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Ten of the Best – Pedestal Side Tables

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design - (0 Comments)

Useful little blighters, the pedestal side table.

Always good to have a place for guests (and yourself) to place a drink comfortably within reach, so they are ultra useful at either end of the sofa and beside an armchair.  They can double up too as a bedside table if storage is not a priority.  Just big enough for a reading lamp, a book and the morning cuppa.  But in addition to that I always recommend one to clients if they are going for a roll top bath.  Super handy for the shampoo (and champagne) bottle especially if the bath is placed in the middle of the room.  And as if that wasn’t enough multi-tasking, they are generally light and portable enough to whisk into the garden when the sun comes out.

Here are my personal ten of the best.

ten of the best - pedestal side tables 1

Suppliers:1.Twentytwentyone 2.Nikki Jones 3.Worm 4.Lollipop Shoppe 5.Really Well Made 6.Beautiful Modern Thing 7.Made in Design 8.Nest 9.Yoox 10.Miliboo

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Floral Rugs from Bluebellgray

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design - (0 Comments)

I’ve written about Bluebellgray a couple of times already, here and here.  And I make no apologies for that as I am a huge fan.  So when I heard about her new rug collection I just had to share it straight away.

bluebellgray rugs

Clearly recognizable as the work of the lovely Fi, the rugs manage to capture the colours and watercolour qualities of her hand painted designs.  In fact, they are the first rugs in the world to be digitally printed on wool.  They are manufactured and distributed exclusively by Brink and Campan.

bluebellgray rugs 2

I love the oversized painterly florals best I think.

Aren’t they lovely?

Photographs by David Cadzow for Bluebellgray

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House Doctor DK at Bodie and Fou

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design | Shopping - (0 Comments)

I seem to be drawn more and more to Scandinavian design these days.  Maybe it’s this never-ending winter and a craving for light and fresh air, and the way the Scandinavians seem to have mastered both even in the darkest days.  Anyways, a good flick through the 2013 catalogue at House Doctor DK is as good as it gets at the moment.  And it is good.  Good design, fabulous styling and even more fabulous photography.

House Doctor DK at Bodie & Fou 1House Doctor DK at Bodie & Fou 5 House Doctor DK at Bodie & Fou 3 House Doctor DK at Bodie & Fou 4 House Doctor DK at Bodie & Fou

All stocked at Bodie and Fou.

And I can’t fault Karine’s impeccable taste as always.

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Little Rowen and Little Wren

Posted by deardesigner in Childrens Rooms - (3 Comments)

Yes, I know I’m a little nursery/children/babies obsessed at the moment.  But even if I wasn’t I would have rushed over to the Rowen & Wren site to have a look at their new children’s collection just to find out what they had chosen.

And it doesn’t disappoint.  We have come to love and expect great taste and even greater design from the R & W guys and hell, yes, some of these things would look just as lovely outside of the nursery.  Why should children have all the fun?

Little Rowen and Wren 1

The Baa Baa bookshelf might even encourage the little ones to put their own books away and the rocking sheep is so beautiful to look at and to touch it needn’t be relegated to the nursery at all.  I’m also loving the liberty print bedding and the giant crocheted pouffs.

Little Rowen and Wren 3

Another personal favourite is the retro mini chairs.  How cute are they?

Little Rowen and Wren 2

And don’t forget the cuddly toys!

Little Rowen & Little Wren

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A Warm and Cosy Sitting Room – Top Tips

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design - (1 Comments)

I’m drawn today to this warm and cosy sitting room as the best antidote to the cold grey weather outside.

Skona Hem

To me, it’s just the perfect combination of colours, pattern and texture and it has a few tricks up its sleeve too.  So here are my top tips for creating your own little cosy corner to snuggle into with a good book.

  1. Keep the wall colour neutral so that the artworks and furnishings take centre stage.  This grey is perfect for a background colour.  It’s not as cold as white but it’s cool enough to handle the other hot colours.
  2. Choose a classic sofa in another, darker neutral shade.  The style will never go out of fashion and you can ring the changes simply by changing the cushions and accessories.

Black Grey Gold3. Add colour and pattern with a rug.  Sometimes the rug can be the starting point for a decorating scheme which may have been the case here.  This one is colourful but not too bright and although it’s busy, the patterns and colours work together well.

4. A coffee or side table is more than just a piece of furniture.  This pair is the ultimate in flexibility as they can be moved apart when necessary and yet work together perfectly.

5. The rule of three is always a good rule to follow.  Here the three pendant lights at different levels create just the right effect for a seating area.  Not too low and not too high.  And the three framed prints inside the bigger frame are echoing that effect.

red yellow black

6. Pick out the colours of the rug in the cushions and by using stripes again as in the rug but differently the effect is of subtle co-ordination.

7.  Use small accessories to repeat colours and effects.  The gold bowl echoes the gold inside the pendant lights and the gold frames.  The grey ‘string’ candle holders repeat the same grey as the wall and even the colours of the book covers are similar to the cushions.

The overall effect is one of perfect harmony.  Nothing shouts too loud and it all appears effortless.  My favourite kind of scheme.

Main image: Skona Hem

Ingredients: Tom Dixon Beat Lights, Conran Shop Oswald sofa, Tom Dixon bash vessels, gold frame from Antique Frames Eu, vintage patchwork rug from Bazaar Velvet, Hay Bella occasional tables from Nest, yellow cushion from H & M Home, patterned cushion by Jonathan Adler, knitted vase by Urban Cuckoo.

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Confessions of a Property Stalker

Posted by deardesigner in Houses - (4 Comments)

Have I ever told you about my guilty pleasure?

No, it’s not eating chocolate in secret(although I do that too), and no, I’m not a secret drinker!  I can hardly bring myself to say it…I am addicted to all kinds of property search programmes on TV.  Location, Location, Location is my favourite, but I also watch Escape to the Country, Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses, Property Ladder….etc, etc.   If I’m home alone, I can watch them for hours at a time and I’ll even watch the repeats.  Is this an addiction I can get therapy for?

Savills Bath 1

I think it stems from the fact that I have lived in the same house for many years, and although I am constantly redecorating, it’s not the same as starting from scratch somewhere new.  It’s years since I have experienced the thrill of walking into a new place and imagining the possibilities that it presents.

Savills Bath

Designing for clients is different.  You are putting yourself into their shoes and designing for them.  I just love to escape into fantasy and imagine what I would do with that sitting room and how would I re-configure that layout to the best possible solution for my life.

So, just as I am thinking of going cold turkey, I discover a new way of feeding this addiction.  Estate agents websites.

Savills Bath 2

How beautiful is this Georgian terraced house in Bath?  I’m already fantasizing about the life I will lead.  All of that light flooding in is just a dream come true.  That workspace above could be my new office and I would be super productive I’m sure.  And the period features!    Swoon!

Savills Bath 3

And who would complain about living in this neighbourhood?

Currently available for a cool £1.7 million from Savills.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

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The Nautical Collection from Sarah Hardaker

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design - (2 Comments)

Well, if this doesn’t get you in the mood for spring, nothing will.

The new Semaphore and Semaphore Grande linen fabrics and wallpaper by Sarah Hardaker are all inspired by an old poster of semaphore flags.  They are printed on natural linen, to maintain a vintage feel, with a colour palette of denim, scarlet, french grey and custard.

sarah hardaker nautical collection 1sarah hardaker nautical collection 3

It looks absolutely lovely in a boy’s room, and or course it is timeless and ageless, so you won’t have to re-decorate too often!  But, it would look just as perfect in a cottage by the sea don’t you think?

sarah hardaker nautical collection 4

To keep up the theme, Paperboats is a whimsical linen fabric and wallpaper, inspired by kids’ paper boats and old-fashioned fishing and sailing boats. It’s designed to evoke sunny, salty, seaside days and perfect teamed with Semaphore and Semaphore Grande.

Ahoy Captain!

While we’re on the subject…

Colourful Childrens Rooms

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A Walk on the Wild Side with Faux Flowers

Posted by deardesigner in Shopping - (0 Comments)

Did you have a good weekend my lovelies?  I spent the entire time relaxing with family, cooking, reading Pretty Pastel Style by Selina Lake, and dreaming of spring.

And then I saw these pretty faux flowers on An Angel At My Table and my dreams might come true sooner than I think.

an angel at my table - faux flowers - spring

Forget the big, brash faux flowers that are more at home in a hothouse.  They may have their place in some decorating schemes of course, but these are so much more subtle.  I’m betting that they look just as lifelike up close.

an angel at my table - faux flowers - summer

There is a whole selection of spring and summer flowers to give your rooms a seasonal hit of colour, but probably my favourites are the meadow flowers and grasses that really do look as though they were picked on a country walk.

an angel at my table - faux flowers - meadow flowers and grasses

All of the flowers are sold as single stems so you can make up your own bouquet or select just a few to display individually.

an angel at my table - faux flowers - vases

And of course they also have a pretty selection of vases to show them off.

Wouldn’t they make a lovely gift too?

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Love From Rosie This Easter Weekend

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design | Shopping - (0 Comments)

Well, the Easter weekend is almost upon us and there is no let up in the frosty weather.  It should be a weekend for a little early pottering in the garden or a spot of diy, but more likely we will all stay hunkered down indoors instead.

I’m planning a little family get together and it might just be the time to shake out that pinny and get busy in the kitchen.  Which reminds me…have you discovered Love from Rosie yet?

For all lovers of shabby chic and vintage inspired homewares.

Love From Rosie 1

Love from Rosie 3

Now will it be cupcakes or a Victorian sponge?

You might also like:

Inspiration for Easter Decorations

Pot up the Patio this Easter

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Lotta Agaton At Home

Posted by deardesigner in Interior Design - (0 Comments)

I raved about Swedish interior stylists Lotta Agaton and her studio/shop last month after my trip to Stockholm.

So when I chanced upon photographs of her home, well, where else would they end up but here?

Lotta Agaton

Lotta Agaton 4

I’m realising that this is such a Swedish thing to have lots of plants around the house.  In Stockholm even the shop windows were filled with greenery and I absolutely love it!  It brings the rooms alive.  We need to take a few lessons here and ditch the curtains in favour of a house plant or two.

Lotta Agaton 3 Lotta Agaton 2

The graphic black and white palette is certainly softened by the soft wood tones and the liberal sprinkling of furs.  How cosy would that daybed above be?  Two radiators and a fur throw – I’d be asleep in two ticks.

Lotta Agaton 1

What do you think? Are you tempted to break open a tin of white paint?

Styling: Lotta Agaton
Photo: Pia Ulin
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