Household Treats to Bank on this August

The August Bank Holiday weekend is upon us, and whether you’re planning a few home improvements or entertaining your family or friends, we have found some lovely home accessories to give some extra added touches to your home on this extra long weekend.

If you’re having lots of guests this weekend and you’re in need of some more seating space then have a look at some of the ottomans and footstools at Oka Direct. They are the perfect addition to any living room or seating area, and can be a great decorative element, as well as being handy when you have a few more people to fit in.

These Karaman floor cushions from Oka Direct are super convenient for this time of year as they can be easily moved inside and outside depending on the weather so that you can entertain or relax in any part of your house or garden, plus they make a simple but effective beautiful new feature for your home.

If you’re thinking about doing some DIY this Bank Holiday, then you may want to start with the addition of some new hooks or antique trimmings for your home. Willow and Stone has some beautiful designs and original antiques for sale that could be the simple but special extra touches your home needs. These hand painted ceramic coat hooks are absolutely adorable and look great both as a mix-match of colours, or all the same, or even just a single hook for a minimal but sweet effect.

Another find from Willow and Stone are these elegant bobbin light pulls, recovered from an old textiles factory. They’re understated addition that would make any room of the house feel a little more complete.

If you’re thinking about hosting a dinner party this weekend, here are some ideas to help create a beautiful setting for your guests.  The Linen Works have a collection of gorgeous tablecloths at the moment, which will lay the perfect groundwork for a wonderful dinner party.

If you’re looking for some stand out centerpieces for a dinner party or just to decorate your home in general, then have a look at An Angel At My Table. They have some wonderful pieces that are eye-catching and innovative. This candelabra makes a bold statement and is perfect if you feel like being adventurous and having a little fun with your finishing touches.

Another stunning piece from An Angel At My Table are these science test tube style vases, a beautifully creative and modern way to display flowers, and will certainly be a conservation piece.

If you want something a little more classic and understated, something to compliment your existing accessories, try out these Peacock Antiqued glass vases. They make a subtle yet sophisticated addition to any table and could be used all year round for any occasion.

This Bank Holiday doesn’t have to be about spoiling just yourself, how about splurging on your beloved pooch?  This adorable wicker dog bed from Somerset Willow will be the icing on the cake to all your new additions to the house and it’s the ideal spot for your dog to take a snooze instead of your lovely new furniture!

So enjoy the Bank Holiday and enjoy treating yourself to a few little home accessory temptations whilst you’re at it!

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Let There Be Light!

Blog by Philippa Rosselli

When thinking about the decoration of your home it’s important to remember to include your garden into the mix. Even if you don’t have green fingers there are always ways to dress up your garden that don’t take up too much time or energy, and any garden no matter what size or style can benefit from the addition of a few lighting features. Just like an accessory to a room, lighting can be the perfect finishing touch a garden needs to make it special.

Now that summer has arrived and (fingers crossed!) the weather is bright and beautiful the time has come to adorn our gardens with lighting and turn them into the magical havens we’ve all been dreaming of when the sun goes down. Whether you’re looking to revamp your garden into a welcoming setting for BBQs and other social gatherings or if you’re looking to create a more permanent feature piece for your garden, there’s an abundance of styles and lighting features to choose from.

A few new lighting additions is the easiest way to update your garden,  if candles and fairy lights are your thing or you’re looking for a quaint new porch light, these little finishing touches are just right to show off your signature style in a quick and easy way.

This lantern from the Charles Edwards exterior lighting collection is a contemporary way to add a little old-fashioned English romance to your garden. The bulb and frosted tube combination means that you’ll get that flickering candle effect without having to relight every time there’s a gust of wind!

One of The White Company’s bestsellers this summer are these beautiful Bistro Bulb Fairy Lights. Fairy lights are a beloved home and garden accessory, creating a warm and cosy feel to any surrounding area. These lights are particularly great as the oversized bulb creates more of a retro style, forming the atmosphere of a quaint Italian bistro or perhaps a 1950’s American funfair. Whether you want to hang them on a trellis or in a tree, they’re adaptable to any garden and any style, and are a great last minute addition for any party decorations.

Retrouvius currently has some wonderful indoor and outdoor lighting features, but my particular favourite for a porch feature is this charming Painted Copper Lantern.

Painted on the glass sides are charming seaside landscapes that are the perfect welcoming accessory for every seaside lover or fan of the quaint and quirky. This little porch lamp could be the ideal piece to add a little beach-fun and nostalgia to your home.

If you live in a flat or terrace with perhaps just a rooftop or small space to work with, there are still countless ways to make your outdoor area the most sought after space in your home.

This John Cullen Lighting design uses lighting around the edge to create the illusion of a spacious area whilst using candles and table lighting to make a cosy and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect place for social events.

The same goes for this lovely al fresco seating area using Collingwood Lighting. Three wall lights throw warm light up and down the wall highlighting the attractive brickwork and the foliage in front.

Summer isn’t the only season your garden should be getting all dressed up for though. Incorporating permanent light features into your garden is a fantastic way to make a statement all year round. Turning a garden into your own personal haven means that you can have your very own beautiful landscape painting to enjoy all to yourself.

If you’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous pond or water feature in your back garden then it’s the perfect canvas for some dramatic lighting. John Cullen Lighting shows how to use lights to highlight a water feature and its surrounding shrubbery. The glow and shadows these lights created by bouncing off of its partnered bush adds a level of contemporary sophistication to a garden.

If you love gardening and have a prized plant, you can use a lighting feature to show off your marvellous creations!

Putting a light next to the plant immediately draws your eye to it making it the feature piece in your garden. You can use this effect to display your plant proudly or to achieve a beautifully dramatic statement with the lighting creating a striking shadow effect on the house wall.

Although a lighting fixture is a great way to show off your garden and all its wild wonders, you might also want to consider finding a light fixture that is the main feature of a garden itself.

This beautiful piece from Artemide is a lovely contemporary way to include lighting into your garden. It can be left to stand alone like in the picture above, perhaps on a patio or decking area, or you might want to integrate it into a flowerbed. A few of these pieces would be the perfect addition simply dotted around in an overflowing wild garden.

Your garden can be the perfect canvas to play around with adventurous and beautiful lighting, and it’s the perfect way to inject a bit of luxury without a complete overhaul. From elegant, contemporary pieces to fun and romantic, adding a little light into your garden could give it the burst of life it’s been looking for!

 

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A Passion for Panelling

Panelling is a wonderful and practical way to add character to a room and can transform a plain wall into a beautiful backdrop for your furnishings.

Some homes have the great advantage of still having their original panelling but if you haven’t inherited any with the house, there is no reason that it can’t be added. If you choose the right style of panelling for your home and get the colour and the execution right, it will look as if it has always been there.

The wonderful wooden panelling at Sawston Hall would have originally been installed to help insulate rooms from the cold stone walls. It also adds a lovely depth of colour to the rooms.

Painted panelling makes a room lighter which can be easier to live with. It also offers endless colour options so you aren’t restricted by a backdrop of wood. This lovely room is painted in Farrow and Ball French Grey and the colour has been applied to the walls, cornicing, skirting boards, door and door frame – everywhere other than floor and ceiling – which creates a calm, unified look.

This beautiful hallway in a Victorian country house was given some detail with simple panelling framing the wall areas below the picture rails, which were painted in with the colour of the walls.

Bathrooms can benefit hugely from panelling and is especially useful when incorporating a roll top bath as a simple ledge can be created on the top of the panelling for your soap dish, shampoo and cup of tea.

The style that you choose for your panelling is really important and will alter the feeling of the room. This lovely panelling from the Painted Wall Panelling Company has a distinct Arts and Crafts feel to it and creates a wonderful ledge to display accessories.

You can make a really bold statement if you choose contrasting colours above and below your panelling. Your eye is naturally drawn to where the colour changes so the height of your panelling needs to be considered carefully. If you choose a dark colour for your panelling, make sure your skirting boards are in the same colour as the panelling or you will end up with a white stripe at the base of your panels.

It is fine to panel around your windows if they fall below the height of the panelling that you choose. This delightful bathroom makes a feature out of a pretty window by painting it the same colour as the panelling. Panelling by The English Panelling Company.

Finally artwork looks great on panelling and if your pictures are larger than the panels , it can still work to hang them across the panels. These pictures work really well against the panelling as they have been centred across the panels. Panelling by The Wall Panelling Company.

All the rooms featured here have a traditional feel. However, panelling can look just as wonderful in contemporary settings – we will be bringing you a feature on this soon, watch this space!

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Worship your walls

It’s easy to feel a bit nervous about using wallpaper with all the pattern, colour and occasional bit of texture that it brings, but I think that wallpaper is a wonderful decorating tool and following a few key principles will help to achieve just the look that you are after.

As with any scheme, it is important to find your own style and stick to it, and this very definitely applies to your wallpaper selection. From traditional to modern, and all the styles in between, there is a wallpaper for you, so keep looking until you find a design that works for you.

Angie Lewin’s wonderful wallpaper with a hand drawn feel in beautiful knocked back colour tones www.stjudes.co.uk

By contrast, if you like a wallpaper to make more of a statement, Osborne and Little’s Tessella could be for you. www.osborneandlittle.com

If you are using a wallpaper, don’t be afraid to hang your pictures – the pattern will still provide a good backdrop to your artwork. This classic country trellis pattern wallpaper creates a lovely background to the pictures – and the impromptu cocktail bar!

Fired Earth Walled Garden Broughton  www.firedearth.com

Look at the paint colours for your ceiling and woodwork carefully as generally you want them to blend with the colour tones in the wallpaper. If your ceilings are low or sloping, think about wallpapering them – be brave, it will look great!

The low sloping ceiling of this room is disguised by wallpapering it in with the walls. Beautiful Blue Roses wallpaper by Kate Forman www.kateforman.co.uk 

 

I generally think that if your wallpaper is patterned (rather than a textured plain paper) that a plain curtain works better. However, there is the odd occasion that using a matching curtain and wallpaper can look stunning.

This very classic damask pattern wallpaper from Lewis and Wood looks wonderful with matching curtains. Lewis and Wood Venetian Damask http://www.lewisandwood.co.uk

Wallpaper is a great way to add personality and fun to your children’s rooms and there are some great new patterns on the market for you (and your little princes and princesses) to choose from.

Gymkhana wallpaper from Rockett St George www.rocketstgeorge.co.uk

Les Bidules wallpaper from Pierre Frey www.pierrefrey.com

Happy decorating!

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Cycle Fever

The third stage of the Tour de France starts in the heart of Cambridge on 7^th July and I, for one, am excited. Now you would have thought that this excitement would translate into the crucial work of having the Angel and Blume bicycle serviced and the flat tyre and wobbly seat sorted out, but instead my enthusiasm has manifested itself into finding the best bicycle related interiors products. Kingsway cycles we will be bringing the Angel and Blume bike to you any minute, for the rest of you, here are my discoveries so far:

 

 

Bicycle cushion 30cm x 50cm Graham and Green £55

You know how I love a cushion, and this one from Graham and Green is not only very classy but fun too.

 

 

 

 

 

I love these prints from David Sparshott – they are beautifully detailed, absolutely charming and I suspect very accurate, although I am only guessing. The bike race support vehicles is my favourite – which is yours?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bone china mug from Ginger and French £10 for 1 or £74 for 8

I personally think that commemorative mugs need to be used advisedly, so these mugs from Ginger and French are joyously low key whilst reminding you of the great occasion.

Bicycle rug 120cm x 180cm £460 Graham and Green

Oh so beautiful – a little work of art for your floor! Find just the spot for this charming rug, either on the floor or on the wall.

Linwood wallpaper – On Yer Bike £79.90 per roll

Lovely wallpaper from Linwood, entitled ‘On Yer Bike’ put it in a child’s bedroom, a dressing room, in the back of a cupboard or wardrobe, or line your desk drawers with it. You will smile every time you see it.

 

Habitat door mat

45cm x 75cm £15

I’ve just ordered one of these – I couldn’t help myself

 

 

 

 

Aspace single duvet cover £45

And for your Tour de France obsessed children, a charming pillow and duvet cover set to ensure that they are wearing the yellow jersey in their dreams.

 

See you at the start line!

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Urban inspiration

By Leonie Walker

Recently I have come across several designs that take inspiration from urban living and city landscapes, offerings some refreshingly original design motifs and patterns.

One example is Timorous Beasties fantastic Toile collection. Unlike traditional French toile designs of charming pastoral scenes, Beasties’ toiles offer a contemporary twist on the French classic. Their wallpaper and fabric motifs display a surprising and honest depiction of city life. Iconic cityscapes, park life, crime scenes, promenading and rude boys are just a few of the engaging narratives that take place in these designs. There are differing toiles for London, New York, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and each with its own feel and cityscape.

The New York Toile

The London Toile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glasgow Toile

 

The Edinburgh Toile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another example of urban themed decor is Marimekko’s new Siirtolapuutarha range. Made up of a selection of crockery and textiles, the pieces have a lovely illustrative design motif that eludes to cityscapes and urban living. Sure enough, the design for this range is inspired by city life, in particular small city gardens. The word siirtolapuutarha is a Finnish term that refers to small community plots of land in the city that are used for gardens and allotments. Each piece tells a different part of the siirtolapuurtarha story, from ‘a morsel of nature in the urban jungle’ to the ‘tiny gardens tucked into the nooks of urban life’ – Marimekko.

Siirtolapuutarha bowl, available at Skandium

 

Oiva Siirtolapuutarha coffee cup, available from Nord

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siirtolapuutarha plate, available from Skandium

 

Siirtolapuutarha red coated cotton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you need look no further than out onto the street to find something new to be inspired by.

This article first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

 

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Bringing the outside in

I always get excited about this time of year when sitting outdoors becomes an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, and wild flowers start to appear in the garden. As garden flowers make for such a nice display, it would seem a shame not to make the most of them. Decorating with flowers can be an effective and inexpensive way to offer an additional burst of life, colour and scent into a room. I have put together a few examples of imaginative ways to display your garden plants and flowers, even if only a single stem!

The Bowl Shelf, a new component of the innovative String shelving series, is made of plastic with three compartments and is perfect for displaying and growing plants indoors!

The Bowl Shelf, along with other ‘String’ components can be found at www.skandium.com, at £90 per unit.

This charming Hanging Blume Tube by Rowen & Wren is a great way to make an attractive flower display with a single stem.

Available at www.notonthehighstreet.com, at £14 for a set of two.

Here is another simple way to display a single flower. Two Vintage Style Mini Bottles by The Flower Studio, from www.notonthehighstreet, £8.99.

The Woolly Pocket company do a great range of breathable table and wall planters, which are suitable for indoors and available in a variety of colours.

www.woollypocket.co.uk, £15.99 for a table planter.

Woolly Pocket’s breathable wall planters are particularly fun, and allow you to create indoor living plant walls. I recommend you take a look at their online inspiration gallery, where they showcase many inventive ways to have indoor wall gardens.

www.woollypocket.co.uk, £29.99 for one unit.

This quirky, unconventional Light bulb Vase by London Garden Trading makes for a striking flower display, from www.notonthehighstreet.com, £12.95.

These Two Metallic Plant Pots from Rocket St George would be a stylish way to display your garden plants. Available at www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk, £45 for a set of two.

So make the most of this spring, and bring the outside in.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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Let’s tesselate

Geometrically inspired designs are a current theme in interiors, including a pleasing inclination towards tessellation.  For those who don’t know, tessellation is a distinct type of pattern where one shape is repeated without any gap or overlap when placed side by side. These sorts of patterns often appear in interiors, and their appealing geometric qualities often result in an interesting and cohesive design. Here are a few examples for you to enjoy.

The work of fabric designer, Eleanor Pritchard is characterised by bold geometric and graphic reversible patterns making use of inky tones and sharp accents.  Her focus on geometry means that several of her designs have beautiful tessellating patterns.

This grey cushion shows the ‘Northerly’ range, made up of a repeated stepped shape. £96

The ‘Easterly’ range is the same pattern as above but with a striking retro yellow and grey palette. £230

Pritchard’s beautiful ‘Quail’s egg’ design is made up of a repeated double triangle bow shape.  £230

Cushions from top, ‘Easterly’, ‘425 Line’ and ‘quail’s egg’. £96 each

The hexagonal ‘Pov candleholder’ by Menu is cool and quirky, and as a tessellating shape it can be built up to form a larger pattern on your wall.

Available from Skandium. £30

Using the same shape, Merve Kahraman has designed this extraordinary ‘ Diplopia Monochrome’ table, and goes a step further by emphasising the 3D cube optical illusion. This stereographic effect is produced through combining different shades of marble.

Contact Merve Kahraman for prices.

Iconic chair company, Vitra, have recently brought out the ‘Maharam pillows’ range, designed by Hella Jongerius. This includes a selection using the classic tessellating Hound’s tooth check, but with a colourful twist!

In pink…

Moss…

Cocoa…

And in Lemon.

Available at Skandium. £130 each

Tiles tessellate by nature and ceramic company, Made a Mano play to this by incorporating the tessellating theme into some of there designs. One example is the Komon Natura Viceversa, which Inspired by Japanese small decorations, is made up of an isosceles triangle repeatedly rotated.

Contact Made a Mano for prices

The folded forms of origami and sculpted paper often come from repeat patterns of one shape to form a structure, which can be very simple or rather complex as is shown by the two examples of folded light pendants below.

‘Kami, white paper pendant shade’ from Habitat. £60

‘Luci, red fabric geometric shaped pendant shade’ from Habitat. £20

 

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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‘Painting with scissors’

I have to admit that until recently I had a rather narrow minded view of decoupage and collage, putting it down as a bit unsophisticated. However, the recent work of a variety of artists has definitely proved me wrong about this, and exemplified how collage is a technique that can produce very beautiful design. I have brought together some examples of the work that have given me this renewed high regard for collage, a craft that Matisse once so elegantly called ‘Painting with Scissors’.

Petra Borner

Much of Petra Borner’s work is originally made by cutting and layering paper. Her versatile technique allows her to create beautiful and bold compositions. Her designs are then used for prints, fabrics and book illustrations. She has many examples of these cut out paper designs online, some of which are available to purchase.

Borner designed the cover for Jayne Austin’s Emma, published by Bonnier.

Petra Borner, Autumn Red Print. £225.00.

Petra Borner, Play 1 Print. £120.00.

Petra Borner, Winter Green Print. £225.00.

John Derian

John Derian has a charming collection of decoupage work. For his designs, Derian takes from his own vast collection of antique and vintage prints, and artisans then cut and collage onto hand blown glass using these designs. As a result many of the items have a wonderfully historic and bespoke feel.

John Derian, Ladyhill Round Plate, Special Edition at the Conran shop. £45.

John Derian, Green Apple Glass Dome Paperweight at Liberty. £59.95.

John Derian, British Seaweeds Red at Pentreath & Hall. £45.

John Derian, Elephant Tiny Glass Tray at Liberty. £45.00.

John Derian, Butterflies Rectangular Glass Tray at Liberty. £79.95.

John Derian, Baines Florist Mini Tray – Special Edition at the Conran Shop. £55.

Let’s hope that artists keep painting with scissors!

This blog first appeared in the Cambridge Evening News website.

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New interior design classes

We have recently launched our new series of interior design talks for 2014 including a new course on how to accessorise your home. Starting on the 4th February 2014, the course will cover what accessories will work for your home, where to find them and how to know what to put where. There will also be hints, tips and insider secrets on all accessories including furnishings, storage, light fittings, rugs, curtains and blinds, cushions, flowers and plants, tableware, bedlinen, pictures, collections, accessories for children’s’ rooms and how to accessorise your kitchen and bathroom. Places are going fast so go to www.interiordesigntalks.com for more information or to sign-up.

All images are taken from Secrets of a Stylish Home by Cate Burren and Simon Whitmore. With thanks to Simon Whitmore photography for the use of images.

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