If only it could stop raining enough for me to kick through the autumn leaves and enjoy the smell of smokey bonfires!! (At least until it starts snowing anyway – nothing can compare to that kind of festive fun!)
Plus, i’ve found the answer to organised gift wrapping! I usually just sprawl out on the living room floor covered in wrapping paper and wrestling with sellotape (and the inevitable fluff that gets caught in it), but this way gift-wrapping station idea from Country Living is much more efficient!
I go into ‘craft overload‘ at Christmas time, I just love spending a quiet Sunday afternoon, when it’s freezing outside, snuggled up inside making Christmas tree decorations and wrapping presents (after i’ve plucked up the courage to face the Christmas shopping crowd, that is!)
I love this ‘How to create a craft room‘ idea from the November issue of Country Homes & Interiors magazine. It’s packed with top storage tips for your ribbons and tassels, as well as decorating ideas.
roomenvy - craft ideas galore!
roomenvy - craft storage idea
This rustic merchant’s chest is the perfect house for your crafty bits and pieces.
Plus, have a look at the countrydays blog. It’s by Rhoda, editor of Country Homes and Interiors and, as you’d imagine, it’s stuffed full to the brim with all things country-style, from craft makes to recipes.
I think they’re just so cute! I’m going to check out Cath Kidston‘s new spring/summer collection tomorrow morning, so before I get distracted by the new designs, I thought I’d browse through some of my old favourites.
I can start of a ‘cowboys and indians‘ theme in my living room, in my twenties, right? Good luck prizing kids out of that castle children’s bed!
roomenvy - king of the castle children's room
Pretty in pink! Little girls will love this children’s wallpaper even as they get older. (The bunting’s adorable, too.)
roomenvy - floral fireplace girl's bedroom
Ahoy there matey! Create a feature wall in your children’s bedroom with this sailing boat wallpaper design.
I was completely inspired by Helen Morris, one of the faces behind The Stencil Library when I met her this week. She shared some fantastic tips with me about stencilling – especially for those of us who rent and don’t want to anger our landlords with a door surrounded by butterflies (I mention no names!) She shares some great tips on her blog, Design Inspiration.
Wall stencils are a fantastic way to liven up your scheme and give it a truly personal touch. I just love them!!
1) They don’t have to be bold and brassy, these leaf stencils add a lovely delicate touch. Though to be honest, what’s going to make more a statement than having a TREE in your kitchen? They’re taken from designer, Di Overton‘s kitchen.
roomenvy - kitchen decorating the natural way!
2) You don’t just have to use stencils on the walls, either. This funky home, featured on Design Sponge, proves just that.
Bring your floors to life! The hardwood floors in this dining room are given an update with playful pattern.
roomenvy - so much more than a floor!
And don’t let a simple radiator miss out on all the fun. Now this is what I call stylish heating!
roomenvy - turn up the heat with a colourful stencil
Can you believe a decade’s gone by already? It seemed only yesterday I was badgering my parents to send me ‘any spare food’ whilst at University!
At the Crown Paint launch, they were casting their eyes back to the most popular colour of the noughties, and as it turns out, it was this chocolate paint shade.
roomenvy - chocolate colour of the decade
So what’s your colour of the noughties?
I found it really difficult to decide on it from a decorating perspective (distracted by the ‘facebook blues’ and ‘The X Factor reds’) but finally I settled on this rich purple colour. It seemed the naughty noughties gave people the confidence to go for richer, more dramatic colours!
Rich purples have stuck by me in one way or another for the past few years! This living room is super glam.
If your paintbrush is poised nervously over your paint pot, and you’re not sure whether it should take the plunge, check out the hot colour predictions from Crown Paint.
I was invited to the launch to check out their colour trends for 2010 and felt really inspired to grab my paintbrush and attack my walls with colour. Here’s a peak are my two favourites.
New Mexico (maybe it’s because it reminded me of what it was like to step outside without a ski jacket on!)
Plush – glamorous, romantic, dramatic and boudoir-chic. My bedroom is calling for it. Paint floorboards in a deeper shade than the walls for a really striking look
roomenvy - living room colour ideas
Look out for more of these hot colour trends as well as behind-the-scenes gossip at the Crown Blog!
It’s got some great (nice and easy) ways to create the perfect look without breaking the bank – which, in a time where the my bank balance is starting to get nervous at the sight of my Christmas shopping list, suits me down to a tea!
