Feels like Autumn

Autumn is arguably my favourite time of year, perhaps a close tie with the first few months of spring, but there’s something about autumn, with its falling leaves and the perfect amount of nip in the air. You can start planning on how to turn your home from the cool summer vibe to a warm and cosy one, using nature as your best inspiration. Deep colours, warm lighting and cosy textures are the best way to make your home feel ready for those colder evenings. I’ve collected a few ideas of some wonderful ways to transform your home.

A beautiful candlelit room by Ralph Lauren Home via Pinterest

In the summer all you want is light, bright rooms that can soak up the sun, but when the nights start to draw in, creating an inviting space with some warm lighting is the perfect way for your home to make you feel protected from the cold. Candles are a must have item in the autumn, but what’s equally as important is finding the right holders to keep them in.

If you love your cool contemporary interiors, but still want to add some warmth to your home, these metallic base candle holders from Graham & Green are a lovely way to incorporate both concepts into an interior. Mix and match the different finishes, or keep a clean look with just one in different sizes.

Tiya Lanterns from Graham & Green

To really hone in on the feeling of autumn, these Nkuku candle holders are beautifully decorated in charming autumn colours. The antiqued finish will really give you that warm, glistening feeling; a great way to light a small get-to-together or a quite night in.

Morri T Lights from Nkuku

Go one step further in using nature as inspiration with these lovely leaf wall candle holders from Rockett St George. With a hint of Baroque style, but with the right amount of modernity as well, they’ll keep your walls looking interesting and pretty and help to create a fantastical woodland feel to your home.

Leaf Wall Candle Holder from Rockett St George

Filling a room with different textures helps to create an inviting atmosphere in your home, ridding the place of any harsh surfaces and adding in warm, textural pieces will keep those cold thoughts at bay. I love this image below, of a cool contemporary setting that’s subtly been given some winter charm to it by the use of the faux fur throw and the textural tassels of the rug.

A clam textural living space from Nyde via Pinterest

Velvet is a fantastic texture to use in your accessories, but in autumn it’s practically a necessity; just want you need to nestle into on a cold night. These cushions from Zara Home are a divine colour, and will complement the warm oranges of the autumn, plus they have the perfect velvety sheen that’ll give your home that extra bit of luxe.

Velvet Cushions from Zara Home

I hold the biggest soft spot for the use of faux fur in interiors, there’s just something about a good quality item that’s too hard to resist. This furry stool is an amazing buy and the perfect way to top off an autumn style interior. Its sweet little legs give it a Scandinavian touch, plus the fur comes in different shades so you can match it to your existing colour scheme.

Shawn Sheepskin Stool in Taupe from Graham & Green

For an extra touch of texture to your walls, this hanging frame from Anthropologie with the cutest fringing along the bottom is a lovely way to frame a treasured photo or piece of memorabilia.

Fringed Hanging Frame from Anthropologie

For me, autumn colours is the best part about the season, in Cambridge we’re very lucky to have an abundance of trees all around the town, and when autumn comes the roads are full of fallen orange leaves. A beautiful deep orange is a lovely colour to add to your interior; just like this bedroom below which has been given a sumptuous orange throw and shades of orange cushions, all in wonderful velvet fabrics.

Rich orange bedroom from Designlovefest via Pinterest

This rug from Missoni Home is just the perfect colour, completely spot on for autumn. It’ll add depth to a clean and crisp white interior and enhance the romantic feeling of an interior that’s been decorated in dark tones.

Nirsa Rug from Missoni Home

Another lovely orange find is this beautiful, bright glass vase, a perfect place to host some winter twigs.

Wells Bubble Vase in Amber from Graham & Green

And finally, for that extra bit of autumn cheer at your dinner table, these Abigail Ahern plates are superb! The raw edge and rich colour are a lovely way to just your home a luxurious rustic vibe.

Cadiz Plates from Abigail Ahern

As autumn comes in, so do the luscious colours, textures and atmospheric lighting; helping you turn your home into a warm, cosy nest that you’ll never want to leave.

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Window to my Soul

Sometimes the window sill can go a little neglected, sure we adorn the window with a lovely pair of curtains or a suitable blind, but then what? In my house, window sills are often the place where things get put because we haven’t decided a location for them yet; a passport that needs to be put in a safe place, a mirror that needs to be hung, or more often than not a plant on its last legs that we’re hoping a few more rays of sunshine might save, these are all the things that are currently on my window sills at home. Actually, a window sill is the ideal place to get a little creative, it is in itself the perfect canvas to display beautiful objects, it’s a framed area that can avoid the hustle and bustle of daily life and just be there to help create more interesting surroundings.

For starters, you may want to consider the colour of your window frames and sills. We often keep our windows a simple white, or off-white colour but you can always get a little creative. You often see a lot of exterior window frames painted in jazzy colours, particularly if you stroll through the quieter streets of Cambridge, many of the sweet terraced houses are given their own sense of individuality with a bold door and window colour. This can be taken inside as well, after all you spend more time on the inside of your home rather than the outside. Whether you want to go bright or dark, painting your frames a colour that contrasts or stands out against you walls will really make your windows feel like a conscious design factor.

‘Painted window frames’ taken from Pinterest

I love this bright yellow frame found on Pinterest, it adds a bit of life to the interior, and no matter how lousy the weather is outside, it’ll always look a little brighter when looking out this window, and if your view is less than desirable, a brightly painted frame will cheer it up in no time. I also love this electric blue number, again found on Pinterest. The blue has been perfectly match to the blue in the tiling, and given an extra boost by a few blue accessories, really completing the look.

‘Painted window frame’ taken from Pinterest

Another idea you might want to think about is an alternative to the typical curtains or blinds, using shutters as an alternative, or as an addition can give you windows are extra bit of style and character. You may want to put some up in your kitchen, perhaps café style for an extra bit of privacy, or just like below, use in a bedroom to create a diverse look. Here, the bed frame and décor are distinctly romantic and gothic in their style, but using some shutters instead of heavy drapery whole room looks dramatic without being over the top, and is given a clean cut without being too clinical. All together the look runs seamlessly, while also working with every day, modern life.

‘Tier on tier’ from The New England Shutter Company

Once you have the foundations of your windows sorted, you can start to think about how you want to embellish them. Depending on your tastes, you can really play around with the way you dress your window sills. Unlike other surfaces, which may constantly need to be arranged or moved in order to make way for other things that come up in day-to-day life, a window sill arrangement can be somewhat left in a permanent state. Other than opening a window, or some gentle dusting, window sills often get left alone, so you can make a wonderful arrangement to suit your home and your tastes.  An easy way to start the process is with a few simple decorative pieces, such as candles. If you like your contemporary interiors, these ombre candle holders from Bonnie & Bell would make a nice, simple addition to a window sill. Once lit they’ll make for good atmospheric lighting, and will continue to look the part even when they’re not in use, you could opt for a row of one colour or mix and match with a selection of the four different choices.

‘Cement Glass Ombre Candle Holder’ from Bonnie & Bell

Another interesting candle set, this time from Holly’s House, are these candle mouldings that incorporate the shape of the candle holder for a really interesting effect. The candles come in either coral, lilac or grey, which again could be combined for a colourful look, or you can use one of the colours to create an attractive accent in a room.

‘Tallow Candle Holder’ from Holly’s House

A great way to decorate your window sill is with a beautiful bouquet flowers, but first you’ll need something to put them in. Picking out some vases that have a permanent place in the home, whether they are full of flowers of not, is a good idea as it will help to create a coherent look in a room and you won’t end up buying a piece that doesn’t fit or work in your house. While clear glass vases will look elegant placed on a table, by the window sill you may find them getting a little lost in all of the surrounding window’s glass. Choosing something with a little colour to it will give your windows some life and character, and will keep the whole area looking fluid and collected. This purple glass vase from Out There Interiors will look wonderfully with the sunlight glistening through it. Equally, this Olivia vase from LSA International will do the exact same. Both are great options and can accommodate different ranges and types of flowers and plants.

‘Ring Bottle or Vase in Purple’ from Out There Interiors

‘Olivia Vase’ from LSA International

If real plants aren’t you thing, finding some faux greenery will look wonderful in your windows, and allow you to live a life where you aren’t worrying about the amount of sunlight or water your plant should be getting. They’ll especially perk up your windows if you don’t the nicest of views. I think these little trees are quite sweet, their rough stone container gives them a bit of an edge that contrasts nicely with the well pruned tree itself.

‘Angel Vine Pleached Tree’ from Oka

And if you really can’t handle plants, real or faux, these ceramic cactus and succulent pairing might just do the trick, particularly if you like to add a bit of quirk and humour to your interiors. Collect a few and dot them around your window sill in between other items, or even to bookcase real plants!

‘Bloomingville Deco Cactus and Shining Succulent’ from Out There Interiors

A window can be a great place to hang something of importance to your, or just something you think is beautiful. These glass frames from Not on the High Street are an interesting way to frame items without blocking out the light. Filled them with an interesting print, or postcards like below, or something different altogether; I bought a glass frame from my mum, who filled it with pretty feathers she’d collected on walks, which worked rather effectively. If you have window that stares out onto a blank wall, this might be a good way to give yourself something interesting to look at as you pass by, but if you want to keep the view, you may want to opt for one of the smaller versions.

‘Glass Hanging Frame’ from Not on the High Street

There are hundreds of ways to get creative with your window sill, soon you’ll be looking less at the view and more are the wonderful way you’ve decorative your frames!

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Cheap Thrills

A rather excruciating part of my job is that I am constantly surrounded by, or looking at beautiful home furnishings and accessories, that unfortunately I just cannot afford. Fortunately, the interior design world is also full of wonderful pieces and products that will only take a pinch out of your wallet, and here are ten gorgeous items all under £50.00 to get you inspired!

‘Metal Pillar Candle Holders’ from Cox & Cox (£9.50)

A quick way to decorate a table area or ledge is with a few decorative candle holders. They instantly add a touch of personality to a room, and will also add a sense of homeliness. You can either follow a theme with your candle holders, or integrate a whole range of styles, from bohemian to luxe to rustic. They will easily dress up a room, and because they are usually cheap you’ll be able to get your hands of a few pairs! I love these pillar style holders from Cox & Cox, they had a hint of rustic glamour to a setting, but if you really want to give a little pizazz to a table or mantelpiece, these leopards from Oka are sure to do the trick!

‘Pair of Lakadema Leopard Candle Holders’ from Oka (£44.00)

If you’ve bought a cheap, plain sofa there is an easy solution to make it feel fancy, and that’s cushions! There are masses of low cost cushions out there from plain, bright and patterned, but I always find that if you want to add a bit of luxury to a sofa a little texture and colour goes a long way. Sometimes you’ll luck out and the cushion pad will be included in the price, but if not you can usually get the pad for just a little extra, or if you take note of the sizing you’ll be able to find a cheaper counterpart online or in a large department store.

‘Mint Cushion’ from Touva (£25.00 with cushion pad)

This little minty cushion is so sweet and so stylish, and for just £25.00 including the pad it’s an absolute bargain! I love the tassels and the contrasting patterns on this Trivandrum cover from Oka, it’s a wonderful solution if your sofa is looking a little bare, and is in need of a revamp.

‘Trivandrum Cushion Cover’ from Oka (£25.00 with cushion pad)

A nice way to dress up your home is with a few flowers or plants, and for that you’ll need somewhere to put them. If you’re into your contemporary interiors, this half-moon planter may be right up your street. It’s full of character, and its copper tones will look perfect against a vibrant green plant.

‘Half Moon Plant Pot’ from Urban Outfitters (£14.00)

If you want something a bit simpler, that follows a more classic style, this glass cloche from Cox & Cox is so elegant, and just waiting for from wildflowers to be put in!

‘Glass Plant Cloche’ from Cox & Cox

When acquiring tableware, because you often need so much of it, it can be hard to find a gorgeous but inexpensive set. Instead, you might want to opt for getting some cheaper plain plates and dishes and then dressing up the table with some one-off extras. This striking jug from Trouva is amazing, and placed in the centre it’ll really stand out and make the whole table feel that extra bit special.

‘Faye Toogood Indigo Storm Jug’ from Touva (£29.95)

You can easily dress up your walls without spending too much money, a nice frame added to cheap print will really increase the overall quality, and some interesting wall lighting is a great way to add some character. I love this candle wall sconce from An Angel at my Table, the mirror panels offer an interesting design, and it’s perfect if you love a bit of bohemian style.

‘Refracting Mirrored Candle Sconce’ from Angel at my Table (£35.00)

Decorating your home with lovely but cheaper pieces don’t just have to be about knick-knacks, you can find some wonderful pieces for a small prices that can also serve a purpose. This suitcase self from Urban Outfitters is rather sweet, and is ideal for storing books and magazines in an attractive way. It’s quirky, retro flair makes it not only useful but stylish too.

‘Palm Pattern Suitcase Shelf’ from Urban Outfitters (£50.00)

When you need to add that finishing touch to a seating area, something like this little table from An Angel at my Table is a great way to insert some decorative magic.

‘Small Brocante Tray Table’ from An Angel at my Table (£45.00)

A smaller budget by no means equals scrimping on the finer things in life, or getting your hands on something that’ll really complete your home. After all, you may find that good things come with small price tags.

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

A couple of weeks ago I looked at the fabulous book COLOUR by Abigail Ahern for our monthly Book Club. Since then I have been intrigued by all things colourful in the world of interiors. It’s a fun and easy task to turn your home from a neutral setting to fabulously colourful! A bold paint choice, or wild decorative piece may be exactly what you need to create an enviable rainbow-esque room, but if you’re not ready to dive straight in there are small injections of colour to be made by the addition of bright home accessories.

So starting off slow, I’ve got together a collection of exciting, sophisticated and most importantly brightly coloured accessories and furnishings to show you how much fun there is to be had with the bold and beautiful.

If you feel like you might need easing into the idea of eccentric and bright interiors, it’s best to go easy and introduce colour step by step with a few gleaming home accessories. These glass candle holders from Rockett St George are a great way to spice up a window sill or bare surface. The interaction between the gold and the colourful exteriors will create a warm and inviting setting in any home.

‘Glass Globe Candle Holders’ from Rockett St George

Before you go in bright and beaming, opting for a more muted colourful tone is a good way to get acquainted with colour, something like these crackled, antiqued plant pots from Graham & Green will jazz up a patio area or conservatory without being too overbearing, plus they’ll make a strong canvas to continue to add colour to in the future.

’Turquoise Plant Pots’ from Graham & Green

I’m finding it ever increasingly harder and harder to resist a bit of trim these days, so this blanket is absolutely perfect. The lovely blue tones with make a bright impact, and will be easily adapted into all sorts of colour and style schemes.

‘Pom Pom Blanket’ from Holly’s House

 

Not all bold colour interiors need to consist of the bright primary colours, take a cooler, more relaxed journey with some sophisticated metallics, like this bronze Barabra chair from Sweetpea and Willow. It’s has a fantastic retro vibe going on, and will transform a simple front room into a plush cocktail lounge.

‘Barabra Bronze Chair’ from Sweetpea and Willow

When it comes to a large piece of furniture such as a dining room table, there is always an urge to stick to the status quo and go for something conventional. But if you’re interested in adding a little colour to your palette, there’s no need to go to extremes and end up with a tomato red shiny table. Find your middle ground with something like this stylish piece from Houseology. The traditional wood top combined with the playful painted legs makes a wonderful contemporary statement.

‘Moooi Paper Table Patchwork’ from Houseology

When you get more comfortable with the idea of bright, colourful interiors you can really start to have some fun with the concept, from small and big ideas. If you’re thinking big, you can’t get more bright, colourful and stylish than this iconic design by Missoni from Roche Bobois. Whether you want to make a big statement or have just fallen in love with the design, it’s every colour lover’s dream.

‘Mah Jong Composition Missoni Home’ from Roche Bobois

This Zulu girl cushion from Graham & Green brings a lovely regal side to the world of bright interiors, it makes the perfect scatter cushion, either in a collection of equally bold cushions or as a statement piece against a sea of neutral cushions as its backdrop.

‘Zulu Girl Cushion’ from Graham & Green

There is always something to be found from the colourful section of home accessories if you want to add a sense of humour into your interior settings. Although they might be a little too quirky for some people’s taste, this set of winking eyes is rather fun. They’re perfect for a den or bedroom and are a great way to put a smile on people’s faces.

‘Winking Eye Cushions’ from Rockett St George

To give your table a quick fix of colourful fun, these Magritte inspired plates are a must. They’re so fabulous that they’ll even distract the guests if the dinner all goes wrong!

‘Magritte Melamine Plates’ from Rockett St George

And finally if you ever need a little colourful pick me up, this pink budgie is marvellous, hide it away in some plants or up on a shelf so that it’ll catch anyone who spots it by surprise as they walk past.

‘Pink Budgie’ from Rockett St George

Whatever your budget and whatever your taste or space requirements there is always a way to add a little brightness into your interiors and a little joy into your life!

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On reflection

The thing that I appreciate most about summer is the beautiful light. I have been making the most of the last few weeks enjoying the fabulous scenery that is scattered with enchanting summer rays. It has got me thinking about different materials that play with light in a space, and I have gathered together some of my favourite examples of furnishings that have attractive reflective surfaces.

 

I could never grow bored looking at the enchanting glass pear drops that hang from this table light.

 Arctic Pear Table Lamp by Ochre

 

 The ‘seeds’ that fall from this gorgeous chandelier almost look like raindrops, each one acting as a magnifying lens.

 Seed Cloud, round 112 buds, by Ochre

 

These lovely large glass orbs reflect the light around them, and draw your attention in.

Bubbles Glass Orb Pendant from Anthropologie

 

Glass vessels that hold water are a beautiful table piece, and offer a playful refracted image of whatever they behold.

LSA Umberto Vase from John Lewis

 

Glass perfume bottles can be a charming ornament in the bedroom that twinkle in the last of the evening light.

Early 20th Century Perfume Bottle from Alfies Antique Market

 

This brilliant wallpaper is a 3D foil that can be used to create great effects with some clever lighting.

Beware The Moon – Quantum Foam Wallpaper from Rockett St George

These contemporary arched mirrors create the illusion of an entrance, and will really open up a space.

Panorami Mirrors for Secondome, designed by Zaven

 

John Soane is famous for having used convex circular mirrors in his London town house to create a tour de l’oeil, magnifying viewpoints and making spaces look larger.

Little Black Framed Convex Mirror from Rockett St George

 

I love the glamorous ambiance created by using this antique mirror as a headboard. You can find some fantastic antique mirrors at Lassco. 

 

These garden tea light holders are lovely. The glass vessels emit a pretty flicker of candle light.

Hanging Teardrop Votive by Garden Trading from Not on the high street. 

 

This gorgeous lantern creates a warm glow, perfect for a garden dinner party.

Antique Style French Lantern by The Flower Studio from Not on the High Street

Reflective materials and multi faceted surfaces can be a great way to play with light in a space; to create illusions of scale and splendour, or simply to make a room feel more dynamic.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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