Plum Crazy

Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet, a punchy, vibrant purple. I’m always intrigued when the new colour is released each year and think of ways it could be used in interiors, not so that they fit with the latest trends, but so that they create an interesting and timeless look. As with all colours, there are endless hues and tones to be found in the purple spectrum, and so even if ultra-violet is not your go-to choice, there are an abundance purple pieces to lust over, that might be more your look. From big to small ideas, I’ve found some utterly gorgeous ways to include purple into your home, so take a look!

Lotus Wallpaper in Brinjal and Off-Black from Farrow & Ball

Farrow & Ball have recently released some reimagined wallpapers, using some favourite designs in new colours. A standout design is the Lotus in Brinjal with an Off-Black background. The two colours together creates a dreamy, romantic and dramatic look, perfect of spicing up a snug or dining room. It’s also a great way to use purple if you favour dark interiors and are looking to reinvent a room.

Curiousa & Curiousa have an outstanding collection of lighting, their beautiful glass pieces are sure to make a pinnacle feature in any room. This pendant is the perfect retro shade of aubergine, fitting in with its sixties lava lamp curves and shape. Great for making a combination of a cosy atmosphere and statement piece in a bedroom, or as an attention-grabbing light for the entrance hall.

Stemmed Orb Diffuser from Curiousa & Curiousa

Not all your purple additions need to be dark and dramatic, purple can also take a sweet and delicate tone. This bedding from Anthropologie is a dusty, faded shade of purple, the slightly darker toned trim is a sweet touch and could bring an inviting feel to a guest bedroom.

Caridee Bed Linen from Anthropologie

A touch of purple when it comes to your curtains could give a room that balance between calming and fresh; these pompom curtains from Urban Outfitters will help give a room a little lift. The Pompom detailing is oh-so-cute, giving the room some textural feel.

Blackout Pompom Curtains from Urban Outfitters

If you’re unsure about purple, adding it to your interiors in very small doses is a good way to see whether the colour is for you, and your home. A simple, elegant room with a small touch of purple here and there can make for an interesting look. This purple glass mirror from Amara is an unexpected find. A quick splash of colour in a downstairs loo, or mixed into a larger mirror display, this mirror could fit in perfectly.

Lust Mirror by Normann Copenhagen from Amara

Pair together this arrangement of purple headed thistle and this jellyfish paperweight for a lovely display on your desk or on a hall console table. The small additions of purple are fun but classic feeling.

Faux Purple Thistle Spray from Graham & Green

Purple Jellyfish Paperweight from Graham & Green

Adding purple to a garden or patio area isn’t something I would have automatically put together, but these chairs from Heals and the vivid green leaves make a great combination. An interesting way to give a rustic looking area a burst of contemporary colour.

Thayla Chair from Heals

There’s been a huge influx of purple furniture pieces and homeware this season, so it’s a great time to take a look at the colour and see if it’s to your liking; the great thing about searching through interior styles is that you never know if you’re about to fall in love with something new, and just maybe there’s a place for a little something purple amongst your favourites.

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Worth writing home for

More often than not, depending on our lifestyles, its common practice that most people need a little space in their home for a desk or a small home office area. Whether you’re studying, working from home, or have daily tasks to carry out, a desk is always a handy item in the house that you’ll always find a need for. Your workspace in an office may have to comply with its surrounding aesthetic, but at home you have the freedom to create your own individual space that works perfectly for you. From picking the desk, chair, accessories and the surrounding area, making your space your own is a lovely way to make productivity just that little bit easier.

Traditional Writing Desk from Coasters Furniture via Pinterest

When I think of a traditional writing desk I always picture something like this quaint piece above. A sweet style that’s perfect for a country themed interior. A desk like this with built in compartments is ideal if you don’t have a dedicated room as an office; instead of taking up precious space with larger storage you can neatly fit letters and envelopes, pens and documents in the drawers provided. It turns the desk into a design feature of a room, rather than something that’s in the way. I love this Repton writing desk from Oka, with a similar style in a wood finish; an elegant, design for a traditional setup.

Repton Writing Desk from Oka

Continue with the traditional theme with your desk accessories and lighting. This Charles Edwards table lamp has some wonderful detailing, but is simple enough to work with most traditional design, and will keep your area well-lit when working into the evening.

Palmer Table Lamp from Charles Edwards

For a few extra finishing touches, a piece like this letter rack by Alexander James available at Amara, has a traditional glamour to it, giving your desk style and a touch of personality.

Letter Rack from Alexander James at Amara

If you prefer a more contemporary style, there are many ways to create an interesting and productive workspace that’ll look sleek and stylish as well. This look below is clean and simple; the reinvented half white, half natural wood captain’s chair is a great way to rework a traditional piece.

Contemporary Writing Desk from Homes & Garden via Pinterest

This desk from Bluesuntree has the capacity for a bigger workload with a large surface and three handy drawers underneath, but its style isn’t compromised as it gives a modern, stylish but relaxed design.

Ellwood Desk from Bluesuntree

Pair it with a slightly more avant garde style of chair, like this legendary Masters Chair by Kartell available from Heal’s in a range of colours; but add a cushion to keep it comfy if you plan of being at your desk for a while.

Masters Chair by Kartell from Heal’s

You may mostly work from a laptop these days, but every now and then are in need of jotting down some notes by hand, so a trusty notebook and pen should never be too far. Keep your pens in a stylish home, in something like this holder made by Lexon; it’s sleek and cool, and will keep your desk feeling tidy.

Pencil Holder by Lexon at Amara

If you love retro style interiors, there’s no need to sacrifice this when it comes to your workspace, you can find good quality buys on places like eBay, or some new desks in a retro style if you like as well. This image below is a beautiful home workspace design; with the teak wood, retro desk legs and lots of greenery it makes a peaceful space to work in.

Retro Writing Desk from The Future Kept via Pinterest

For a similar style, this mid-century inspired Acorn desk from West Elm will help keep your retro aesthetic going in your workspace. Keep the look going with some retro framed prints, or an interesting collection of coffee table books nearby.

Mid Century Acorn Desk from West Elm

Give your space some refreshing plant life, and house them in a stylish planter like this one from La Redoute; it has some mid-century style to it, but could also be worked into another design scheme.

Florian Planters from La Redoute

Storage is always vital, especially with a workspace as it’ll keep all your paperwork tucked away and not scattered about the place, keeping you feeling organised. If you’ve got the space, a larger storage piece like this one from Oliver Bonas is a great way to keep your documents, books and other items at bay, while there’s also enough room to add some ornaments or plants to stop it from looking too much like work.

Grid Nine Shelf Storage Unit from Oliver Bonas

I love this relaxed, cosy style of this workspace; with the mismatching tables, sheepskin cushion and the lovely array of little bits and bobs scattered around. The bohemian style is fun to use in your workspace if you don’t need a large amount of space, needing the desk more for fun things then for work.

Bohemian Writing Desk from Apartment Therapy via Pinterest

This design from Maison du Monde is a chic design that have a wonderful cosy feeling to it, great for tucking in a corner somewhere, as well as dressing up or down with some interesting accessories.

Chinon Writing Desk from Maison du Monde

Keep the place feeling even cosier with a rug under the desk; something like this kilim rug from John Lewis, which makes a great bohemian base for your area, plus it’ll look good against some dark wood floor boards or if you want to add some faux sheepskin.

Fusion Kilim Rug from John Lewis

And for an extra bit of flair, something fun like these rabbit bookends are a playful touch to your writing desk, and a handy way to store books or papers.

Rabbit Bookends from Graham & Green

There are all kinds of ways you can create your own workspace at home, making it an inviting place that you look forward to using instead of a feeling of dread. Adding your own style and personality to your space will make it feel like a connected part of your home and not just an office!

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Just Kidding

As the kids go back to school this month, it got me thinking about how they need somewhere in the house to do all that homework they’re about to receive! Having a dedicated space which is relaxing and interesting means that it may make homework time just that little bit easier. In the same way you’d want to fix up your own home-office space to feel like a stylish part of your home, it can also be done for your kid’s workspace too! Whether it’s a whole room dedicated to the cause, or a smaller space in their bedroom, there are loads of different ways to create the right space, for little ones and for teenagers.

A playroom in the home is a great space for children to have fun in, but as they get older they may need to use the room to study in as well, so finding the right balance between the two is key. I love the look of this room below; it’s a lively, open space that’s full of colour. The interesting shelving units keep the toys at bay whilst homework takes place, and the large table and bean bags instead of chairs gives off a more relaxed vibe, making it suitable for switching in between homework and fun; a good idea for younger kids who don’t need such a regimented work space.

A playroom-homework space combination from Lonny Magazine via Pinterest

I love the idea of using bean bags as a form of seating for your child’s space; making it feel like it’s strictly for kids. However, there are some rather stylish bean bags that, as an adult, I still kind of want. This arrow design from Not on the High Street is lovely, it’s fun enough for little ones, but also has a grown up style that’ll continue to be cool as they get older.

Children’s Monochrome Bean Bag with Arrows by Tillyanna from Not on the High Street

If you have a large, beautiful table that’s perfect for the kid’s but you don’t want it forever ruined with pen marks and spillages, investing in a plastic table cover is a good way to go. While I’ve seen some pretty ghastly plastic table covers in my time, they’re not all bad. This clear plastic cover with polka dots from Table Protect Direct is the best of both worlds; sophisticated enough to fit in with your existing design scheme, but fun enough for a kid’s space.

Crystal Clear White Spot Vinyl Table Cloth from Table Protect Direct

Giving your children a stylish place to work in their bedroom means that not only will you get your own space back, but they’ll be more inclined to work there if it feels grown up and personal. It’s also a good idea if you need the work space to be in a bedroom, that you make the space its own individual area so that you can separate work from the rest of the room. I love the look of this work space created for a child; white furniture with pastel accents creates an inviting and fun area which can easily be incorporated into an existing bedroom scheme.

A white and pastel work space for a child from Claire Archibald via Pinterest

A good desk for a kid’s bedroom must be both durable and stylish enough to last for years. A simple design that can be adapted with accessories over time is a good investment, and it’ll help turn a work area into a place where the kid’s want to be. This desk from La Redoute is a great buy; the white lacquered top and interestingly shaped wooden legs gives it a sophisticated but playful feel; with just a hint of mid-century to it.

Jimi’s Child Desk from La Redoute

While it’s important to let your child have their own style, sometimes you’ll find that they might want to copy yours (at least for a few years!) So finding miniature versions your own style for your kid’s workspace is a great way to encourage them to work and feel more grown up, especially if you too are at your own desk working. I really like this child’s version of the clear plastic chair design by Kartell that’s been making the rounds for a while now, all it needs is the addition of a seat cushion, something fun like a faux fur sheepskin, to give some extra comfort and style.

Loulou Ghost Children’s Chair in Light Blue by Kartell from Amara

If you’re limited on space in your child’s bedroom, using some wall-mounted shelves instead of free-standing ones can save you a whole bunch of room. These wooden shelving boxes from Maison du Monde are a good buy, they’ll be able to hold a lot of stuff, plus they’re a fun, colourful way to be organised.

Multi-coloured Wooden Shelves from Maison du Monde

As your kids turn into teenagers, giving them their own homework space is even more important. This beautifully designed space is a perfect, mature room; there aren’t any childish items that’ll annoy the brooding teenager, instead they’re presented with somewhere stylish, making them feel more like an adult.

Grown up work space from Interior Blog Awards via Pinterest

A large desk, which is stylish and has space for written and computer work doesn’t have to cost a fortune; Ikea have a rather elegant design to hand. The Alex desk is a simple style that’ll appease all teenage tastes; and will look good in any interior scheme.

Alex Desk from Ikea

Giving your teenager some interesting prints to put up on the wall of their homework area will also help to make it feel more mature. Desenio do some cheap but stylish prints, like this banana leaf print of artsy world map, both of which would feel at home in a teenage work spot.

Banana Leaf Print from Desino

World Map Print from Desenio

Creating a space for your kids to work in doesn’t mean having to skip out on style. You can make high functioning areas that can still look good and feel fun; making the mission to get all the homework complete just a touch more interesting for both you and your child.

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