Decorating with carnival colours

Anyone else get slightly sunburnt during their 10 minute walk to work this morning? Can’t say I mind much, for months I’ve been yearning for hot summer weather, and, well, teamed with the rest of my white skin, this new red patch of sunburn is IDEAL for my patriotic England costume for this afternoon’s World Cup match. Outfit complete!

Wrapped up in the heat of the moment, I just love these decorating ideas inspired by heady summer days from Country Homes & Interiors. Carnival-coloured stripes and florals, punchy pinks and sizzling oranges are the heroes of the hour, and if it gets too hot, cool off with some zingy lime green accents. Why is my mouth watering?

Check these beautiful decorating schemes out.

Hang a breezy voile canopy above a four-poster and tie with faux peony flowers for an exotic hotel-style look. Dress the bed with striped covers and tropical cushions.

roomenvy - exotic bedroom

Make an outdoor sofa the place to be! Upholster seat pads in rich stripes and pile high the zingy cushions. Hang lanterns so that the fun doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down.

roomenvy - tropical garden

Ooohh I actually know how to make this fitted table cloth! Click here for a step-by-step guide.

roomenvy - colourful dining room

Friday’s Fetish: decorating with coastal blues

I’m loving these cool breezy blues, they’re sure to bring a relaxed and uplifted holiday mood to any room … and I think we’re all in need of that at the moment. From chalky stonewashed shades to lilac hydrangea tones and crisp navy, these sea blues are fresh, natural and easy to use!

Painting just below the dado is a great way to add colour without compromising on light, team it with a warm ivory. I love those individual family memo boards!

roomenvy - coastal-style hallway

Break up an expanse of blue wall (however uplifting this sky blue shade is!) with a stencilled design in off-white. For the coastal look, rattan storage baskets are a MUST!

roomenvy - patterned dining room

Use accents of coastal blue to frame a seating are or highlight a particular feature you love, like this oversized sofa. I love the seaside-style accessories and rustic finishing touches.

roomenvy - nautical touches living room

That shell wreath above the bed is so cute (it looks enormous?) and I love the mix of patterns and stripes.

roomenvy - coastal bedroom

Victorian terrace décor – colour me happy!

Oh another day, another home to fall in love with. Today’s crush is the beautiful and colourful Victorian terrace decor of this textile designer’s home.

If you promise to be extra quiet, I’ll sneak you in the side door to take a look around … but be warned there are enough beautiful soft furnishings to make your mouth water; enough quirky touches to make your tummy flip; and a conservatory that’ll make you look at your living room and sigh! (Or was that just me!)

Enjoy!

This colourful open-plan kitchen-diner is packed with personality and is the perfect space to hang out with the family.

roomenvy - colourful accents kitchen-diner

Now that’s one way of catching up on the family’s news! I love this dining room white board idea. It allows the kids and adults keep up to date with what’s going on in the week.

roomenvy - personalised dining room

This relaxed living room is so exotic! I love the jewel-toned furnishings and shimmering Eastern-inspired wallpaper in the alcoves. Heaven!

roomenvy - Eastern-inspired living room

I’m a massive fan of livening up a neutral hallway, and the staircase is the best place to start! Check out this hallway stair runner – it’s definitely given the rainbow treatment.

roomenvy - colourful staircase hallway

This is roomenvy that I can’t even MEASURE! I love this domed conservatory, they’ve kept it white to maintain the feeling of spaciousness, but with zingy accents to liven up the look.

roomenvy - light and bright conservatory

I love how this white bedroom is transformed with colourful bedding and a panel of wallpaper by the dressing area, to match. It’s so uplifting to me!

roomenvy - exotic bedroom

A teenage girls’ DREAM, this massive bespoke children’s bed just screams ‘sleepover’.

roomenvy - teenage girl's bedroom

Decorating ideas with linens

Whenever I look for a super-quick bedroom update or living room revamp I go straight for bedlinen/throws or cushions – colourful, packed with a personality to suit yours, fairly inexpensive and easy! BUT WAIT, look at these other ways to give your decorating scheme a makeover with linens. My new duvet cover looks positively DULL in comparison – but then Livingetc often has that effect on me!

Reveal the glamorous side of linen by choosing a glossy finish to upholster a headboard…

roomenvy - funky upholstery bedroom

Pick out a bright shade, like the blue buttoned armchair, to contrast with other neutral furnishings…

roomenvy - aqua living room flooring

Create cool contrast by upholstering smart chairs in rustic linen – love the playful numbered touches…

roomenvy - numbered dining room idea

Add soft dreamy light to a bathroo with layers of linen at the window…

roomenvy - relaxed bathroom idea

Friday’s Fetish: le chic monochrome

I love how Livingetc magazine takes a seemingly classic decorating idea and gives it a funky modern twist. Their latest deco dosage – monochrome reniventions – didn’t need any colour to catch my beady eye. Check out these opulent French-style schemes decorated in black and white for a certain … je ne sais quoi …

PLASTIQUE FANTASTIQUE! I love how this acrylic chair gives the rest of this French-style living room scheme a modern quirky twist.

roomenvy - monochrome living room design idea

ROCOCO RETURNS! Classic rococo furniture is given a new life in modern finishes in this dining room. Let them eat CAKE!

roomenvy - monochrome dining room idea

Grand French pieces can also be minimal, such as this swanky chandelier light shade from Brissi (LOVE!)

roomenvy - monochrome bedroom decorating idea

Decorating inspiration – petal pinks

I love these decorating ideas from Housetohome – little floral flourishes can look really pretty in an otherwise neutral space. I would suggest using them as accents though, to keep husbands’ stress levels to a minimum.

Make the bed the focus with a panel of fabric framed with a bold border.

roomenvy - flower power bedroom

Pick a mix of pink shades for the alcoves to create eye-catching storage. Here, they’ve used dark raspberry, mid-toned bubblegum and a light blossom.

Blossom accessories, prints and fauz flowers really tie this living room together.

roomenvy - cherry blossom living room

Take the look from girly to glam with a white crystal-droplet chandelier, as seen in this dining room.

roomenvy - rosy dining room

And my inspiration for this post? I’m going to see Sex and the City 2 tomorrow, and this is one of my all-time FAVOURITE Carrie Bradshaw dresses!

Friday’s Fetish: summer meadow decorating

Waaaaaaaaaaaaft! I can smell the wild fields, cow parsley and buttercups from here … well I can squint my nostrils and imagine it at least.

If you want to drown out the sounds and smells of city life, be inspired by these country decorating ideas from Country Homes & Interiors magazine … or, failing that, you could also start bringing your lunch to work in a wicker hamper! I’m definitely tempted.

Use a vintage cupboard to display your colourful crockery …

roomenvy - pretty pantry

Brighten up bedtime with bold florals and a sunny feature wallpaper …

roomenvy - sunny bedroom

Choose a vibrant table linen to create a cheerful country kitchen table …

roomenvy - country dining room

Invest in a swing seat so you can relax in the ‘garden’ whatever the weather …

roomenvy - fresh summer garden room

I love a window seat! Dress yours with pretty fabircs and cosy it up with gingham and embroidered cushions …

roomenvy - welcoming hallway

Friday’s Fetish: decorating with moody blues

My hungry decorating eye has definitely got the blues … but in a good way! I saw these stylish schemes in the May’s Livingetc and loved them. They might not be the most summery of schemes, but boy do they pack a stylish punch.

I’ve STOLEN Livingetc‘s top tips on how to get the look, but don’t worry, I left a note.

Keep things sophisticated in the living room with a spectrum of blues, and team a modern sofa with natural accessories and textures.

roomenvy - blue decorating ideas for living rooms

Add a glossy finish to a mix of rough-luxe textures to up the glam factor.

roomenvy - rich blue living room reading area

Mixing pattern and scale is a classic way to add depth and impact to a bedroom.

roomenvy - blue patterns bedroom

When mixing eras and styles in the hallway (ie, the Ercol chair and the chinoiserie console table) choose a unifier – in this case, jewel blues.

roomenvy - elegant hallway flooring

Duck egg blues are the perfect foil for bold pattern, and are a great way to update your dining chairs!

roomenvy - blue dining room furniture

Quirky patterned wallpapers

I’ve decided that today is wallpaper day! The funky modern designs from Apartment Therapy are adding even more sunshine to my mornin – especially the retro dining room today.

I’m really excited about Housetohome’s lunchtime wallpaper webchat today at 1pm. Wallpaper guru Melanie Adams from Wallpaperdirect will be sharing her expert tips and advice, and I’m getting my questions ready as we speak. Hopefully see you there!

roomenvy - funky wallpaper dining room

roomenvy - children's room owl wallpaper

Decorating ideas for neutral schemes

Adding colour to a neutral space is always fairly nerve-racking, especially when you’re longing for a vibrant shade – there’s always the fear of doing what I did, getting half way through a wall of fuchsia paint, and then going ‘naaaaaah!’. I love these decorating ideas from the latest Livingetc issue, add a pop of bright colour without the panic.

And they couldn’t be easier!

Choose lighting in a single vivid shade. I ADORE this chandelier from The Vintage Chandelier Company. Go for new pieces or use paint or fabric to dress existing lamps, pendants or chandeliers.

roomenvy - bright pink accents bedroom

Bring a summer mood into a gloomy bedroom by painting the window frame in deep blue. Hang a sheer lace panels in a similar shade to dapple the light.

roomenvy - bold paintwork bedroom

I can see a rainbow! A spectrum of colours works brilliantly running along banister spindles in an all-white hallway.

roomenvy - colourful hallway

Painting a door in a zingy shade is a great way to introduce colour to two rooms without altering the decor of either!

roomenvy - citrus door dining room

And if bright colour isn’t your thing, lay a single panel in the bathroom in a darker material and hey presto! Instant spa chic. Choose rough-hewn, wide planks rather than tongue and groove and team with modern hooks for a contemporary feel.

roomenvy - natural-style bathroom