Category Archives: Home Design

My pick of cutting garden favourites (& ideas for how to style them)

August 1, 2016

Image: Design Soda

It’s the first day of August and right now Mother Nature is putting on quite a show in our garden, flowers are everywhere in abundance. We’ve been celebrating each new bloom by bringing them into the home throughout July and I’ve been watching what thrives best and looks well within our interior style. I’m over the moon to have a garden to grow flowers in, not only are they much cheaper than florists and fresher too but there’s something really pleasing about watching your blooms come from shoots and blossom on top of which I love the smell and they are great for your wellbeing in a space. I’ve been reading Holly Becker’s Decorate with Flowers this month (which I highly recommend) and last week I was at a brilliant workshop put together by bloomon on modern flower arrangements so I thought I’d put together some of the top tips I’ve learned and some styling ideas for if you fancy growing a cutting garden but don’t know where to start. I’ve had window boxes and front garden pots for years so I have some tried and trusted faves along with new additions that I’m now able to grow in our outdoor space and work really well indoors.Read More

Living Room Makeover: Our Natural History Infused Bohemian Modern Space

July 20, 2016

We are now at the really nice point in decorating the house (hallelujah) where we have finished decorating everything internally so can look to objects and styling spaces to make it feel more our own and interesting. This is everyone’s favourite part, right? The bit where you edit down your pieces, add a few special new ones to embellish with and drive your partner crazy moving things around until they are just right (all before a tiny toddler comes into the room and makes his own stylist decisions about exactly what belongs where!).Read More

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

labeled : Colour - Home Design | 7 COMMENTS

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

labeled : Design Favourites: Sourcing & Inspiration - Home Design | 24 COMMENTS

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