The Little Things

After moving into a new house recently, it’s become apparent to me more so than ever that filling a house with just the ‘big stuff’, like sofas, chairs and tables, can only get your so far, and even though your house might be full there’s still something missing. For me, in order for a house to truly feel like a home, smaller items, the accessories, must play a prominent part to turning a blank space into one filled with life, soul and character. I’ve pulled together some thoughts to give you (and me!) an idea of how best to give your home that stamp of personality.

Small decorative items and ornaments are great way to show of your style, as well as your memories and souvenirs, and although some people may start to get that hoarder’s grimace on their face, the idea of small items equalling clutter can be avoided as long as you find a good place to store and display them.

Old Printers Tray from Flickr via Pinterest

I love this way of displaying small trinkets and treasures collected over the years. We have a lovely one in my family home, full of pebbles, stones, feathers, things we collected as children which my mother kept. Left to their own devices they might look rather like a mess, but placed together in this museum display case sort of way, they begin to tell a story, making them all rather sweet.

Though the actual objects are something you’ll need to find on your own, there are plenty of printer trays available from places like Etsy, ready to house your collection.

‘French Printers Tray’ from Vintage Foggy on Etsy

I love the idea of displaying items in irregular places, especially if something can be hung on the wall instead of occupying that ever valuable surface space; this is also a great way to not only create a feature in a room, but to avoid a sense of clutter! This decorative weave baskets and plates are a lovely bohemian style, whether you’ve picked them up in a foreign land, or seen one you loved in a store, they’re beautiful and handy!

Decorative Weave Baskets and Plates from Simply Chi on Etsy via Pinterest

I love this simple design from Porcupine Rocks, it’ll look great with some smaller more colourful ones surrounding it.

Block Weave Large Platter in Black from Porcupine Rocks

Both real and artificial flowers and plants are a must-have in a home for me. A bunch of brightly coloured sunflowers will instantly give a room a bit of life, and some elegant hydrangeas can be the perfect accessory for a sideboard or end table. Adding plants or flowers to a room will make the room feel bright, and can create an interesting feature, or an accent of colour in the room.

Floral Arrangement from Cate Burren’s book ‘Secrets of a Stylish Home’

For some of the best faux flowers around, Funky Bunch has a beautiful selection of florals so that you can make your own beautiful arrangement.

Delphiniums in Blue from Funky Bunch

Cushions are one of the easiest way to add some detailing to a room. Whether you want to insert colour or texture, or both, cushions can instantly add some fun to a room. These brightly coloured cushion dress up a formal sofa, drawing attention to the space, and at the same time picking up on the surrounding area’s colours.

A Vibrant Sitting Room from Pinterest

For an interesting addition to a sofa or armchair this quirky design from Graham & Green will really spice things up.

Angel Pom Pom Cushion from Graham & Green

An interesting and stylish lampshade will help bring some intrigue to a room, as with all lighting, you can use lampshades to get creative and think outside the box. I really like how these wire lampshades take a traditional shade and turn it into something rather contemporary; a fun way to create a feature in a bedroom.

Wire Lampshades from La Maison d’Anna G. via Pinterest

You can change a room’s whole theme with a quick swap of the pendant shade. This wire number from Trouva is full of colour and fun; a lovely way to spruce up a playroom or kitchen.

Multi-coloured Wire Lampshade from Trouva

Coasters aren’t just a useful way to protect a beloved table, but they’re also a nice way to add accents of colour or a hint of pattern to a room without going over the top. These wooden coasters give off a lovely rustic feeling, and with each one sporting a different flower they have their own personalities.

Rustic Coasters with Flower Detailing from Country Living via Pinterest

If you like the idea of a wooden coaster but want to add a hint of glamour into the mix, these petrified wood coasters from Curiosity Home are stunning.

Polished Petrified Wood Coaster from Curiosity Home

While large mirrors are obviously useful to have in the home, and can be oh so pretty too, smaller mirrors are great for grouping together and making a beautiful feature wall. Compiling a whole range of styles and shapes are really create an enchanted feeling. I love how this bathroom has a sweet ornate large mirror in the centre, which is then decorated by an array of smaller, intricate mirrors as well.

Collection of Antique Mirrors in Bathroom from Design Sponge via Pinterest

There are really so many styles you can opt for when it comes to collecting a range of small mirrors for a display, I love the idea of using a convex mirror as well, like this little one from Rockett St George.

Little Aged Black Convex Mirror from Rockett St George

From little projects, to treasured memories and adorable buys, finding the small things that make your house feel complete are the items that you’ll end up loving the most, as though they may be little, they’ll have the biggest impact.

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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!

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