Greener Pastures

For 2017, Pantone’s colour of the year is Greenery, and although we don’t always like to revert to the on-trends thing when it comes to designing interiors, it’s always fun to see how you can make colours work within your home. Since this years ‘It’ colour is kind of a tricky one, we thought we’d show you some great ways to include it into your home through some lovely accessories.

The key to incorporating on-trend colours within your home is to make sure that the products you buy still have a timeless element to them, whether it’s in their style, shape or function, so that they can go on being used and looking good when their colour is less fashionable.

‘Green and Beige Herringbone Throw’ from Not on the High Street

This throw from Not on the High Street has a classic herringbone pattern, which will always be a staple style, and the blend of beige against the green gives the throw a slightly muted, rustic tone, allowing the throw to work with a whole range of interior styles and colour schemes.

If you have a beautiful dark wood dining table and you’re looking to add a pop of colour, some green upholstered chairs might just do the trick. These velvet and studded chairs from Oka are a wonderful, timeless mossy green which will continue to look elegant throughout the years, and paired with a long wooden table and a dramatic colour on the walls, your dining room will look fit for a feast.

‘Stafford Velvet Dining Chair in Putting Green’ from Oka

Using saucer style pendants for kitchen lighting has been a key look since the return of the industrial style a few years ago, and mixing in a bit of colour is a great way to reinvent your kitchen without having to remodel. These ceramic shades from Graham & Green are the perfect way to add a little life to a tired looking light fixture.

‘Green Saucer Pendant Lampshade’ from Graham & Green

To complement your green lightshade, add an extra dash of the colour with this retro sixties style pea pod tea towel from Thornback & Peel. It’s always important to add a little fun into your interiors to keep everything flowing and light-hearted and though this print might be a little much on a sofa, it’s a fantastic print to give your kitchen a sense of playfulness.

‘Pea Pod Tea Towel’ from Thornback & Peel

When we think of smart contemporary style, we might be tempted to think monotone shades, but throwing in a colourful shade or two can really give your interiors an innovative look. This lacquered green side table from Houseology paired with a moody grey velvet sofa and a crisp white wall would create a fantastic, complete look.

‘Normann Copenhagen Stay Table’ from Houseology

Made by craftsmen in Morocco, these recycled glass tumblers from Rockett St George would make a great addition to any existing collection of glassware. Their overall style makes them smart enough for a formal dinner party, but the individual imperfections to each tumbler gives them a flair that will cut out the matchy-matchy nature of glassware. Not only will they look lovely laid out on a table, but they’ll just as nice as they glistening in the sunlight displayed in a cabinet or dresser.

‘Recycled Glass Tumbler in Green Small’ from Rockett St George

Stick to a natural aesthetic when choosing your green accessories with this interesting artificial moss spray from Graham & Green. A contemporary alternative to a bouquet of flowers, or an unusual addition to an arrangement using some moss in your interior can create a bold look. Adding some to a vase placed on the window sill in a pale coloured bathroom will add an exciting touch.

‘Faux Moss Spray’ from Graham & Green

Adding a few small touches is an easy way to get started on introducing a colour to your interior, especially if bright interiors are a little out of your comfort zone. Changing something small, like the doorknobs on your cabinet, drawer or dresser, can give a piece of furniture and the room it’s in a new look. This floral knob from Anthropologie is a sweet little touch and if you don’t want to overload on the green, you can always use a few of the pink design as well, creating a wonderful horticultural effect.

‘Floraculture Knobs’ from Anthropologie

Another small change you can make is with these exciting coasters, by their very nature each one of them is different, meaning you’re guaranteed originality with your set. You can use them by themselves for a bedside table for an interesting effect or grouped together on a coffee table to really create an impact.

‘Celestial Coasters’ from Anthropologie

Using a bold colour like green in your home can be a little daunting but there are a great deal of ways to not only have fun with the colour but invest in some wonderful pieces that will look amazing in your home for a long time to come. So choose rightly and you’ll have everyone green with envy.

Read Full Post »

Be Our Guest

When you start to plan how your guest bedroom should look, it’s a whole other ball game to decorating a permanent bedroom within your house. A regular bedroom must accommodate the day-to-day needs of its occupants, and there must be an equal balance between style and functionality, but since occupancy of a guest room is sporadic, there are a different set of rules to decorating the space. Here are some tips for making the most out of your guest bedroom and making it feel like a home for your visitors.

Finding a nice range of permanent decorative features for a guest bedroom will mean that it is always ready, making sure you have one less thing to panic about when a scheduled guest arrives and you’re completely covered if you get a surprise visit. Though fresh flowers are always a plus, creating a foundation of faux flowers is a great way to keep a guest bedroom looking finished at all times. There are hundreds of high quality faux flowers to choose from these days, but at Angel + Blume we adore the selection from Abigail Ahern. If you want, you can opt for seasonal colours or types of flowers, but if you’re looking for something to suit your room all year round, you can’t go wrong with some fresh looking, white or cream flowers.

‘Abigail Ahern Cream Hydrangea Stem’ from Rose Grey

To house the flowers, finding the right, beautiful vase can add a delicate and effortless sense of style to a room. Choosing something simple but with a hint of character means it’ll keep its charm for a longer period, and finding a piece with a classic style means that you won’t have to worry about replacing it for a while. Something like this LSA International polka vase design is a great piece, its contemporary style gives it an exciting edge but the design isn’t too daring or bold, meaning that the vase will appeal to most people’s tastes who stay in the room. The lightly tinted glass is also a pretty alternative to a plain glass vase.

‘Polka Vase’ from LSA International

More often than not, a guest bedroom tends to be one of the smallest bedrooms in a house, mainly because we need the larger rooms to accommodate a larger amount of needs and functions. Therefore you can often find that you might be short of storage space in your guest bedroom. Though you definitely don’t need as much closet space for you guests as you would for any permanent members of the household, there are all sorts of ways to make up a little room for their clothes and belongings. Finding something like an armoire that combines both a chest of drawers and a hanging area will save a whole load of floor space. This armoire from The White Company is gorgeous and will perfectly complement a whole range of styles. It can become an interesting feature on its own accord, plus its storage capacity will be super handy if you have guests that are staying for a week or longer, (or if they just bring a lot of stuff!)

‘Provence Armoire’ from The White Company

If you are more restricted on space, a luggage holder is a great solution. If there is no room for your guest to properly unpack, you can make the whole thing look a lot more appeasing by providing a designated place for them to put their suitcase of bag. It will bring the luggage off the floor which will give the idea of more space in the room, and give a cleaner, more thought-out look. They are a whole range of styles to pick from for your luggage holder, but if you’re looking for one that is simple and effective, Garden Trading have wonderful design.

‘Weekend Folding Luggage Rack’ from Garden Trading

You can always make use of your storage requirements and use them to help decorate the room. These copper trunks from Maisons du Monde are great for keeping extra towels or blankets in for your guests, or even if you need to use the storage to keep things in for yourself, your guests will be none the wiser if it’s disguised in a pretty, decorative trunk!

‘2 Victoire Copper Finish Trunks’ from Maisons du Monde

Providing the perfect bed, both comfort and style-wise, is a sure fire way to make sure that your guests have the best possible stay. If you want to go all out with a beautiful frame of head board you can, but if not you can always make a bed area look one hundred times more appealing with some lovely linens and accessories. Investing in some high quality linens is a good way to make sure the room looks fresh and elegant all year round. The Linen Works are always a great idea if you need some top-quality bedsheets. This Parisian blue is an absolute stunner and is the perfect combination of rustic charm and sophistication.

‘Parisian Blue Linen’ from The Linen Works

Cushions and throws are the perfect way to add a little bit of character to your guest room, without your guests being overloaded. If you’re guests have a wide range of style and tastes, you may want to create a neutral setting for your guest room, but to avoid the room looking stiff, adding some individuality in the form of soft furnishings is a great solution. This big tasseled throw from Rockett St George is completely charming and the perfect way to finish off a guest room’s look.

‘Annette Moroccan Throw with Tassels’ from Rockett St George

The same can be said for this gorgeous selection of cushions from Graham & Green. The tassel detailing is a sweet little finish that’ll put a smile of your guest’s faces.

‘Avignon Cushions’ from Graham & Green

In order to really make your guest bedroom feel like a home instead of a space that’s just been thrown together to make room for your visitors, the inclusion of some larger furniture can go a long way. If you have the room, adding a sofa or armchair can make your guest feel like they have their own little space in your home to relax in if they (or both of you) need a little moment to yourselves. This armchair from West Elm is the perfect piece to complete a guest room look. The mid-century styles means that it isn’t bulky and won’t take up any unnecessary room, but will still look stylish and be comfy.

‘Mid-century Armchair’ from West Elm

Likewise, adding a dainty writing desk to a guest room can give it extra style. There is no need for a practical, oversized desk that might be needed for an office or study, instead in a guest room you can opt for a sweet, petite desk that is full of style and grace. I love it colonial style desk from Maisons du Monde, it’s the perfect size to complete the look of an idyllic guest bedroom.

‘Explorateur Stained Solid Teak Desk’ from Maisons du Monde

Creating your perfect guest bedroom is almost like creating a little fairy-tale space in your home that needn’t adhere to the functional requirements of a permanently used space. Instead you can make a wonderful haven area that is so good you’ll guests may never want to leave.

Read Full Post »

A Home Away from Home

Holidays during my childhood largely consisted of squeezing everything and everybody into a car and heading either up or down to Cornwall or the Lake District for a week. Holiday rentals to me seemed to be places that were stuck in time, a perfectly preserved overload of twee-ness, with excessive amounts of ruffles and dusty fake flowers, and while some managed to maintain the endearing nature of the property, others were unfortunately interior design disaster zones.

With so many holiday rentals around in Britain, and with the ever-rising popularity of Airbnb, we thought it rather fitting to give a little guide on how to make your holiday home that extra bit special, and making it an appealing, exciting place to be that will make people want to fight for the chance to stay there instead of running for the hills!

There are some wonderfully simple ways to turn a holiday home into a small haven. The high season for holiday goers is always summer and spring, therefore making the most out of your outdoor space is a sure fire way to bring smile to your renters face. Creating large, comfy communal areas is vital, and spaces that easily convert from day to night even more so. Making sure there is enough lighting, be it in the form of candles, lanterns or even making an investment in some chic permanent outdoor lighting will create the perfect relaxing vibe your holiday home needs, and will go hand-in-hand with some amazing outdoor furniture.

‘Luccombe Outdoor Set’ from Oka Direct

Whether you have a beautiful garden or a spectacular view, an outdoor space is enhanced a hundred times over with the addition of fantastic outdoor furniture. If you tend to cater to big groups, purchasing a set that can be used as a large all-in-one or broken up into smaller arrangements is the best seating solution. This set from Oka is a lovely modern rattan alternative to the dated wicker conservatory furniture that tends to be a staple in holiday homes.

For more intimate seating areas there are some adorable ideas that can really give an extra added touch, this loveseat from Oka is so stunning and if you have a small cottage, perfect for a romantic getaway, items like this are the icing on the cake.

‘Tendril Metal Garden Loveseat’ from Oka Direct

If you don’t want to have to re-mortgage your actual home in order to kit out your holiday rental, there are some charming, inexpensive ways to do so, I actually rather like this Bistro set from Homebase, which would make a sweet addition on a patio, perfect for a enjoying a glass of wine as you watch the sun go down.

‘Folding Metal Bistro Set’ from Homebase

When it comes to holiday rentals, it’s the extra added touches that make a renter a returning customer. Making them smile, whether they realise it or not, from simple home accessory additions will mean that they only think positively about your letting and will want to come back year after year. A beautiful parasol like this one from Hen and Hammock inserts individuality and character into an interior, so even if the rest of your furniture is simple and understated one extra added touch will make all the difference.

‘Indonesian Parasol’ from Hen and Hammock

Another insertion of charm could come in the form of a creative and wonderfully designed plant pot. Adding a little greenery to a garden is a great way to give a little oomph, and sourcing a lovely pot is an added bonus.

‘Wafture Planter’ from Anthropologie

Flowers will automatically brighten up any interior, the added spurt of colour adds excitement and vitality. However, holiday homes in my experience tend to replace with fresh with fake, while this is a much more viable option for a holiday home, the flowers always seem to be dusty and ever so rubbery looking. Throwing out your old fake flowers and purchasing some new ones will guarantee to make your holiday homes look ten times more modern and ten times less stuffy! For high quality florals that won’t break the bank head to Funky Bunch or An Angel At My Table, but ditch the typical gerbera flower and opt for something more sophisticated and elegant like peonies or hydrangeas or some wild flowers.

‘Short Pink Blossom’ from Funky Bunch

‘Soft Pink and Blush Hydrangeas’ from An Angel At My Table

A few small changes to the foundations of the house are a great way to modernise an older property and give character to a new one. Switching some unexciting door knobs for some interesting ones is an easy way to reinvent the look or theme of a house with minimal effort. These door handles from Rockett St George are super stylish and will look amazing with multiple design schemes.

‘Talia Ceramic Door Handle’ from Rockett St George

For an even quicker transformation, upgrading a dated and probably slightly mouldy doormat will instil your guests comfort and style right from the get-go, and a simple yet stunning design like this one will please almost any taste.

‘Black and Natural Simple Door Mat’ from Rockett St George

Finally, inserting some your town’s charm into your home is the perfect way to separate a holiday home from a regular one. As long as you don’t go too overboard with a theme (we know we’re by the sea no need for the nautical paraphernalia reminders), then a little small town charm can be quite lovely. A few antiques from a local shop or some paintings or prints of the local landscape, landmark or by a local artist can really do the trick.

‘Cambridge’ by Glynn Thomas from Cambridge Contemporary Art

So with a little spruce and just the right amount of whimsy a beautiful holiday home is just around the corner, just in time for summer!

Read Full Post »

Keep it unreal

It would be wonderful to have real flowers in every room all the year round but it is quite an undertaking on both the effort and financial front. Fortunately faux flowers are now amazingly realistic and lovely, so mixing real with unreal is a happy alternative. An initial investment in some really good faux, will stand you in good stead for years to come, leaving you to appreciate the odd purchase (or collection) of seasonal flowers when the mood takes you.

I think faux hyacinths work particularly well either in one colour or as mix. Try to keep the flowers low in the bowl rather than having leggy stems showing. Cuthberson and Woods via Occa Home

Obviously seasonal flowers can be a bit of a giveaway, although I would argue the case for faux and proud and leave these glorious tulips out all year round.  www.bloom.uk.com

I recently bought these white hyacinths for myself recently and I knew I was on to a winner when I caught a friend of mine smelling them! www.anangelatmytable.com

Abigail Ahern has some fantastic faux foliage in her lovely shop on Upper Street in Islington but if you can’t get there, you can buy then online. She also has some great faux inspirations on her blog. http://www.abigailahern.org/news/flower-power-4/

I bought these flowers many years ago when you had to travel far and wide to avoid ending up with dusty silk flowers horrors. They have lasted amazingly well and still look good now. Image taken from ‘Secrets of a Stylish Home’ photography by Simon Whitmore. www.simonwhitmore.com

Oka has a good range of faux flowers and this arrangement shows that it is quite possible to pull off a large formal arrangement just as well as a smaller bouquet. They have cleverly mixed white roses, foxgloves, peonies and lilies to create an eye catching focal point. www.okadirect.com

And while we are on a roll with faking it, why not have a bowl full of these incredibly realistic faux pears from the Nordic House but be careful where you put them as friends are sure to attempt to eat them!

 

Read Full Post »

Let your home blossom

My travels around Cambridge this bank holiday weekend have been significantly enhanced by the fantastic blossom that has sprung to life everywhere and seems to be making even more of an impact this year due to its late arrival. As ever, nature gives us beautiful ideas for decorating our homes, so here are just a few lovely products that have the spring blossom to thank for their inspiration.

 

As ever, a glorious burst of colour from Designers Guild which coupled with a classy taupe linen background makes a glamorous accessory to any room in the home. Cassandra Blossom Cushion £75

 

A quick and easy way to add a blossom feature to your home is this charming wall sticker from Spin Collective available in a wide range of colours at www.notonthehighstreet.co.uk From £22

 

 This classic fabric from Sanderson is one that we have used a few times over the years and everytime I see it made up into curtains, blinds or accessories, I fall in love with it again. This is a really beautiful fabric that captures the beauty of spring blossom. Sanderson blossom tree www.sanderson-uk.com £55 per metre

 

Could there be a more delightful way to fall asleep than under the branches of a magnolia tree? This lovely bedding set from Designers Guild is a glorious mix of magnolia flowers and candy stripes and will surely help towards a good nights sleep.  £15 – £115

 

 Enjoy the first buds of cherry blossom all year round with this exquisite wallpaper custom made to traditional methods from Fromental. Price on application.

As delicate as blossom itself, this beautiful voile from the ever creative Timorous Beasties is as fresh and light and airy as spring itself. £72 per metre.

I am the first to admit that the average fake flowers is to be avoided but this beautiful faux cherry blossom from Rockett St George is a happy exception and will impress even discerning eyes. However, remember to put it away after spring because it won’t fool anyone in the Autumn!   £14 per branch

This article first appear on the Cambridge News website.

Read Full Post »