Spring in your Step

Now that the clocks have gone forward, and even though as I write this Cambridge is wet and miserable, I really do feel like its springtime. The change of season marks the time for the big annual clean, and while this tends to be a task that starts with high hopes and ends in tears, there can be some fun ways to carry out the tradition. Spring cleaning is good opportunity to think about small ways you can keep your home feeling a little more orgainsed and tidy all year round. If you’re not quite ready to tackle the big jobs yet, take a look at some of these little ways to improve your home.

Sienna Shelf from Anthropologie

If like me you don’t have much surface space in your kitchen, it’s a chance to utilise your walls and even create a feature out of some pretty shelving. These Sienna Shelves from Anthropologie have a great, simple style to them making them adaptable to all kinds of kitchens. Keep the tiered look or use two of the same sizes as a handy storage space for spices, utensils or any cooking items that need to be within reach at all times. By de-cluttering your surfaces, your kitchen space will not only look better but will make every day cleaning a much simpler task; plus with the addition of a little plant or an ornate accessory on the shelf, you can create a beautiful feature in your kitchen.

I’ve never been one for having my spices on display, mainly because the lack room, but also because more often than not, the bottles they come in are rather unsightly. Over the top branding and big font titles can ruin a beautifully thought-out kitchen, so people often opt for hiding the spices away. If you don’t have much storage space, or want to try something different, finding fun replacements for your branded spice jars can be a stylish solution. Something like a range of these adorable little bottles from The Recycled Glassware Company. They are the perfect size for spices, and come in a range of shapes to help you organise (one shape for one cuisine for example), all you need is to add a label and you’ve created a colourful and elegant feature for your shelving.

10cm Glass Bottle from The Recycled Glassware Company

11cm Glass Bottle from The Recycled Glassware Company

If you really can’t avoid using your surfaces, make sure that you put your items into something pretty. You can find a whole range of antique and vintage utensil pots on eBay or Etsy these days, but if you want to go for something more modern, there are some lovely designs out there as well. This marble style utensil holder from J by Jasper Conran is a simple but elegant way to store your pieces.

White Marble Utensil Holder from J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams

An organised hallway can be the key to making sure your morning routine goes smoothly. Making sure everyday essentials like your keys, gloves, shoes, purse and anything else have their own permanent place means never having to look for anything again. For your keys if there are a few members in the household you may want to choose something a little bigger like a tray, but if it’s just one or two of you, a bowl for your keys will do nicely. I love this bowl from Feather & Marble, its uneven shape and little feet give it some great features, making it a stylish place to keep your keys.

Nordic Sand Bowls from Feather & Marble

A good, stylish shoe rack really helps to not only tidy away your shoes, but also set the tone for the rest of the home. If you’ve got the room, a lovely shoe bench will help transform your hallway, but if it’s a bit of tight squeeze a well-made rack can do wonders. This piece from A Place for Everything has interesting angles and shapes, perfect for a contemporarily styled room.

Wooden Ladder Wide from A Place for Everything

An ample set of hooks is of course the best way to make sure that you keep your coats together and organised. If you’re short on wall space, layering the hooks for coats and bags is a good way to save some room, but if you can a few rails can be a great way to create a system for your coats; perhaps one rail per person or one rail per season, whatever works for you. This antique style rail from Grace & Glory is a lovely, decorative way to store your coats.

Iron Hook Rail from Grace & Glory

The bathroom is a space where I’m constantly searching for storage solutions and places to keep things that still remain within suitable in reach. A bath caddy is a great way to take up space in the air and not the floor; with different levels you can easily arrange your own personal system. This wooden caddy with white shelving from Futon Company is an amenable design for all kinds of bathrooms and comes in different sizes to suit your needs.

Bath Caddy from Futon Company

I can never speak too highly of trays, they are prefect for when you want to organise things into groups but don’t want them packed away out of sight in a box. I use trays on my bedside table, in the bathroom and at my dresser to give everything a specific location. It stops your surfaces getting cluttered and products being spread out, plus the trays themselves can be a really nice feature to add to a display. You can go for any shape, size or colour to suit your needs, I like this large marble tray from HomeArama for its size and adaptable style.

Rectangular Bahne Marble Tray in White from HomeArama

Keep your cleaning supplies somewhere are a little more tasteful with something like this Utility Bucket from Garden Trading. It’s easy to tuck away in a small spot behind the loo or in the cupboard to help keep up the aesthetic of the room, or if your using the same supplies for different parts of the home it’ll save you from lugging around an armful of products every time you want to clean.

Utility Bucket in Chalk from Garden Trading

Practical solutions made pretty, there are all sorts of ways to give your home that extra touch of organisation and style, that’ll help you keep a tidier, beautiful home.

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Side Kicks

Side tables are a really useful piece of furniture to have in your home, especially in your living space. Not only do they offer a practical elements, they can have so much style as well. I’ve pulled together some fun and glamorous side tables that can give you an idea of how you might like to change up your home or add in some new pieces.

French House White and Elm Hand-painted Round Lamp Table’ from Angel & Boho

This simple, French style table from Angel & Boho offers a simple but charming effect for a relaxed and low-key room, a perfect canvas to pair with some exciting and colourful accessories.  Side tables are a great way to introduce a particular style, especially antique and vintage ideas. This piece from West Elm is a mid-century design, which would look beautiful paired with an antique sofa or armchair in the same style. The golden magazine rack adds both a pretty feature as well as some 21^st century practicality.

‘Mid-century Magazine Side Table’ from West Elm

If you want to inject a touch of high-end glamour to your living space, a glitzy side table may be just the ticket. Julian Chichester always has some exciting and beautiful designs, and this Penn side table is no different. Its unusual shape will make it an eye-catching feature in any room.

‘Penn Side Table’ from Julian Chichester

Choose to go really contemporary with this hexagonal side table from Skandium. The geometric almost avant-garde design would really make a statement in a contemporary setting.

‘Slit Side Table Hexagon by Hay’ from Skandium

 

‘Liberty Side Table’ from Tom Faulkner

This gorgeous piece is from Tom Faulkner and has a modern, Art Deco feel to it. The glass top shows off the table’s legs, and gives the whole look a sophisticated, grand look.

If you want to bring the glamour, minus the price tag, there are loads of less expensive pieces available. These marble top side tables from Swoon Editions make fantastic little add-ons to a glam living space, and would go hand-in-hand with some sumptuous velvets.

Wooden  ‘Pearl Side Tables’ from Swoon Editions

These side table were originally design in metal, but have been altered to wooden form. The curved bases give them a unique look and would give any room a big dose of character.

‘Wooden Side Table by Vitra’ from Skandium

Keeping with the wood theme, this little piece from Swoon Editions is super sweet, and a really versatile design that can work with a lot of different schemes and styles. The arched legs give the simple design a lovely bit of character.

‘Oscar Side Table’ from Swoon Editions

Finally, for some real eclectic fun, this face side table from Rockett St George will really get people talking. It’s a great idea if you want to add some excitement into a scheme without it losing its glamorous feel.

‘Faces Side Table’ from Rockett St George

With endless styles, sizes, shapes and colours, side tables are a great way to revamp your living space and experiment with ideas, and maybe finding some new favourite pieces.

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Time for a Change

This Sunday the clocks are going to be turning back an hour, meaning more light in the mornings and cozier, darker evenings. Since it’s all about the clocks this weekend, what better time to take a look at some of the beautiful and interesting clocks around at the moment? From big to small, there all sorts of lovely designs to suit your interior style.

Clocks are a handy buy as they do two jobs in one; they’re the perfect decorative piece to really make a wall pop, or to add focus to a table, plus they are also a functional piece for your interior and your life!

‘Marble Wall Watch’ from Rose & Grey

This square wall piece from Rose & Grey is the perfect unstated piece, if you’re looking for something clean and simple that will complement a relaxed design scheme, this is a great choice. The dark marble is completely on trend right now, and the square shape is an interesting alternative to the classic circle.

Following the marble trend, this hexagonal light marble wall clock from Trouva is a lovely sophisticated piece. It really stands out against a dark wall, and will look equally as gorgeous in a light and airy setting, it’s a great design for a contemporary setting!

‘Karlsson Light Marble Hexagonal Clock’ from Trouva

A clock doesn’t just have to tell the time, it can be a creative way to bring in some artwork or a feature piece to a room. This can be achieved by getting your hands on a bold and daring wall clock. This delicate sunflower clock from Chaplins is just wonderful. The metal petals are a lovely design and despite its flower motif, its design can be used in all sorts of schemes, not just a feminine one. The design can work in both a contemporary or bohemian interior, and even be used to jazz up a traditional setting.

‘Sunflower Wall Clock’ from Chaplins

If you love a wonderful vintage feel from your home accessories, this nautical style large wall clock from Graham & Green will do just the trick. I love the rusty, antiqued finish the clock has on it, it’ll look great up on a high wall against a pale background, or if you like a bit of organized chaos, mix it amongst some other wall pieces or art to create a wonderful cluster.

‘Nautical Compass Skeleton Wall Clock’ from Graham & Green

For something rather special, Rockett St George are currently stocking an amazing clock designed by George Nelson in 1957. The abstract eye design is perfect if you love to decorate your home with alternative and unusual items.

‘Eye Clock Designed by George Nelson 1957’ from Rockett St George

For something a little smaller, finding a clock for a table, be it sideboard or bedside table is a great time to experiment your style and begin to introduce a different feel to your interiors. This retro style alarm clock from Rockett St George will look fantastic in a contemporary and glamourous bedroom. The copper casing is beautiful, hopefully filling you with less dread when the alarm goes off in the morning!

‘Leff Amsterdam Block Alarm Clock’ form Rockett St George

If you’re looking for some ultra-antique glam, this Chinoiserie clock from Oka is a great little piece. The clock is fun and playful and will look great on an antique table, or if you want to mix up your styled pair with a contemporary piece of furniture.

‘Chinoiserie Carriage Clock’ from Oka

Rowen & Wren have something up their sleeve if you’re in the market for something a little quirky and unusual. The Ellmau chalet cuckoo clock could fit perfectly into a ski lodge look, or if you want to give your room an interesting focal point, contrasting this cuckoo clock against a contemporary or minimal scheme will create an interesting effect.

‘Ellmau Chalet Cuckoo Clock’ from Rowen & Wren

There is all sorts of fun to be had with picking out the perfect clock from your home, and with so much variety and choice out there you’ll have to resist the urge to put one on every wall in your house!

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Marvellous Marble

In recent years marble has become a leading theme in the world of interior design and home accessories. Before you may have thought about marble and imagined a large Bel-Air mansion covered head to toe in the stuff and maybe given a slightly involuntary grimace, with the word tacky scrolling across your mind. But marble has come back in style, taking an alternative pathway. It’s made its appearance in home accessories, from lighting to tableware to soft furnishings, a faux marble style or a print has become a playful way to take on the material and tone down the sense of grandeur, whilst still keeping a fresh and sophisticated look, turning something that was slightly old-fashioned and a little outdated into something current and contemporary. There are tons of ways to incorporate a little bit of marble into your home, and I’ve chosen just a few wonderful things on the market at the moment.

‘Marble and Wood Pizza Board’ from Rockett St George

This gorgeous board from Rockett St George is a fab accessory. The two tones of the different materials are complementary of one another, making a smart and contemporary look. Perfect to serve up your pizza, or prop up on the kitchen counter.

For a lovely addition that’ll spruce up your table or dresser, this marble effect jug from Trouva is spot on. The dabbled marble effect gives the whole look a little individuality and a subtle presence in the room.

‘Quails Egg Jug’ from Trouva

For an innovative way to add a pop of marble to your kitchen, one (or two) of these marble tea towels will be sure to do the trick. The look is completed with the vibrant neon pink stitching, making them ideal of anyone who likes a lively and playful interior scheme.

‘Marble Print Tea Towels’ from Rockett St George

Jazz up your dinner parties with these elegant but contemporary cheese knives. Their marble hands gives the knives a sophisticated feel, while to modern gold tone of the blade makes it a fun and cool way to incorporate marble into your tableware.

‘Marble and Gold Cheese Knives’ from Oliver Bonas

Your marble revitalisation needn’t just take place in the kitchen, there are so many beautiful ways to use marble in the rest of your home. Marble pots from Rose & Grey are a nice little touch to dress up a study or working area of your home. Choose a few of both the white and green to create a wonderful grouping, dotting them around the room.

‘Marble Pots’ from Rose & Grey

Move your marble madness up to the skies and start adorning that ceiling with all sorts of lovely marble touches. Whether you want to spend a little or a lot, a marble pendant light is a creative way to play around with the trend. These Lee Broom pendant lights available from Houseology are a beautiful and sophisticated way to incorporate marble into the home. They have a slight retro vibe to them which adds to their character.

‘Lee Broom Chamber Pendant Light’ from Houseology

Alternatively, if you want to go for a less permanent, less expensive route down the marble pendant path, these paper lampshades from Graham & Green are gorgeous! Perfect for a rented house, or if you’re testing out the marble look.

‘Marbled Paper Lampshades’ from Graham & Green

If you’re feeling bold, another marble treat from Houseology is this Timorous Beasties cushion. This vibrant blue marble effect pattern will give any room an electric look. For the ultimate impact buy several and use as scatter cushions, or play around with contrasting patterns to really make a splash.

‘Timorous Beasties Marbled Damask Cushion’ from Houseology

Add just a hint of marble to a room with this stunning table lamp from Oliver Bonas, its marble base paired with the pastel shade and bright cord creates a lovely overall look.

‘Lamp with Marble Base’ from Oliver Bonas

And finally a special mention to this gorgeous vase from Rockett St George, it’s a stunning piece of work that has all the attributes of a high-end sculptural piece without the scary price!

‘Marble Effect Serenity Vase’ from Rockett St George

From pizza boards to pendant lights, there are so many ways to integrate marble into your interiors these days, and with so many pieces out there ready to buy you can really let your imagination run wild.

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Mandarin Stone

Mandarin Stone are well known for their beautiful natural stone products and we are delighted to have a fantastic showroom in Cambridge manned (womaned) by a very helpful and well informed team, but what I hadn’t realised is that they also have the most beautiful selection of decorative tiles.  The designs are delightful and are coupled with the most wonderful colours and textures and I highly recommend a visit to the showroom to see them as beautiful as these pictures are, they are much better in the flesh.

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