/

/

AD – This post is a paid collaboration with M&S.

As someone who has shopped on the high street for all of their adult life I am delighted to be joining forces with British high street institution M&S for the next couple of months to share my favourite picks from their latest collections.

I will be styling my favourite items on the blog each month for the next three months highlighting the key pieces that I am most excited about, and this season there is a lot to get excited about. In fact the whole new collection plays into one of my main enthusiasms – colour and how to translate it into your home. There a few real hero pieces in the new range for spring/summer and I’m looking forward to showing you them, in fact don’t tell anybody but I may be most excited by the final edit I’ll be sharing so stay tuned for upcoming posts!

/

/

M&S have followed a slightly different path with this new collection, eschewing trend names, which can often feel unrelateble and even a little untranslatable in favor of a gorgeously translatable palette of colours. The focus on colour palettes in the new range divides into three key looks of Sun Baked, Pool Blues and Warm Neutrals. As someone who lives for colour I find this approach really exciting. I love how easy M&S have made it to transform the look of a space using a few key pieces guided by a cohesive colour scheme. So today I am diving in past the February snow and dark skies (aren’t we all just crossing fingers and hoping for signs of spring soon?) to show you a palette that embodies the tropical feels of more clement weather to come, a scheme which feels both optimistic and energising. The Sunbaked palette of sorbet tones makes me think of summer days, cities like Lisbon and Naples, and balmy nights from Tennessee Williams plays. It’s a colour palette close to my own heart, in fact the default font colours I chose for my blog (apricot yellow and coral pink) mirror this scheme almost perfectly.

/

/

With such well thought through and striking palettes it is possible to create the feel of a whole new look using just a few simple updates, a throw, some cushions, a vase etc. The base notes of this collection, a combination of pink and yellow, feel really fresh and modern, they are grounded by browns and terracotta’s so they work really well in our living room against the brownish tint of the Dead Salmon walls and natural wood floor. One of the things that really strikes me about this collection is the attention to detail. There is something quite artisan, and very un-mass-market about the layers of embroidery on the leaf design cushions (so often printed at this price point) and hand painted ceramic vases and ceramics. The range is not pristine, there is nothing predictable about it, and it speaks of a style that is a little undone, layered, and all the more chic for it.

/

/

The new range displays some of the best elements of modern design that we are seeing an upsurge of in the design world. An attention to detail that means even at this price point the pieces are like investment pieces, not throw away trend driven fluff. There’s an interpretation of the abstract trend which is very in vogue at the moment, but in a really translatable way. The use of mark making amongst botanical prints here is really intricate, complex and special, I just love the cushions which feel so tactile with the different layers of embroidery set against a backdrop pattern of colourwash and mark making.

I love the botanical motif used in this collection and have mirrored this in shots with a faux fiddle leaf fig tree which is a super convincing faux, perfect for buying into this trend if you are either a serial plant killer or have cats around who are allergic to them. I don’t usually hold with faux but was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of this one, which comes in its own stylish basket, so no need to re-pot and looks very convincing once you’ve played around with the layout of the leaves. One of my favourite items from the collection is the elegant striped colourblock vase , sister item to the block striped jug, which, handcrafted in Portugal, has a gorgeously speckled beveled texture, it’s a really fun piece and the colours really pop, displaying different colours with each turn and curve.

/

/

Talking of colour pops, the sun drenched hues of the Block Striped throw where the temperature dial has been turned up full has my heart, it’s such a gorgeous twist on the heritage of the Welsh blanket with its kitschy neon vibe. The final piece I’ve chosen is a fairly timeless one, this simple and elegant candelabra would fit in well in most settings, but I think it works especially well here bringing out the warmer tones of the patterns with a touch of metallic.

If your style is a little simpler than mine, you may prefer to incorporate one or two pieces, I could see these heat soaked tones looking very chic when used sparingly on a neutral base. What do you think, doesn’t this look speak of summer to come, providing the perfect antidote at this time of year? I love the hit of visual heatwave about it, its the perfect foil to the weather outside making one feel energised and hopeful of brighter days.

I did spot a few Goldfinches in the garden yesterday, so fear not spring proper is on its way soon. For now i’ll be enjoying the hint of longer balmier days that this range injects into our space. What’s you’re favourite piece from the collection? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

/

/

Items used in piece;

Block Striped Jug // Print and stitch abstract leaf cushion // Abstract Oval platter // Candelabra // Block striped throw // Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree // Block Striped Ceramic Vase //

/

This post is a paid collaboration with Marks & Spencer, as ever I only choose to work with carefully selected brands that I love and think you will too.