roomenvy

Head’s up on bedroom style

roomenvy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:20:19 +0000

I have a friend who somewhat honestly admits to being fickle when it comes to decor. Having asked her husband to rewallpaper a feature wall in their bedroom for the upteenth time, he suggested (rather resignedly) that he attach a sheet of MDF as a headboard behind the bed and wallpaper that instead – somewhat easier than redoing a whole wall the next time she discovers a new must-have design or pattern.

That got me thinking about how easy it is to be creative with a headboard – there’s so much scope for imagination, from paint effects, upholstered foam, wallpaper and anything your heart desires.

Ideal for open-plan bedrooms, a divider can be decorated however you choose

Why not take the headboard right up to the ceiling as in this Hill House Interiors scheme?

A wood surround with an upholstered interior makes a luxurious backdrop

This modern scheme from Hill House Interiors shows the headboard colours reflected in the blind fabric

You can find more bedroom ideas at Housetohome

Which one is your favourite? We’d love to know of any ideas you’ve come up with.

Laurie

Rooms with attitude

roomenvy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:42:52 +0000

New year, new dilemmas. Like how to decorate your teenage boys’ bedroom in a way that meets with their approval. The easy way out is to paint everything in black, with matching rug and bedclothes. But when the lightbulb blew you’d never find them! So why not go against your better instincts, forget all proper colour and plump for grey. Ok, it’s dull to you, but it’s cool to them. Check out youngsters’ rooms on housetohome. Forget expensive shelving units (I’d give them three years max) and go shopping at your friendly Swedish megastore for all this kind of stuff. All seems quite unimaginative, but the end of the day (when they really should be asleep anyway) they’ll spend most of the time glaring at a screen with thumbs waggling a controller. Or making a racket with that electric guitar. So why fret about colour schemes – keep it simple, I say. Now to convince my wife…

Seán O

A clean and tidy boys' room – it'll never last...

Banish those New Year blues!

roomenvy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:10:22 +0000

How depressing is it when you have to finally dismantle the tree and take down the decorations? Very! Ok, it declutters the place and gives you back the precious space that your 6ft (wide!) fir took up, but the place looks so bare (bit like the tree). So how do you add some warmth to the room again? Well burning the tree is a start – especially if you’ve got a real fire, like me – but the other answer is obvious: bring in some more plants for that Winter/Spring look. Do that and you’ve got the colour, you’ve got the smells, you’ve got the cost… Forget the last bit, the expense is well worth it! Check out this selection of 10 top indoor plants on housetohome.co.uk. If you still need convincing, check out these rooms from February’s 25BH and you’ll be, ahem, green with envy…

Seán O

Subtly coloured lilies...

...or verdant ferns

Tis the season!

roomenvy — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:39:30 +0000

How many times so far this year have you heard ‘Got the spirit yet?’ The answer is almost always ‘no’ but do you know what, I’ve got the Xmas spirit. Maybe it’s the result of going to the Christmas party yesterday afternoon but I’m more than happy to indulge myself with mince pies and carols – and festive images like these only add to the mood. Have you got the Xmas spirit yet? Answers on a postcard please – or just give me some feedback!

A touch of Scandinavian...

...or reds in abundance

Seán

Wall of fame

roomenvy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:40 +0000

Wallpaper has never been so popular. From stripes and metallics to bold damasks and florals, there’s been a real surge in sales and, it seems, creativeness, as more and more innovative designs hit the shops. If you’re not a wallpaper fan and don’t like the idea of one feature wall, let alone covering all four, why not try using wallpaper in a different way? You could, for example, display paper within a frame, or cover a canvas or three to hang on the walls? Or, why not paper above a picture rail, or the back of a bookshelf? The options are endless.

Here are three unique looks, all of which appeal to me for different reasons…

You only need a small panel of this Marilyn paper (£19.95 a roll, Galerie Wallcoverings) to make a statement and add a hit of pure Hollywood glamour. I love the black-and-white print, and teamed with grey walls and bright yellow accessories, it certainly stands out.

This wallpaper (the Camilla collection, from £20.95 a roll, Grandeco Wallcoverings) has a dramatic red floral print that adds colour and depth to a large expanse of wall and works beautifully in this traditional setting. What better way to make a high-ceilinged room feel more cosy?

This Scandi-style room uses textured-look wallpaper (Livingstones Collection, from £25.95 a roll, Grandeco Wallcoverings) that instead of catching the eye, works well to blend in with the neutral colour scheme.

Which of the three looks would you go for? Let us know…

Laurie

Cool colour?

roomenvy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:38:49 +0000

Doing the rounds of Spring/Summer press shows, you can’t help but notice the repetition in trends in interiors. So I’ll state the blindingly obvious – colour is cool. Again. More importantly, doing your own thing with colour is cool – I’ve always admired those who go with gut feeling and use colours that make them happy. I always err on the side of safety – maybe there’s some Scandinavian in me – but strangely, it’s extreme schemes that seem to inspire me. In January’s 25BH (just out!) there’s one particular home, owned by Saxon and Gordon, that shouts it out, loud and proud. Primaries everywhere, from furniture to furnishings to accessories – why does it work so well? According to Saxon, they’re “drawn to objects that add a bit of soul to our home.” Well, it works for me.
And talking of which, we here at 25BH would like to know what works for you, so if you have 5 mins to spare, why not do our online survey and tell us what you think of the mag and help us to get it looking even better. You can win a prize in the process!

Seán

Colour, colour, everywhere...

Sewn-up style

roomenvy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:32:07 +0000

If I say ‘patchwork’ what picture does that paint? Quaint quilts in a cosy bedroom? Cutesy cushions crowding out a small sofa? Tasteless tea cosy on a… well, you know what I mean. But I’m increasingly seeing patchworks in unlikely settings and being used in unexpected ways. I know it’s not cutting-edge stuff but when, for example, you get furniture covered in this style – admittedly with top-notch fabrics in vibrant colours – it looks flipping marvellous. Maybe it’s just the time of year (winter, Christmas and all that) or maybe it’s my time of life, but I’d happily settle back in a big chair like this, in front of a blazing fire, glass of port in one hand and a copy of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in the other…

Definitely not for squares

Passing through

roomenvy — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:42:29 +0000

Hallways can be boring. There’s no doubt about it, it’s a hard room to make attractive – more often than not it’s simply used as a dumping ground for coats and shoes. However, this picture, from a former Georgian vicarage in Hampshire, makes achieving an elegant hallway look easy. It’s elegant yet cosy, and I love the warm wood mixed with limestone floor tiles and a cool pale-blue backdrop (and of course a dog curled up on a rug – who can resist?).

The fact you can see right through to the back of the house adds an element of light to the room, and the chunky wood console table is the ideal place for storing keys and post, with a mirror for last-minute appearance checks before you head out the door. See more pictures of this home by clicking on this link.

What do you think of this room? We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you’ve decorated your own hallways.

Laurie

Get knitted!

roomenvy — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:10:37 +0000

At a recent Harvey Jones event, there was a talk on trend forecasting. I’m always amazed by how those in the know can, er, know the way trends are going to go, not only in the forthcoming year, but also the year after that. It’s as though our future tastes are kind of mapped out for us – how does that work? But there must be something in it – during the presentation Victoria Redshaw from Scarlet Opustalked about the phenomenon of Yarn Bombing, where artists and public alike cover everyday street items with knitted or crocheted covers. Since then, I’m seeing knitted stuff everywhere. But I’m not needled by it – I think I’m even getting to like it, and the more colourful the better!

Seán

From this...

to this...

to this. That's osmosis!

The holidays are coming…

roomenvy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:47:26 +0000

I couldn’t be more excited that Christmas is coming and I’ve already started thinking about how best to decorate each of my rooms. Today I stumbled across this cosy Christmas retreat, which I think is an excellent way of showing what can be done with a setting. Traditional, warm and elegant, all at once. Even the tinsel suits the setting, wrapped around the large candelabra, with matching candles on the table. My favourite part of the room? The gorgeous chest full of drawers at the back left. What are you planning for your Christmas table this year? Any ideas for decorating your rooms? Let us know…

Laurie