Hanging out.

I am currently having huge problems when it comes to hanging coats and storing shoes! And when I say problems I mean I have nothing! And I refuse to get something standard and ordinary, so for now I will have to live with coats and shoes left where ever they end up being abandoned!
 It's one of those things, when I see it I'll know it's right! And yes I am still talking about hooks and boxes!

However I found these ideas and knew I had to share them. I love the quirkiness they bring to the hall way, or any other room for that matter.

But what I think brings their strength in design is the impact colour has. The shoe rack which appears to be a vintage picture rail painted a fantastic citrus yellow is the center piece surrounded by white walls and objects.
Then in contrast the pure white faux antlers which  stand out due to the powerful earth orange wall.
Yet both providing a handy purpose!
 

Our pumpkin!

Having only found one of the last remaining pumpkins from my local supermarket (one year, I got there too late and had to use a butternut squash) I think the creation turned out well! Although we went for the standard ghoulish face, we added a snake nose, teeth and a raised eyebrow for a fiendish twist to an old classic.

What do you think?

Happy Halloween!

To get you in the mood for a scary Halloween weekend I have gathered a few of my favorite scary, yet stunning interior products!

Firstly this stunning tactile skull wallpaper from Rockett St George available with either skulls in glamorous glitter, oil slick or in a sumptuous black velvet all back dropped on a gun metal paper. 

Rock 'n' Roll glamor taken to the next level, great way to make a statement this Halloween.

One of my favorite design companies at the moment is the fantastic Curiousa & Curiousa. Check out their fantastical light creations perfect for any room, but more about them another time! With it being Halloween what's more perfect then these stunning fabrics and available as wallpaper of barbed wire and baby heads!











And what can be more creepy then combining the two and light them up! Just as we all did as kids telling ghost stories with a torch beneath our chins!


At first glance this lamp is stunningly classic but when the lights go on its a real shock factor that will get everyone talking! Fantastic.

Continuing with lights this fantastic skull light made from bone china from Alex Garnett is a great way to brighten up any room with a twist and as the saying kind of goes skulls are for life not just for Halloween!

And of course if your someone who takes Halloween as just the 31st October, and a pumpkin is as far as you go, why not try something new this Halloween so I've collected a few prettier pumpkins!! Which is your favorite?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Urban Outfitters.

I have always enjoyed visiting Urban Outfitters not just for their cute retro clothes and jewelery they have to offer but, as an interior designer I do appreciate their vintage and, well urban approach to designing their shop floors. That's what I love about retail design it gives a chance for the stores to express their products through the interior design as well as the merchandising, and i think Urban Outfitters are a great example of doing this so well.

I am so pleased with my new purchase from the always gorgeous and fun homeware range, which has some items currently on sale! Which would be ideal for Christmas present, for those who are organised!

I later had a look at the extensive homeware range on their website. And discovered the gorgeous selection of bedding, I've picked out a few of my favorite colourful products! But what do you think?! 

Velvet resolver!

One of my guilty pleasures are the moment is velvet. I am obsessed with this stunningly tactile fabric and it works so well in the colder months of the year. This fabric shouldn't be restrained to the lobby of a hotel, upholstered in an awful pattern just because is durable!  I think all households needs a bit of velvet either subtly used in home furnishings, who can resist stroking a stunning velvet cushion or go all out and make a statement by having a fabulous velvet sofa, velvet being such a plush fabric can definitely create a wow factor in a stunning colour! Here are a couple of my favorite.

Windsor Velvet Sofa Collection from Graham and Green.

Stunning coloured cushions from Cox & Cox.

The classic beautiful purple velvet Chesterfield.

Cute Love velvet cushions from the fantastic company Not on the high street.

Autumnal sapphire blues..

It's that time of year when we put off turning on the heating trying to save some pennies, but give in eventually when wearing two pairs of socks just isn't enough! And what's better then a cozy night in wrapped up warm in bed.

The fantastic trend to accessories with this autumn are the beautifully warm sapphire blues and rich royal purples to warm up our toes!

And don't forget to get yourself some velvet!

 In anyway possible, I love it!

Keep cozy. xx

Animal Lamps!

One of my favorite lights of all time is from the fantastic product designer Ed Carpenter's Pigeon Light. The iconic bird of our British high streets can now be clipped into our homes for a fun colourful light, perching on any shelf. What's not to love, available in 6 different colours.

This stunning bird inspired me to find other animal lamps and I didn't have to look further then one of my favorite designer furniture companies Graham & Green who come up trumps with animal lamps!
These fun tongue in cheek animal lamps are designed by one of my most inspired designers at the moment Abigail Ahern who enjoys taking design to another level, pushing boundaries and most definitely not playing safe! True inspiration for me. Check out her blog.

These humorous animal lamps will be the talking point of any room!

Sweet little nightlights, definitely not just for the kids!

This fantastic Bird Cage Chandelier would look stunning over a dining table, I can think of some party tricks there!

National Baking week..

Seeing as it's national baking week, seems only fitting to provide different ideas for kitchens you would want to bake in!

Firstly examples of using the accessories to brighten up the space rather then soley in the decoration, an easier way to alter throughout seasons.






Nifty ideas for storage. Why not use the wall to hang utensils? By painting behind each utensil with their unique shapes in a darker shade to create a shadow for each one. Creating a fun game teaching the little ones to tidy! Notice the mistake though, could make you go a bit OCD!

Beautiful tall units housing everything, but no one will be looking at the kitchen clutter when it has been cleverly disguised with stunning turquoise glass doors. Not many are brave enough to want to highlight all the kitchen 'stuff' but I like the idea of not hiding all the equipment that we all have!









Hope these are some great ideas of incorporating colour into your kitchen without painting whole walls, unit doors or tiles!

Enjoy your baking! x

Not just any old feature wall..

Wallpaper comes in a huge amount of choices....patterns, colours, textures, sizes, random patterns. And then we got to think which is the best place to put it, and most of us think FEATURE wall. This design term has been drummed into us for many years now. 

Although, I can't deny a good feature wall now and again I hope that this idea shows we should think outside the box and how fantastic wallpaper can look in unexpected places.
The intricate detail of the design is emphasised with the simple surroundings subtly matching with the sweet cushion on the design classic Eames RAR Chair.

mirror mirror on the wall...

Mirrors aren't just great for making a room feel larger and lighter but can also be a stunning focal point here are a few examples, which do you prefer?

 

 

Amazing Greys!

This beautiful living room perfectly depicts how great it is to mix classic dark grey and the confidence of bright colour.

Not only does this look great but looks expensive right? Wrong, most of these items were already there but had a well deserved lick of paint, or amazing ebay and flea market finds! Which makes me love it even more, at tight economic times like these bargains are completely in fashion!
Read the entire article about this interior at the telegraph.

Pieces with history writes a story for any interiors and people not only see the room but can read it too.

Painted chairs!

As I mentioned on my previous post that I want to paint my own 2 chairs that are currently that 90's golden pine colour. This is my inspired image to what I'm looking for, though I'm gonna go for a blue rather then pink. I think the classic farmyard chair style looks great with this cheap and easy make over.

When I have finally got round to finishing my I shall post images!

Stunning 'Folkware' from Pedlars

This beautiful 18 piece dinner set from Pedlars, have a fantastic range of different patterned and coloured plates and bowls. It would make a great talking point to any diner. And at £295 for the set, I think it would be well worth the savings!

Dishwasher and microwave safe.

Colour chairs 2!

More chairs! And beautiful table ware! I think the colour coordinated plates but mismatched pieces makes this dinner party absolutely divine!

Colour chairs

I am slowly collecting pretty odd chairs which will mean something in my life. My dream one day is putting them round a large wooden table straight off a cut of a tree. The multi-coloured assortment of memories that I'm sure we will all have a favorite! 

Similarly like this dining area, the playfulness makes dining more fun then just the food.

 

The collection is only beginning but if any one knows of any good chairs

available do let me know!

Colour prints

I am loving these beautiful colourful prints positioned, in what a lot of people think has been over done, but I love them! The graphics are great and using 3 black frames and 3 white works to bring this white wall so lovely to look at.

The untraditional traditional bathroom.

I stumbled across this image and was struck at how traditional it looks, despite not really being that traditional. The mixture of antique mirror and dark grey walls, then on top of the quirky old trestle table pretty antique accessories and the star of the show, bright yellow bowl basin and modern chrome tap. I love the way it all blends together for a classic fun look.

I'm sure you could pick up a similar trestle table for a good price and the antique mirror from any vintage shops. A cheaper way to create a great statement!

What do you think?

Jo x

I am going to start with an image of what I like to call "I want to live here!"

I love the splashes of colour against the white walls and dark wooden flooring. But rather then just using colour in the accessories the bright yellow sofa brings the whole scheme together without shouting out and the retro furniture ties in this quirky room. You got to love some retro furniture, especially the retro clock which is neatly positioned off centre! 

First Post!

Well here goes... first post.

Maybe I should explain myself, as an interior designer I am constantly searching for inspiration and have a large collection of images and thoughts in my head which I feel I need to put down on virtual paper.

When I was a kid I genuinely believed that people used to live in a world of black and white, and I remember thinking how awful that would have been and how lucky we are to have such beautiful blue skies, green trees, and my favorite orange and green jumpers.

Of course, when I finally realised it was just black and white TV I was already fixated with all things colourful! And not afraid to use it.

However being in the interior design industry it has come to my attention that so many of us are afraid to use colour within design schemes.

Now, I'm not encouraging painting the entire house pink but I hope to inspire pushing those colourful boundaries more then just a feature wall.

So I hope you can join me, and enjoy what I want to offer. Feel free to comment and share with me your thoughts and inspirations you think I might like.

Thanks. xx