Various ways with walls

You see this in France quite a lot,  sweet little dimly lit cafes with small mirrors tacked to the wall in a hodge podge fashion.

Infact I think Anthropolges may have picked up on the trend and done something very similar (or else I dreamt that they did) not only do I live interiors I dream interiors – sad hey!.  Anyway my point being  adorning walls with stuff  from photos to mirrors to art is a fabulous  thing. I see so many empty plain walls it almost brings me out in a rash its so so dull.  You don’t have to go overboard, infact if the whole  art/mirror thing scares you consider a shelf.The shelf pictured above is pretty basic and by painting it out the same colour as the walls the accessories do the talking and add the interest not the shelf.

I am pretty obsessed with this Ikea shelf as seen in my sister’s pad:

Have one at home and infact have just brought another for my hallway. As usual its caused  a few heated arguments as my husband feels  our hallway is relatively large  for a Victorian house so adding a shelf would turn it into a narrow corridor. To explain further I recently took a big old console from the store and have positioned this on the oppostite wall. So coupled with the Ikea shelf  it will considerably narrow the space. Who cares I would rather a narrow eclectic hallway than a vast wide empty space. Another point whenever anyone comes to either my sister’s house or my own nobody can believe the shelf is from Ikea as it looks like some Italian  B&B job. The key is in the accessories if you put some fab art be it a print, sculpture, heap of books, letters or whatever you create a story,  a narrative  if you like which  adds instant flair to your lair. I guess it’s a bit like pairing a Top Shop skirt with a beautiful vintage jacket. Its all in the mix as they say

In Style In Turkey

Better late than never as they say had every intention of penning this at 7am and then who knows where the morning has gone. As I am always banging on about other people’s pads  thought maybe it was time to take you on a mini tour  of my very own . Mel Yates shot the pictures (thank you Mel for  InStyle Turkey) which is hugely exciting. Also another thank you to British Elle Decoration who referred to me as an “interiors Queen” in their latest issue. I have always always wanted to be queen so thrilled by the quote!

Down to business below are Maud and myself hanging out in our winter living room. Sounds grand but its not its just the cosiest room for snuggling when the nights draw in. All walls are of course painted Farrow & Ball downpipe, an anthropology rug skims the floor and faux flowers fill every little nook and cranny.

This room opens out into my office/library which in turn overlooks the garden which is pretty fabulous in Summer. As I was saying yesterday I think home offices should very much reflect the rest of your space which I think mine kind of does. Miss Matilda (African statue) who hangs out in the right hand corner was purchased when we lived in the States. Maud attacks her now and again for who knows what reason – I think she is a tad jealous of her hair.

This little guy used to live in Blackpool amusement park and now resides on my balcony. Twice he has flung himself off (cant think why) so is now tightly secured. He doubles up as a light so illuminates the space at dusk with the softest glow.

My dog lights are everywhere from the entrance way to the loo I am sadly obsessed. A tiny teeny detail of my shelves nothing fancy just books, cards and other bits and bobs.

Moving along to the hallway this console ( impatiently I needed a console immediately so chopped some legs off a table, brought an Ikea shelf and sprayed the whole thing brightest red – all done in a day if I say so myself) no longer lives here. It has moved now to the living area as as fickle as I am I have now painted the hall deepest darkest black, brought (opps took) a new fabulous console from the store and have littered the walls with art. Hey ho!

Now we move downstairs to the heart of the home and my reading/tv nook. The leather chair is Maud’s and Maud’s only its covered in a cheap old throw because she loves to eat the leather – infact shes taken out both arms much to my horror.

Now to the dining area – there are working fires on every floor so in winter there is always one burning in the grate day or night (sustanable or fallen wood I should add). The chesterfield begins the tv area which we brought  at auction even though we had the hugest domestic during the bargaining (Graham wanted to pay I cant even remember £2 of something crazy) . And that pretty much sums it up – dark dark walls, oodles of lights and surrounded with stuff that we love x

Getting organised

Many of us work from home so why may I ask is the so called ‘home office’ often times one of the most neglected spaces. Now I admit I am a design nut and obsessive I can’t even  function if the wrong light is turned on at the wrong time (probably shouldn’t have shared that) but for me in order to be productive, creative and efficient I have to be in a beautifully designed space. Rugs skimming the floor, scented candles and flowers on the desk, heaps of books – personal stuff that makes me happy as well as all the practical set up which helps me stay organised. My office looks through into our winter living room so its fundamental that it doesn’t look and feel anything like an office – instead I’ve designed it to feel like a library slash gents club. So a tweed velvet chairs hangs out next to the fireplace, a zeebra (faux) rug skims the rug and a floor to ceiling book case holds zillions of mags and interior books which in turn hide all that horrid office stuff – faxes, printers and so on.

Two offices below have totally nailed it in my opinion in being creative yet also practical.

I adore mood boards on walls I don’t have one but am sorely tempted. Its a fab way of adding personality to a wall particularly an office space without spending a ton of money.

You can turn the smallest of spaces into an office – how cute is this. In both of these spaces its the personal items and accessories that create the interest, distract the eye from the officey stuff and are pretty darn fabulous.

 

Hollywood Regency on a buget

Firstly apologises for lack of consistency last week – it was a pretty crazy one. Hopefully I am  now back on track and what better way to start the week than yabbering about  Hollywood Regency done on the cheap.

Yes it is possible and   the proof as they say is always in the pudding  – check out the West Village home of art curator David Kaiser. With the help of interior designer Miles Redd they have to quote ‘turned a sow’s ear into a silk purse’. The trick is thinking out of the box – scouting out flea market finds and then respraying re working and reupholstering.  In so doing they have created a utterly unique space with some trail blazing shots of colour, texture and a highly personal collection of art.

This room has what Redd calls comic book glamour and whilst it’s not totally my cup of tea it’s an exciting space. If you are worried about using bold blasts of colour then take inspiration from this pad – how fabulous do the doors look painted out in high voltage hues.

 

Decorating with panache the blue chest is the star of the show, glamorous without being over the top it gives a classic yet fashion forward feel. When it comes to decorating there are no rules follow your heart, experiment a little and before you know it you will be propelling your pad into the design pages of glossy magazines.

Preppy New York style meets modern glamour

Apologises for lack of posts these last few days Christmas deliveries are arriving by the truckload and it’s rather over whelming but  in a good way. Oh and an update on my black hallway its looking beautiful but not finished. The plan to paint it out in a day was beyond optimistic with ceilings as high as who knows what and tons of intricate moulding to  paint it seems to have gone on forever.

So now for some inspirational stuff.  Recently I came across the home of Andy and Kate Spade as am sure you all know are a hugely talented design couple What is so refreshing about their space is their playful use of colour their love for art and the fabulous smattering of vintage pieces that give their space instant personality.Every inch of wall spare has art on it – a beautifully curated collection and the hodge podge ness of it makes ii even more alluring in my book. It feels preppy and yet I love it – lived in and loved a term I use way to often is how a home should feel. Surround yourself with stuff you love and you can forgot ever wanting to pop a Prozac – works for me xx

It takes some bravery to paint your walls  red – a colour I tend to fear unless its in small doses but I must say it works beautifully I am inspired.

When art is hung casually upon a wall you will find that your space feels far more laid back and fabulous than if it was hung gallery style

Another beautiful colour combination – teal coupled with saffron – just beautiful