Sunday 29 July 2012

English Country Idyll

I recently ventured north to Melton Mowbray (a Leicestershire town more renown for stilton cheese than interior design) to visit some friends who had recently moved. They were kind enough to let me shoot their new house and share here.

The day I visited was one of the warmest, sunniest days of the year, and the the effect of this was evident as soon as I walked through the door. The sunlight streaming through the windows cast an array of shadows, creating a warm inviting glow throughout the house. 

Set upon 3 floors, the 1100 sq ft house (which is HUGE by London standards) itself seemed a contradiction - airy and spacious, yet intimate with a country feel. The kitchen is testament to this, with it’s “pine on pine” worktops and full height cupboards. 

Throughout the rest of the house, furnishings are neutral, with punches of colour injected mainly on the walls, with the exception of the cobalt blue roll top bathtub. 

My visit, which was only brief, came to a conclusion in the manicured garden. As we sat soaking up the last of the evening sunshine, it was evident that this city girl has most definitely developed a taste for country living.




For more country living inspiration, checkout the Country in the City facebook page which features a compilation of country and shabby chic images from around the interweb. You won't be disappointed! Here's just a taste-




Wednesday 25 July 2012

Trending in Design: #Extraordinary Wardrobes

Before I delve into the matter at hand - trends, can I just take a moment to say: HELLO SUMMER!


After more than 3 consecutive months of wall to wall rain (the wettest April, May and June on record) and temperatures barely pushing 60F, we are FINALLY having a heatwave!

I have been living in England for quite sometime now, and in many ways I'm totally indoctrinated, but there are two things that happen when it gets this hot (94F today!) that I still marvel at:

1. People get naked.


I took this photo at 8:45 this morning. Why are they topless? Where are they going? God one knows.

2. People stand around outside. Anywhere.


No space in the beer garden? The pavement will do.

But I digress...

Wardrobes. Have you noticed how creative people are getting with clothes and shoes storage lately? I feel like today many spaces that were once considered private are now "done up", and the wardrobe is a great example of this. Instead of hiding away one's belongings, it seems that displaying it in the open on unconventional fixtures is now the way forward.

Photo | AtCasa

Photo | Rock That Horse

Yes indeed, both are ladders. Why don't I think of these things??

Photo | Etsy - Stella Bleu Designs

Photo | Etsy - Stella Bleu Designs 

 Pipes, in case you didn't notice.

Photo | Apartment Therapy

Photo | Apartment Therapy

Photo | Storage and Glee

Suspended branches and rods - LOVE!

Photo | Decorate8

Photo | Storage and Glee

As a colourful focal point? Genius.

Photo | The Hunted Interior

I thought I was so clever and cutting edge when I ripped out my wardrobe doors and replaced them with beaded curtains in 1998. THIS (above) is how it should be done.

Photo | Solid Frog

I've been obsessed with storing my beloved shoes in a display cabinet like the one above (or a Billy with doors) for ages, but I simply don't have the space. I'm longing for the day I can have a dressing room with wall to wall shoes. I may even invest in one of these:


Just kidding.

 

Sunday 22 July 2012

Colour Me Inspired

Inspiration can come from the most unlikely sources, and when it comes to choosing a colour palette,  sometimes the most unexpected combinations actually work very well together.

I think this is best illustrated by Design Seeds, my go to website for those occasions when I feel I'm stuck in bit of a colour rut. Colour Godess and founder of the site Jessica pulls together colour palettes from just about anything you can think of. The website is flooded with beautiful photographs and colour scheme inspiration like this:


I'm constantly browsing the site to scan new palettes and within seconds I can picture a room (in my head) based on the colours. For example:

Photo | Urban Kaleidoscope

Photo | SADecor

Photo | Urban Kaleidoscope



Photo | La Dolce Vita

Photo | Emily Henderson

Photo | Unknown




Photo | La Dolce Vita

Incidentally, I was recently sorting through my image files and came across the photo below which I love.

Photo | Desde My Ventana

I have kept it for ages in my interiors file, and I now realise that the colour palette is what I was drawn to. So I decided to give it my own "seed treatment".


And here is the room I built around it, which will now be added to my inspiration files as well:

Louis Green Velvet Chair €340 Paloranta. Molted Iron Lamp £75 John Lewis. Mirror Side Table $159 West Elm. Dunham Sofa £1189.27 West Elm. Bridge picture $149 Ikea. Chandelier $840 Circa Lighting. Clairmont Coffee Table $699 Crate & Barrel. Brass Floor Lamp $282.91 Lamps Plus. Alseda Ottoman $29.99 Ikea. Pillow Covers $40 (each) Whitlock & Co (Etsy). Persian Carpet est $800 - $1200 Live Auctioneers.

Have you ever used Design Seeds?

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