Lovely laundry rooms

Ok, hands up… who here has their utility room on top of the list of ‘rooms I’m desperate to do up?’ Not me, that’s for sure. As far as I’m concerned, the dark cupboard-sized room that houses my washing machine, hoover, and probably a decent sized nest of spiders is pretty much a decorating dead-end… or is it?

Having take a look at these utility room beauties, I might be convinced to (let somebody else) clean out the spiders, and get that tiny room organised.

Pimp your washing machine, anyone?

Washing machine stickers. That’s right, the most humble of household appliances gets the designer treatement, and I’m strangely drawn to it. Teamed with a neutral room scheme and dark wooden floors, this could really make doing the washing that little bit more fun, no?

Bright and beautiful

If I was lucky enough to have a retro-launderette room like this, I’m sure my ironing would be more organised. Love the clash between the powder blue walls and the highlighter yellow cabinet.

Soft and subtle

Finally, this soft grey room with yellow touches proves that pastel rooms don’t have to be boring. Plus, that amazing wire storage unit would mean you’d never lose any cleaning products ever again.

What do you think – would you decorate your laundry or utility room, or would you rather focus elsewhere in the home?

….and relax

We’re coming up to the end of another busy week, and although the sun is shining (yay!) I’m still thinking of ways to relax and unwind when the clock hits five thirty tomorrow afternoon.

Drink anyone?

Which is why my eye has been well and truly caught by this delicious bar area. Who would like to unwind at the end of a busy day, sat at their very own drinking hole (hunky barman optional… well, we can but dream). Tucked away under the stairs, this private little nook manages to look sleek and sophisticated without looking too sleazy or hotel-like, thanks to that lovely dark-wood finish. Love those wall recesses that double up as storage areas too!

What do you think – would you have a ‘bar area’ in your home or would you steer clear? Let me know in the comments section….

Colour splash

Brights, brights and more brights – if you’re decorating your bathroom, it’s clear there’s only one way to go this summer. I’ve been flicking through bathroom ideas on housetohome for ideas on how to inject a bit of interest into my largely plain, white bathroom, and it seems like the easiest way to give your WC a little TLC is to go for bright and bold accessories. Great if, like me, you’re renting and therefore can’t crack out the paint.

Pink to make the boys wink

This pink bath is number one on my lust list. With the white-painted boards and pale walls, this room allows the real star of the show to shine through. I know pink isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but this idea would work equally well in teal, yellow, orange… whatever colour tickles your fancy.

Bold colour + texture = gorgeous

This deep-sided bath is also high up on my bathroom wishlist, coming a close second to the pink number above. The mix of textures and tones of red and orange add a warm, lived-in touch to what could be a rather stark, cold room. Room screens are a great way of adding some privacy to open plan ensuites too – the fretwork on this one makes it a feature in its own right.

Great idea - why not update an old cabinet?

Finally, think about using colour in unusual ways, like on the inside of cabinets. This plain cabinet has been brought to life by stencilling on a pattern, then reversing it on the inside – unexpected, and really effective.

What do you think – which of these is your favourite?

Flipping good kitchens

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you can’t have failed to notice that today is Shrove Tuesday – aka Pancake Day. All I’ve heard and seen today is pancakes (I even had a bacon and maple syrup pancake cooked for me this morning – lovely!) and so my thoughts have been distinctly kitchen-based for most of the day.

Tea anyone?

This modern rustic kitchen has really caught my eye – imagine tossing pancakes over that stove! Even I could turn out a perfect pancake if I was in such lovely surroundings. The exposed brickwork contrasts perfectly with the steel appliances, topped off by gorgeous coloured glass accents and quirky accessories. I’m now prepping my credit card as I type for that ‘Tea Revives You’ print (Not On The High Street, if like me you appreciate tea-based accessories).

What do you think – hot or not?

Warm wood

Whilst having a browse through Apartment Therapy earlier, I came across this great pic from one of the latest LA house tours. Owner Dante is lucky enough to have been immersed in interiors from a young age thanks to an artist for a dad and an interior designer for a mum (must be in the genes!) and I LOVE the way in which he’s mixed different finishes of wood in this dining room scheme.

Gorgeous!

The mix of pale white stripped wood and honey-like polished flooring is amazing, especially when used as a foil for all that spiky modern art. Can imagine myself sitting at a table like that in my house, drinking coffee on a lazy Saturday morning. Lovely!

A bit of all white – Grecian style living room

There’s something about all-white schemes that I tend to steer clear of – although I love it when a neutral background is used to make colour or features really pop in a room, schemes that are totally white unnerve me a little bit. I think it’s because I instinctively think about how likely it is that I would ruin the carpet or scuff the walls – it’s not something that screams ‘liveable’ to me. That’s changed slightly however after I came across this image in Livingetc of a Grecian-style minimalist living room.

All white? Yes please!

Walls, chair, clock, rug, marble accessories – all white, yet because there are a few different textures going on with the zigzag effect rug and wooden flooring, somehow it looks liveable. I can imagine lounging around in this modern minimalist chair, reading a novel and enjoying all that lovely light coming through the large windows.

What do you think – could you live with an all-white colour scheme, or would you steer clear?