Lunchtime Lust: Made in Britain

Ah, well a bit of patriotism never goes amiss! I love these quirky buys, they’re a great way to add some British ‘umph’ to an other wise neutral scheme…

Shipping Forecast merino and cashmere blanket from Roam. Team with a striking black bed frame and crisp white linen.

roomenvy - British boudoir

No Parking sign from Adams of Rye. A cute little personal touch for an inspiring home office.

roomenvy - patriotic home office

Cottage needlepoint cushion from RE. Mix and match quirky cushions for a lively living room you’ll love!

roomenvy - British living room

Create a country-style home office

I love this new country decorating idea from Country Homes & Interiors. An office should be organised, relaxed and inspiring with inviting personal touches. These ideas would be enough to sway me to work overtime!

Place a trestle table next to a window so you can admire the scenery, plus, it can be stowed away if you need the space. Use recycled glass containers and plant pots for storage.

roomenvy - home office decorating idea

Pretty painted and rattan letter racks are perfect for storing cards and stationary.

roomenvy - home office stationary

Keep notes and personal mementoes organised with wire and mini pegs. Simply attach craft wire to nails and then peg on your favourite pictures and postcards for a personal touch.

roomenvy - keepsake feature wall

A striking green filing cabinet can be customised with rustic baskets and handmade signs held in place with magnets.

roomenvy - home office storage

Use blossom and bird stickers to add a personal touch to an oak cupboard – a storage space large enough to hide away the shredder.

roomenvy - home office sideboard

Hallway decorating ideas

I love making a colourful entrance… although that does usually involve me turning up late with an unmatching pair of shoes. These colourful statement hallways are a much safer way to make your friends and family speechless!

Find hallway decorating inspiration from this video, you’ll find fantastic ways to add colour from your banisters to your stair risers!

Boutique-chic boudoir

I predict a lot of ‘Bedroom Envy‘ on my part today. I’m coming across so many beautiful schemes like this one, while the most eye-catching feature in my own bedroom at the moment is a builder called Clive, who’s tearing my ceiling down!

Subtle, sexy bedroom wallpaper, luxurious bedlinen, stylish bedroom storage… intact ceiling… this gorgeous boudoir has it all! Here’s how to get the look:

1) Create a cosy feel with warm, neutral tones – mix in sand, stone and clay shades so it doesn’t feel bland.

2) ‘Frame’ the bed with a pair of tables and oversized lamps.

3) Add good-looking storage. A chest at the foot of the bed is useful for spare bedlinen and as an extra surface for breakfast trays (if only… sigh!)

4) Theme accessories. Here they’ve gone for an Eastern feel with a fretwork panel above the bed and Moroccan lanterns.

5) Layer fabrics and textures with a mix of faux fur and silk on the bed.

 

roomenvy - luxurious bedroom

 

Acceptable in the 80s

Check out the latest modern decorating trend – hits of the 80s. According to the modern style gurus at Livingetc, ‘the decade that gave us mobile phones, mineral water and Madonna is being reinvented.’ Now that’s what I call power dressing!

Layers of grey and light-diffusing blinds make for a moody, sensual room. And after two decades of neutral schemes, pops of vibrant colour are back.

roomenvy - modern bedroom design

Eighties design loved huge in a big way, but today’s loft living requires a slouchy sofa – in blue velvet, of course.

roomenvy - eighties-inspired bedroom

Hip to be square. ‘Look at me’ demanded the most iconic furniture from the Eighties, and those confident shapes are back. This time, though, the angles are bolder and shots of graphic colour add modern edge.

roomenvy - quirky dining room

Industrial materials were all over Eighties furniture, but 21st century utility plays with scale, like an unexpected mix of castors on this table.

roomenvy - retro home office

Modern dining room decorating ideas

It’s almost time for a big old month of festive entertaining, and while I’m distracted by all the Christmas decorating ideas for dining rooms, I also want to get the main look right for all year round. There’s nothing worse than stripping off your Christmas decorations to find a dull and lifeless scheme… as if the end of the party season isn’t testing enough!

Check out this video for 5 dining room updates for inspiration!

Take THAT household admin!

Ever feel your renegade bank statements are more eye-catching than your new wallpaper? I do! That’s why I love this new video by Livingetc‘s Style Director Harriet Paterson.

She talks you through how to sort your all your home office essentials, from paperwork to cables!

Friday’s Fetish: Autumn impressions

If you’ve stepped on a crunchy leaf, it means it’s Autumn! No longer am I longing for hot sunny weekends, I’m now embracing the snuggley, cosiness of the Autumn months when the sun’s still shining, but your cheeks and nose are chilly, and where you are surrounded by the beautiful colours of nature… don’t I sound profound!?

This season, the decorating world is ready for rich shades of hedgerow fruit and leafy woodlands will be captured on watercolour fabrics and artisan ceramics. Just add warming wools and painted furniture for a free-spirited bohemian look.

See for yourself with these stunning country-style schemes…

Use painterly fabrics in the latest shades for curtains. Team with homespun-style accessories for an easy-to-live-with living room.

 

roomenvy - colourful living room decorating idea

 

Mix and match colourful painted chairs, rustic crockery and pressed glass to create an eclectic country-kitchen look.

 

roomenvy - autumnal country kitchen

 

Snuggle up by the fire with a cosy chair and punchy floral upholstery and soft furnishings.

 

roomenvy - cosy living room fireplace

 

 

roomenvy - harvest festival dining room

 

Grey painted bedroom furniture works beautifully with bedlinen in subtle floral fabrics.

 

roomenvy - autumn bedroom design

 

 

roomenvy - country-style laundry room

 

Laundry room storage ideas

Who knew laundry could be so … well … funky? I’m not the first to put the words ‘laundry’ and ‘chic’ in the same sentence, but I LOVE these ideas to get instant ‘laundry room chic‘ as well as clearing away your clutter.

Check out Livingetc Style Director Harriet Patterson’s top tips! It’ll make you long to do your washing… well… almost.

Property tips and advice

There were plenty of ways I dreamed of being greeted after my long journey home from holiday – a nice cup of tea? Great. A glass of wine? Even better. My ceiling caving in? Hmmm, not ideal.

Needless to say, I’m on the hunt for some serious property advice, and for the sake of my skull, some moving tips.

I’m going to be joining in Housetohome’s property webchat this (24th September) lunchtime at 1pm with Reallymoving.com‘s Rosie Rogers, where I hope I’ll get some answers to my growing list of questions. Hopefully see you there! (Oooh, you can register on the site and they’ll send you an email reminder so you won’t miss out… handy when you’re busy dodging pieces of plaster!)

roomenvy - property advice from Reallymoving.com