Category Archives: Interior

Sun, Sea and … Shopping!

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Holidaying in Sweden in August is always slightly risky weather-wise. It was with some trepidation that we decided to return to the same place in Southern Sweden where we spent our summer vacation two years ago. While the scenery is stunning and the house is a stone’s throw from the beach, the summer of 2011 was truly awful and (I kid you not) we had only one day of sunshine. The rest of the time howling winds, rain and temperatures of 15c meant that we were forced to make excursions to museums, indoor play centres and the cinema which, although enjoyable, is not exactly what you want to be doing in the middle of August.
Last year we were desperate for sunshine so we booked a holiday to Mallorca where we would be guaranteed some decent weather. But I do love the Swedish summer (when it doesn’t rain) and it’s important to us that our children feel at home in the country that is a big part of their heritage so we decided to bite the bullet and give it another go this year.

So far we’ve been lucky, with sunny mornings enabling us to swim in the sea and play on the beach until lunchtime. The afternoons have been more mixed but at least we have been able to do outdoor activities like mini golf and I’ve also ticked off a few of the shopping trips on my list. Updating the autumn wardrobe will have to wait until we’re back in the UK, but the interior shops here are amazing and any spare room in the car is filling up fast. At the moment all new purchases are wrapped securely to withstand the return journey so pictures will follow when I’m back home.

Hope you’re all having a great summer! X
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Let there be light

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Lanterns Collage

When we get back from our holiday it will only be a matter of weeks before autumn is upon us. Hopefully there are still plenty of warm days ahead but as the evenings get darker, these lanterns from Nordic House will add a soft, romantic glow inside or outside.

In the picture: Big stainless steel lanterns from £135; Nautical hurricane lamps from £26.95; Numbered glass hurricanes from £19.95,; White willow hurricane £29.95.

About the return of the heatwave and the trauma of a leaking pipe…

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From this…

Wearing our wellies to take the boys to tennis camp on Tuesday

Wearing our wellies to take the boys to tennis camp on Tuesday

to this in just a couple of days:

Cooling down with some water play

Cooling down with some water play

Seeking shade in the playhouse at the bottom of the garden

Seeking shade in the playhouse at the bottom of the garden

Today saw the return of the heatwave after a few days of rain and thank goodness for that! At least Clemmie and I can spend time in the garden as our house is taken over by builders and covered in dust and debris. And there won’t even be a lovely shiny new kitchen or extension at the end of it, as they’re here to fix a leaking pipe buried deep in the wall of our downstairs cloakroom.

We need to get it fixed before we go on holiday as the consequences if it ruptured even more while we were away do not bear thinking about. Once the leak has been repaired all the walls and the ceiling have to dry out which will necessitate moving our fridge freezer and two large kitchen cupboards into the dining area (as that wall backs onto the cloakroom) which is not ideal when you have three kids and an already cramped kitchen…

But every cloud, as they say, has a silver lining. At least the downstairs loo was on the list of rooms we hadn’t decorated since moving here six years ago, so I’m trying very hard to see this as an opportunity to replace the wood-effect laminate floor and pink walls with something more tasteful.

From this…

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to something like this in a couple of months if we’re lucky

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If money was no object…

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…my dream home would be furnished with these items.

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Furniture Collage

Vivienne Westwood Squiggles rug

Louis Ghost chair by Philippe Starck

Super Elliptical table by Fritz Hansen

Eames rocking chair and Liv tulle lamp by Jonas Bohlin;

 

All pictures from my Pintrest board My Dream Abode

Growing up fast – Boys’ bedroom ideas

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I’m sure I’m not the only mum who feels like this, but sometimes I look at my first-born and I can’t help but wonder where the years have gone. Is it really a decade since I struggled into work, heavily pregnant in the heatwave of 2003, excited but also a little bit scared at the prospect of becoming a mum?

This autumn he turns ten and there are already a few signs of pre-teen behaviour lurking in the shadows. Moodiness, yes, and a burgeoning desire for time alone to listen to music, read or just stare into space (preparing for all those hours of teenage angst no doubt!) but also a growing maturity that seems to manifest itself in a more caring and considerate approach to those around him (with the possible exception of his little brother!).

On a more practical level, he is definitely starting to outgrow his pirate-themed bedroom decor and we have started to look at different ideas in magazines and on Pintrest with a view to redecorating his room after the summer. He’s keen on a feature wall with graffiti wallpaper to offset an otherwise neutral colour scheme with white walls and wooden floor boards. On the whole, I would like to make sure that it is a room that will last him for quite a few years and can easily be updated by changing a few details like cushions, rugs and art work (or more likely, posters tacked on to the walls!).

Here is a selection of what we have found so far:

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All images from my Pintrest board Boys’ Bedrooms (link)

A Room of One’s Own: Inspirational Workspaces

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One of the (very minor) sacrifices we had to make when we had a third baby was to give up our home office and turn it into a nursery. I know we’re very lucky to have the space that we do, and we could have put the boys into the same bedroom but we decided that would be a surefire route to even less sleep.

While I do have a desk in my bedroom, I would love to one day have a separate workspace again. Not least so that we would have somewhere to keep our books and all the files containing important documents and other things I want to hold on to, like school reports and the children’s art work. As we only have one small bookcase at the moment, we have to be really ruthless about which books we keep – paperbacks go straight to the charity shop once we’ve read them and I try to borrow books from the library rather than buy new ones. Other essentials in my dream office would be a nice big desk and a large noticeboard for  inspirational pictures and important memos.

Here are some lovely images of inspirational home offices from a board I just started following on Pintrest called My Future Home (find it here) I love the first picture and I think my ideal office space would incorporate elements from the top four images. Which one is your favourite?

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I’m dreaming of a white kitchen…

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Lately, a number of conversations with my husband have started with the words “when we do the kitchen extension..” Well, I say conversations but after about five minutes I can see his eyes glaze over as he tries to work out how long he has feign interest before returning to whatever he was doing. While we are both in agreement that we need to sort out our impractical kitchen and conservatory dining area (freezing cold in the winter and boiling hot in the summer – the children have been known to wear sunhats while eating breakfast!) we have decided to put the extension plans on hold for another year until our youngest starts school. For me this means that we have a full 14 months to really plan the perfect kitchen. My husband, on the other hand, does not share my enthusiasm for long term planning and has no doubt filed away the kitchen extension in the section of his mind that says “things to be discussed in a year’s time”.

So while I am waiting for September 2014 to come round I thought I’d share some of the inspirational pictures I have found so far. As it’s early days, the details of what we (read I) want are still sketchy but definitely gleaming white units and a large central island where we can all eat breakfast and the kids can sit and do their homework while I prepare dinner. And, of course, in my new white kitchen the surfaces will always be sparkling and free of clutter while I will be the sort of unfrazzled cook who never burns anything or panics when more than two pots are involved…

See more inspirational images on my Pintrest board  ‘My Dream Kitchen’

Bring some Nordic style to your home

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I love my coffee mugs and lanterns in white & taupe from Nordic House

I love my coffee mugs and lanterns in white & taupe from Nordic House

One of my favourite online shops for home accessories is Nordic House. I love their simple but stylish Scandinavian inspired pieces, from candle holders and lanterns to cushions and tableware. I bought a set of  three rustic looking lanterns earlier in the year and they look equally great in the garden for al fresco dinners and indoors where add a cosy vibe when the evenings get darker. The white and taupe mugs are another great buy that always attract lots of compliments when friends come around for a cup of tea or coffee. At the moment Nordic House has a Sale with up to 50% off so it’s a good time to grab yourself a bargain. Here’s a selection of my favourites:

Clockwise from top left: Pierced Tealight holders now £3.57 for medium and £4.77 for large; Bamboo tray now £29.96; Summer Hurricane Lanterns now £6.48 for a set of three; Vintage Graphite Love Cushion now £17.97

Clockwise from top left: Pierced Tealight Holders now £3.57 for medium and £4.77 for large; Bamboo Tray now £29.96; Summer Hurricane Lanterns now £6.48 for a set of three; Vintage Graphite Love Cushion now £17.97

Ikea – love it or loathe it?

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Guess what I'm doing tonight?

Guess what I’m doing tonight?

It’s only a four letter word but the mere mention of it has been known to cause great divisions and extreme emotions in our household. I am of course talking about Ikea, that blue and yellow temple of Swedish practicality and self-assembly. The thought of going there fills me with excitement and anticipation while my husband approaches the trip to Croydon’s finest industrial estate with nothing but dread.

I love going through the catalogue and marking out the things I want to buy while he breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of battling the crowds and then having to spend several hours assembling all the furniture I’ve bought. I do sometimes try to help out but as I’m not remotely practical the best strategy is usually to stay out of his way unless it’s to offer a G&T or two.

In any case, with both boys away at Scouts camp this weekend and the grandparents kindly offering to look after the girl, a trip to the aforementioned store is planned for this Saturday. I have been busy drawing up a long list of everything I can think of, from a desk for our eldest, a new rug for the sitting room and bedside lamps to wine glasses, baking trays and picture frames. And let’s not forget the napkins and tea lights – no self-respecting Swede would venture into Ikea without stocking up on these.

Going off-list is strictly forbidden as my husband likes to plan the route around the store, pile everything into the trolley and get out as quickly as possible. Much to his chagrin, the children seem to have inherited my love of Ikea even if they’re more enticed by the meatballs and the play area than the actual shopping.

But this weekend it is just the two of us and the other 300 people who have decided that there’s no better way to spend a Saturday than at Ikea. I, for one, can’t wait. Hopefully we will still be on speaking terms come Sunday!

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Bedroom makeover

Posted in Daily Musings, Interior by
Top row (l-r): Neisha Crosland Pollen wallpaper, Neisha Crosland Merlin wallpaper, Christian Lacroix Air de Paris wallpaper. Middle row: curtains from John Lewis, lamp base and shade from Ikea. Bottom row: Grey cushions from Heal's and white cushion from Day Home

Top row (l-r): Neisha Crosland Pollen wallpaper, Neisha Crosland Merlin wallpaper, Christian Lacroix Air de Paris wallpaper. Middle row: curtains from John Lewis, lamp base and shade from Ikea. Bottom row: Grey cushions from Heal’s and white cushion from Day Home

When we moved into our house just over five years ago we immediately started ripping out carpets, sanding floorboards and painting all the rooms. Funnily enough, deep red carpets paired with lilac or mustard coloured walls weren’t exactly to our taste…

Since then we haven’t done very much to the house apart from adding a laundry room and renovating the bathroom (as we only have one bathroom for five of us it takes quite a beating). The neutral colour palette and stripped wooden floors combo that we have chosen is easy to live with and can easily be updated by changing the curtains, cushions or furnishings. Another reason for not making any major changes is that we are hopefully planning an extension in the not too far future, creating a big open plan kitchen/living area downstairs and converting the loft into a master bedroom with en-suite. However, this is still at least another year down the line and lately I’ve found myself looking at interior magazines and Pintrest boards rather wistfully, wishing that I could incorporate some of the ideas into my own home.

It just so happens that last year we had a leak in our roof which, although it was fixed before Christmas, damaged the ceiling and wall in our bedroom (if you look closely at the picture below you can see the stain on the ceiling in the left hand corner, and the water has also seeped into the wall and marked the wallpaper). Well if you ask me it’s the perfect excuse to redecorate the bedroom and change the look. I still like having a feature wall in there (it’s the only one in the house) as I think it softens the room a bit. The wallpaper we have at the moment is by Neisha Crosland and I really love her designs, including the two in the picture above. I think a grey and white colour scheme would be nice and calm, possibly with a bit of soft pink or lilac thrown in to add a feminine touch. Meanwhile, I’ll carry on surfing the net looking for more inspiration to pin to my boards. The great thing about Pintrest is that you can create your moodboards, chop and change as you like and keep them all in one place. If you want to follow me on Pintrest please click here.

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