Decorating Master Class: Studded Ottoman

I am totally in love with these stunning Moroccan-inspired silver studded ottomans.  The colour, the detailing, the shape, the size... sheer perfection!  If I were to spec these for a job I would give the following instructions to my upholsterer:

Round Stool Ottomans

Size: (400mm D x 550mm H)

Style: Solid topped ottoman to the floor (no visible feet)

Detailing: 2 x double rows of silver upholstery studs around the top and bottom (studs to be 10mm apart)

3 x vertical single rows of silver upholstery studs spaced at 1/3 intervals (studs to be 10mm apart) - be sure to cover seam with studs

The ottomans would look beautiful in a range of fabrics but I would choose a fine-grain leather in white or grey to achieve a similar look to the image.

...voila!

Image from here

Fabric Dreaming

Fabrics (L-R): Classic Ticking Natural, Astbury Chintz, Daishi Platinum - all from Unique Fabrics

I have been looking at these gorgeous fabrics on my inspiration board for weeks, imagining them made up into oversized cushions - I can't decide whether they'd look best on a cream sofa or a dark charcoal sofa... what do you think?  

I'm such a stripes girl... I'd quite like a feature chair upholstered in the Daishi fabric (far right ) for our living room - such a shame my husband's black Eames chair takes current pride of place (we have a 'creative conflict' over the Eames - I'm a big fan of it, just in someone else's home!).

Come Swim With Me

I am swimming in happiness today...

My husband went to work smiling

My boy has been laughing since the minute he woke up

My beautiful Mum is staying with us

My friend Anna gave me flowers

The sun is shining

Life is good

x

Photo by me

Just My Type

My vintage typewriter sits on a shelf in the kitchen for all the world to see (...because where else in the house would you keep a typewriter?!) but rarely moves except on the odd occasion when I decide to clean it... a job that I will gladly give to Leo as punishment one of these days when he's old enough!  I see it so often as I walk in and out of the kitchen, that I have almost forgotten how much I adore it.  

So I have decided that today is 'Appreciate Your Forgotten Favourite Possessions Day' and I encourage you all to unearth your treasured keepsakes, hold them, stroke them and recapture the joy you felt when you first bought them home.

x

P.S.  My apologies for the bombardment of my own photos lately but I have excruciatingly slow internet this week and can't browse the web for yummy content :(

Photos by me

Thieving Missy

The Flower Thief strikes again!

For weeks I have been pushing the pram past two particularly beautiful rose bushes, my palms just itching to pinch a couple of buds to photograph... but these bushes are on somebody else's property and I've always drawn the line at nicking flowers from private gardens (I prefer to pilfer from the local government instead - it makes me feel better about paying taxes!).  Today, would you believe it, the ground was littered with fallen flowers like a blanket laid out for the pixies!  I walked home with a smile on my face and a pram full of petals... happy days!

Photos my me

Monday Mystery Collection

Except, it isn't lavender at all... I found these beautiful 'ropes' lying on the pavement but have absolutely no idea what they are!  The white vines are covered with little purple buds... does anybody have a clue what they might be?

Photos by me

The Fashion Collaborative

...where I take a fashion photograph and use it as the inspiration for an interior scheme...

Today's scheme is courtesy of the stunning Desert Mermaid fashion shoot (photographed by Nick Hudson for Cosmopolitan) featured on one of my all time favourite blogs, Dustjacket Attic.

THE IMAGES:

THE INTERIOR SCHEME:

The key elements of this scheme are butter yellow, milky aqua and cream with dashes of pale coral and slate.  I chose a beautiful range of different textured fabrics that mirrored the gentrified retro vibe of the fashion shoot.  

Carpet: Belgian Tweed Sisal (Natural Floor Covering Centres)

Laminates (L-R): Carbon Micro, Fossil, Truffle Lini and Belgian Oak (Polytec)

Paint (L-R): China White, White Watsonia, Harts Grey, Cantiga (Dulux Paints)

Fabrics (L-R): Faconne (Design Tex), 10705 Tatami (Mokum Textiles), Sarno Mist (Warwick Fabrics), 8172 Barcode 323 Neon (Loop), 10207 De Rosine 011 Pearl (Mokum Textiles), V 2957-203 (Design Tex)

Some Floss for The Fairies

I'm restoring the status quo from yesterday!

If I ever have a little girl, her bedroom will look like this... and if I don't, then there's a good chance poor Leo's bedroom will also look like this!  I can just imagine him padding about the place dressed in a pink tutu and waving a fairy wand... 

Images from here

Whacky Wednesday

CONFESSION: despite my great (and somewhat overly obvious) love of white simplicity, I have a hidden kooky streak that inexplicably draws me to off-beat, quirky and downright wacky interiors.  I can't help it... I become totally consumed by the sheer individuality of certain spaces.  Take this incredibly intriguing home in Mapsebury, UK - part of me loathes it, but the other part of me thinks its one of the most fabulous concoctions of eccentricity I've ever clapped eyes on!  You can be sure that there is not another home like this one anywhere in the world...

I'd be fascinated to know what you think - could you happily live here, or would you need to be taken out in a straight jacket after twenty-four hours? (best not answer that until you've seen the bathrooms!)

Spring Loveliness

O.K, so its not Spring time here (its autumn) but it is the most gloriously sunny, sparkling, fresh day - I was just hanging out the washing on the line and as I looked around at the dewy grass and felt the breeze lift my hair,  I thought to myself... 'today is a perfect day'.  Wherever you are in the world, take a moment to immerse yourself in the guiltless pleasure of nature's beauty.

Photos by me

Decorating Master Class - How To Select The Right White Paint

One of the most common questions I'm asked as an interior designer is, "which white paint should I use"?  It sounds so simple... how hard can it be?  You select white, white or white... right?  Wrong!  Choosing the correct shade for your walls is probably the single most important decorating decision you will make.  Not only will it set the tone for the entire scheme, but it will effect every other component of the interior.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT RIGHT WHITE PAINT

Step 1: Choose a tonal family

There are hundreds of different shades of white on the market so you need to narrow the field.  Broadly speaking, whites fall into three main categories: pure whites, warm whites and cool whites.  When you look at a colour chart, you will probably be instinctively drawn to either cool or warm tones... on the whole, warmer tones work best in more traditional interiors while cooler tones suit a more modern space.  The pure whites are great for trim (architraves, skirtings, doors etc).

Step 2: Look at shades in-situ

Once you have figured out which tonal family suits your needs, start picking out particular shades that you like and then paint a test patch on the wall... this is a critical step as different lighting conditions will have a tremendous impact upon the look of the paint.  If you are choosing colours for a new home that has not yet been built, order large brush-out samples from the paint manufacturer (large A4 sized colour chips) and look at them in similar lighting conditions - you will be amazed at how different a shade looks in a big piece!

Step 3: Create a colour board of all finishes

The easiest solution I have come up with throughout my years as a designer is to select everything at once... choose carpet, tiles, timber colours, laminates and other key items at the same time as you choose the paint.  Never choose anything independently.  This way, you can change things as required once you see them all laid out together... believe me, it's far easier to alter a paint colour (of which there are endless options available) rather than change a carpet colour that you love.

My Current Top White Colour Schemes

I have specified these Dulux colours for recent jobs with stunning results.

Warm White Colours:

Left: Hogs Bristle Quarter Strength P14D1Q (walls)

        Fair Bianca Half Strength PW2S6H (trim)

Right: China White PCWC8/73571 (walls)

           Natural White PCWF5/73711 (trim)

Cool White Colours:

Left: White Duck Half Strength P16B1H (walls)

         White on White PCWF8/78065 (trim)

Right: Grey Pebble Quarter Strength P14B1Q (walls)

           Vivid White PW1H9 (trim)

 

HAPPY PAINTING!

P.S. If you would like further advice, please don't hesitate to contact me for an online colour consultation.

Photos by me

Photo Challenge

Buttons & Ribbon

It's rainy here today... but I like the light, it defines the folds of the ribbon beautifully.

Photos by me

Loving Sunday

Laugh with your friends, wave to your neighbour, hug your family, call your grandma, say hello to the crazy old man who lives in your street... and maybe, just maybe, the world will start to heal, one loving thought at a time.

Image from here

The Fashion Collaborative

I'm launching a new post series... The Fashion Collaborative.

This is often how I work when I'm beginning a new project - I pull out an image that appeals (often a fashion photograph) and build an interior scheme around it.  It's one of the most creative ways I know to continually come up with fresh and inspiring interiors, not to mention a seriously fun exercise to undertake.  By looking at the various colour combinations and compositions, I can develop my own take on a particular palette.

Today's scheme is courtesy of the Louis Vuitton Cruise Ad Campaign

The Images:

The Interior Scheme:

Carpet: Belgian Light Heather Sisal (Natural Floorcoverings Centres)

Paint (L-R): Stowe White, White Watsonia, Bogart (Dulux Paints)

Laminates (L-R): Malt, Mountain Pepper, Tulip Spruce, Cinnamon Spruce (Polytec)

Fabrics (L-R): 7826 Pewter (Harlequin), 1006 Sophia (Harlequin), 6606 Karelian 418 Glacier (Mokum Textiles), Dandelion Clocks Chaffinch (Sanderson), Husk Driftwood (Warwick Fabrics)