it (and would probably have to given the price). It is by multi-award-winning British designer Bethan Gray who has designed products and lines for Habitat, John Lewis and The Conran Store. It is the quality and detail of this piece that is so stunning, that cut work edging which is hand tooled on leather is exquisite. The cut work, which is perforated and stitched as on a brogue would be (hence the name!) also looks, to me, almost like a doilly, mirroring something of past, a celebrational trim in a totally modern way, it is incredibly beautiful whilst being, dare I say, almost a little kitsch.Read More

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Nöel: Baubles & Pretty Things

November 11, 2015

miniature-snowy-christmas-tree-Cox-&_Cox

How early is too early to start thinking about Christmas?! I have a slightly over-enthusatic inclination as winter draws in to sit perusing recipes and decorations, planing for the time when your home feels most cosy and sociable. I’ve seen magazine shoots on Instagram for months and now the print magazines and adverts have started gearing up I’ve taken the plunge and collected together my favourite Christmas decorations.  If you add to your treasure trove of Christmas pieces each year then you’ve come to the right place, mine isnt out of control quite yet but it’s getting there.  Of all the many things, one of the things I love most about Christmas decorations is the tradition of things in miniature, from whole worlds inside baubles to nativities on shelves, from menageries of hanging animals and houses in miniature as tea light holders, here is my festive home rundown.Read More

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