Fabulous flappers

Is anyone else completely obsessed with Boardwalk Empire at the moment? I can’t get enough of the latest TV offering from across the pond, and like Mad Men before it I’m sure that there’ll soon be a rise in Art Deco and 1920-esque accessories winging their way into room schemes across the land. If like me you love the Prohibition-era drama, you might like this quirky flapper wallpaper I spied in a cloakroom gallery on housetohome earlier today.

Fabulous, darling!

Yes, it’s dramatic, and a bit Marmite – you’ll either love it (like me) or loathe it – but I think for a feature wall in the smallest room of the house it adds some much-needed humour. Plus the red lips stop it from being too busy and monochrome. Together with the white tiles and dark wood mirror, it’s pretty much perfect.

What do you think – do you love or loathe this wallpaper?

Tuesday blues

It’s Tuesday, it’s the day after Valentine’s Day, it’s raining and miserable and I’ve got a touch of the blues. Handy, then that I came across this blue little number earlier on whilst looking for ideas on how to spruce up my pathetic excuse for an ‘office‘ area in my bedroom.

And I'm feeling blue....

I love how saturated with colour this space is, from the subtle tree pattern wallpaper (I admit it, I’m hooked – see previous post) to the co-ordinating magazine holders, desk and even the blue pencils in the blue pencil pot. The sculptural lamp and bin plus the clean lines everywhere else stop the look from being overly focused on the colour. Blue maybe, miserable – never.

The big V Day

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you can’t help but notice that the most romantic day of the year is upon us again. That’s right, Valentines Day is but a few days away, and even if you reject it as a commercial holiday designed to make money for the greetings card industry (oh, you unromantic types…) it’s a great opportunity to give your bedroom a bit of va-va-voom. Ther are loads of really quick and easy ways to glam up your boudoir – here are a few five-minute ideas I’ve seen this week.

Peeled grapes? Don't mind if I do...

A chaise longue adds instant sex appeal to any room, and I’m loving this purple number. Perfect for being waited on hand and foot by an adoring partner this Valentine’s Day. I love the contrast with the wooden floors, although maybe the curtains are a tad too much.

Sparkly!

As you’ll know after my post the other day, I love orange. And if there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to add some sparkle to your bedroom it’s some cunningly-placed fairy lights. So of course, this headboard-esque display is right up my alley! Grown-up and glam enough for even the most traditional of rooms, it will add some serious mood-lighting to your bedroom.

This room has serious sex appeal

A little too much purple perhaps (not really a fan) but love the multiple screen action that’s going on here. The four poster bed is given a new lease of life by using sliding Japanese-style screens rather than hanging drapes so it looks bang up-to-date, plus the dressing area screen is perfect for adding some old-school glamour to proceedings. Again, though, lose the velvet drapes… just too much purple for me.

What do you think? And are you celebrating St Valentine’s this year, or hibernating until the 14th is over and done with?

Into the woods

Bathrooms are always a bit of a tricky one, aren’t they? I’m not overly keen on uber-traditional bathrooms but am not really a fan of super-minimalist suites either (I mean, if I can’t clutter it up with millions of different lotions and potions, what’s the point?)

This folk-inspired wallpaper has got me weak at the knees

Which is why I adore this quirky, almost fairy-tale-like bathroom that I found whilst pottering around on Ideal Home earlier. I adore the folksy, hand-drawn quality of the paper, which has been varnished and covered with glass to make sure it doesn’t get water-damaged. Using wallpaper in the bathroom is a big upcoming trend and I love this forest illustration paper – paired with the croc-print bath and rococo cabinet it’s pretty much perfect. I’d like to see a few brighter accessories to stop the room looking quite so cold though.

What do you think? Is this fairy-tale-esque forest wallpaper hot or not?

Juicy!

There’s a definite shift in the air at the moment. Maybe it’s all the new season press days that are going on, or even the fact that today we saw actual sunshine all day (unheard of after the gloom and doom of the last few weeks) but I’m feeling a tad on the summery side. Which is probably why I am coveting all things bright and fun right now! All I want is for summer to hurry up and get here so we can crack out the BBQ.

Until then, however, I’m satiating my need for all things bright and summery by checking out the latest trend to come our way this spring, namely splashes of juicy orange. Bhs released pics of their new Tangerine Collection of homewares and furnishings last week and since then I’m coveting the bold and bright pieces, especially this gorgeous pendant lamp.

This new collection from Bhs is gorgeou

For a slightly more muted take on this juicy trend, however, pairing  dusky tangerine walls with matt white accessories is a guaranteed winner.

Gorgeous or what?

Can’t you imagine just curling up in this bed with a good book? I think it’s the simple range of textures in this room that really does it for me – not too many that it’s overloaded, but just enough to keep it interesting. That big flat expanse of colour could look a little boring if it weren’t for the rug, knitted throw and leather headboard. We popped this up on the housetohome Twitter page this week and it got an almost universal thumbs up from our followers.

If you’re not keen on teaming orange with white, though, you are a little limited in what colours you can pair it with. I’m a little wary of teaming orange and black together (reminds me too much of Halloween costumes!) but I love the way this kitchen-diner‘s used dark metallic teal cupboard doors to offset the tangerine seats and units. Lovely!

What do you think of these metallic kitchen units?

What do you think – are you a fan of orange or are you steering clear?

What’s up doc? The Year of the Rabbit, that’s what…

I might just have finished getting over one New Year’s Eve party when another great excuse to celebrate has come my way – it’s now officially the Year of the Rabbit!

Chinese New Year is here and we’ve shifted from all the chaos and action of the Year of the Tiger in 2010 to a calmer, more relaxed state of affairs for the rest of the year, according to the Chinese Zodiac. It’s true that the last year has been a pretty busy one, so I’ve been on the hunt for some cool, zen-like rooms with an oriental influence to post.

This modern four poster bed has got my pulse racing...

Proving that you don’t necessarily need to splash a full can of red paint around to get an Eastern feel to a room, this almost country-feel bedroom featured on housetohome has really caught my interest. I personally don’t really like the inlaid cabinets (let’s be fair, they have been everywhere for a few years) but in this relaxed setting they look gorgeous. I’m totally coveting the convex mirror/ branch wall ornament combo over the fireplace as well. Even if looking in it in the morning might give me a bit of a shock – fisheye effect anyone?

Sophisticated conversation only at this dining table...

The same goes for this glam oriental-inspired dining room. I’m a big fan of the printed fabric panels (mainly because it’s so easy to make some yourself with a wooden frame and fabric remnants, super cheap) and the black laquer chairs offset the dusky colour on the walls perfectly. My only criticism is that the room’s a little dark but some carefully understated low lighting should sort that issue out. I like to think I’d  sit neatly at this table and making witty conversation over dim sum, although the reality is I’d probably be tucking into a takeaway from my local cheap and cheerful Chinese!

Rub-a-dub-dub.

Finally, how gorgeous is this Japanese-style bath? Looks a bit tricky to get out of, but I bet a soak in this tub would be second to none….

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Lunchtime lust: Bird wallpaper

Tweet tweet! Looks like the trend for featuring birds on absolutely everything home-related during 2010 isn’t going anywhere soon if these gorgeous avian wallpaper designs are anything to go by. I have to admit, I am partial to a bird-related design, and I’m especially loving this patriotic sparrow and Union Jack design that was featured on housetohome.co.uk this week. Perfect for adding a touch of cool Britannica to a home office perhaps?

Birds of a Feather wallpaper from B&Q

Best of all, it’s a bargainous £19.98 per roll from B&Q . Amazing. I love the way it sets off the darker wood accents in this cosy country farm-style living room….

Love the way this tweet-tacular wallpaper's been used here...

If you’re looking for something a little more traditional you don’t have to discount this trend altogether – as demonstrated by this timeless Laura Ashley design. Country floral? Check. Classic Eau de Nil shade? Check. Super – subtle bird design? Check.

Summer Palace wallpaper from Laura Ashley, £17.64 a roll.

Obviously a whole room in this design may be a little too OTT (and an entire room in this design may be akin to being trapped in a Wedgwood-esque nightmare) but in a country-style kitchen I think it would work well. What a hoot!

G’day mate! Let’s celebrate Australia Day

OK, sorry for the unoriginal and tiresome headline, but Aussies are known for their warm, welcoming and ultra-cheery nature, and it seems this even extends to their home decor.

Today is Australia Day, so in celebration I want to show you this gorgeous single-storey Seventies house in Sydney, which mixes cool retro patterns and shapes with modern design features.

The leisurely lounge with a laidback style

It’s so easy to go overboard with retro furniture – the rule is, keep it simple and buy top quality. It’s clear owners Andrea and Ben Miller have stuck to that rule, mixing simple modern artwork and accessories with a few key pieces, such as the geometric rug and the low armchairs. I can imagine sinking into one of these chairs and watching the amazing Australian sun rise and fall.

Knock on wood

Wood and stone are the two main materials that are used throughout the house, and here you can see just how surprisingly warm and stylish these materials can be – even for a bathroom. I am struck by just how many shades of wood there are. The gilt-framed mirror is a lovely glam touch, too.

Turn up the heat with hot pink

All this wood and stone could look dull if it weren’t for the large windows that go around the house. But hot pink adds even more brightness, and what’s more reminds me that when you have a lot of neutral, such as stone and wood panelling, anything can work. A mixture of textures in this room makes it super-cosy too.

See the rest of this house for more Australian decorating ideas

Best Bathrooms 2010 – And the winner is…

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t want a lovely bathroom to relax in. But one man’s relaxation is another man’s torture, so choosing the best bathroom of 2010 is tricky.

However, the winner is this be-a-uuuu-tiful nautical bathroom.

We are sailing to serenity

Even if it’s not totally your bag, the seaside accents are done just right, not too much to make you feel seasick.

This room is not blessed with an easy design. It’s a long, narrow room with an awkward eave, but instead of trying to ignore the shape and make the bath the focus of the room – as is usual – the eave, decorated with a sail effect blind, becomes the focus, and a place to chill. I LOVE it!

Chunky, roughed up shelves provide excellent storage. Two sinks mean no fighting over the bathroom in the morning – brilliant!

Simple touches like the decorative ship and fish tank are fun yet sophisticated.

Even though this bathroom looks super-cool, it’s still a family bathroom. So often a family bathroom means a plethora of rubber ducks, novelty soap and a whole load of Sponge Bob Square Pants paraphernalia. But in this bathroom kids’ toys are stored away and the steps are made from the same wood as the shelves, so as not to stand out.

Now, that’s got me thinking about the best chilren’s rooms of 2010…

Best Wet Room 2010 – And the winner is…

This modern beauty of a wet room.

To be honest, the neutral colour scheme isn’t totally me, but the design is perfect. I can see that this was probably a titchy toilet and a iddy-biddy bathroom that’s been cleverly converted into a wet room.

A walk in wet room with a shower big enough to share

But, hey, let’s talk about what on earth a wet room IS? When did the trend for wet rooms start? Who came up with the wet room idea?

A wet room is a waterproofed or ‘tanked’ room that houses a shower and maybe a sink or bath too. The whole room becomes the shower – cool, huh?

But where does the water go? I hear you ask. Well, the floor is lowered a little so there’s no flooding or overspill – brilliant!

What’s the point of a wet room? Oooh, there are loads of great reasons for a wet room: saving space; a stylish alternative to knocking through a little toilet and small bathroom; creating an en-suite bathroom in a small bedroom; turning a downstairs toilet/utility room into something more useful; great for an attic conversion…I could go on, but you get the picture.

Who invented the wet room? To be honest, I have no idea, but I reckon the Romans had something to do with it, they’re good like that.