Last post of the year from me and then a week off to recharge and work on all sorts of exciting projects. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who reads the blog and visits our stores and want to wish you all a very happy new year.

The latest issue of Grazia has just hit the newstands featuring my house decorated for the hols – so also a big thank you to Grazia the photographs look beautiful! Photographs taken by the fabulous Damien Russel.

Nigel Slater writes in such a way that you just want to move in with him ” there are church candles flickering in the fireplace, strings of ivy on the mantle and quinces in the fruit bowl. The tree is a picture, with its strings of white lights and old fashioned glass decorations. All the house needs now is the smell of mince pies  baking’. Wonderful I want to come round now – stuff thoughts of sunnier climes and swimming in a warm sea – winter is a beautiful season!

Haven’t finished decorating the house yet its been so frantic, still need to buy a couple more Christmas trees for the house so will  leave you with these two images of some simple yet beautiful creations from Martha Stewart, just in case you like me are a bit behind schedule.. Its hard to get the balance right between simple and  over the top but these two cut the mustard I think. The best bit that intoxicating smell of pine when you walk through the door – now I just need to bake some mince pies and hey ho suddenly I know longer need to move in with Nigel!

One of my new years resolutions  apart from (gym 2 hours a day, sit ups 1000 times a day – coffee down to 2 cups, wine – twice a week – yikes) is to start collecting photography. Having been a stylist for many years and hanging around photogs I have always loved the medium of photography and when peppered with art think it creates a really interesting collection.

I fell head over heels in love with the art in Val Garland’s pad (not only does she live in uber cool Borough market which I must digress to mention looks so fabulous at this time of year) but her art includes a fabulous amount of quirky photography.  One image in particular stole my heart , its by the photograph Zanna whose work I adore and its called Red Lips – image below. Sensual, playful and beyond fabulous  this would look so cool above my new chair! Hey ho – as the rolling stones once sung ‘ you can’t always get what you want” – never has a truer word been spoken.

I have just started to collect the work by the fabulous French photographer-JR image below. JR spent time in both Israel and Palestine and rather than focusing on the ever present divide highlighted fundamental human emotions. Israelis and Palestinians doing the same job – such as taxi drivers, teachers and cooks – crying, laughing, shouting and making faces demonstrating that art and laughter can challenge stereotypes.

With four days to go (yikes) if you are short of a bit of inspiration for how to create some flair for your lair  for the holiday season check out the Times (see link) for some expert tips. They very sweetly included my ideas so thank you to the Times.

The Times – Design tips

Maudie and I have taken to thinking Father Christmas isn’t in too generous a mood – we sense he is feeling a little over worked poor thing so we have taken the matter into our own hands and have brought – Ta Da:

This is the showroom shot so ignore the cushion -  its 1930’s,  covered in tweed and velvet and you can’t see the buttons but they are fabulous! And yes we know that it was a bit of a splurge but we will love this chair until we are at least 90 and if it means we can’t eat for the whole month of January who cares!

Happy holidays

Late late late today – the snow didn’t fall in London as predicted instead it fell in the burbs – my sister has 15cm very jealous! Maud and I are having some together time we are off to Hyde Park for a potter and then to Anthropologie for last minute Christmas gifts. The week before last I brought the most beautiful rug from Anthrop for my upstairs living area – image below. I love their boho, eclectic vibe and the way they merchandise their stores its inspiration to all us store owners. No excuses  stores like our homes should tantalise and intrigue.

Was also tempted to buy the sheep but though that might be taking it a bit too far. Cool though hey!

Here’s the thing Christmas is nearly upon us and evenings are getting darker earlier and earlier, am I alone in loving this fact? I love it I absolutely love it – homes look snug and cosy and inviting although I must say on taking Maud for a late afternoon walk yesterday and peering in as I do at all the neighbourhood homes I was aghast to see just how many pads had that dreaded (I shall type this super fast so we don’t all gasp and kill ourselves) that dreaded repeat dreaded single pendant light thing going on with nothing else. Flat, dull, miserable light casting a deadly glow  – I was tempted to knock at some of them but refrained myself you will be glad to here!

Lighting changes spaces so radically you just need to have a lot and then you create  little pockets of glow which in turn adds  intrigue and atmosphere to a room. Oh well I can only bang on about it for so long and I do realise I can’t change the world  until I become PM. Then I can outlaw such practices and send people to jail! In the meantime two images from the fabulous photographer Hugh Stewart of two restaurant scenes. If you are ever stuck for lighting ideas always check out a good bistro or pub where the lighting is often times bang on trend. Atmospheric, cosy, intimate  – you enter and you immediately get that feeling of squishy contentment. That’s what we want from our homes – a magical squishy contended feeling the minute we walk through the door. A bit like having a double shot of whisky I’m thinking.

This image makes me think of Paris all those tiny little dark bistros tucked down cobbled streets beautifully lit and just begging you to come in. Going to be in Paris in a few weeks time cannot wait!

Love the yellowy light even though  you can’t make out the light fixtures it just shouts warmth.

Late start today my apologises  Maud and I totally overslept. Little Maud has been to school 2 days running which has exhausted her (she has been playing all day long with her new best puppy friend who happens to belong to one of the band members of the Kaiser Chiefs) – new she would be a rock chic groupie!

Now I can’t believe I am saying this but this Christmas I am faking it a bit with flowers and foliage. Never before a fan of the fake stuff I have utterly changed my mind. Of course you don’t get that wonderous smell with faux but then mixing both I think is the answer. In Paris in September we came across the most wonderous displays of mistletoe, red berries, bark and bunches and bunches of hydrangers. The hydrangers we are supposed to be selling in the store but I have sneaked bunches of them home and housed them in oversized gold tea cups (very Alice in Wonderland) all over the house and I have to say every time I walk through the door they take my breath away.

I noticed that Rita Konig has done an amazing job at the Waverly Inn in New York with fake foliage – image below and whilst I haven’t started to decorate the house yet for Christmas she has inspired me to do so this very day. Happy holidays!

It is the craziest week of the year so far so please bear with me on posting this week. I have been filming for Mary Portas’s new programme to air in the Spring (beyond flattered to take part in the programme and Mary is so so fabulous). Have had photographic teams in the house each day shooting it and have a whole host of interviews also this week  for magazines in Dubai, Australia and Spain – yikes! On top of all that the store as well as our concession at Bluebird is beyond busy. So I leave you with a very calming image of a space that mixes old and new so beautifully. Its in Italy of course land of the super stylish:

Oh to plonk in the sofa with a cuppa and a heap of mags – I can dream I guess!

I am pretty crazy about Autoban a design practice in Istanbul who also produce an eclectic, highly individual collection of products. Their interiors are to die for – have posted a few below and they are masters at combining textures, periods and scale. For me whenever I am feeling stuck on a project I look at their website and feel inspired – wouldn’t mind having a studio in Istanbul either, on hand hot thick turkish coffee and a potter around the souks heavenly. Now I must dash late already having been surfing the web for yonks trying to find some music I heard at Bluebird which was incredible – think it was something Karl Lagerfield put together and want want want for the weekend. On that note happy weekend x

Inspired – I am!

It is the most beautiful day in London – sunny, crisp with the scent of the earth heavy in the air. Maud and I have just come back from a long walk in the park. On my way back picked up the latest copy of Elle Decoration magazine  who I must thank for writing such a lovely review of our concession at the Shop at Bluebird under the heading the best places to shop on the highstreet and on line. The little feature is below along with the figurines that Elle Dec have put on the top of their gift list. I must say they are a firm favourite of mine – we shipped at whole host of them out to Miami for one of the most fabulous projects I have worked on (I accessorised one of the largest spa’s to hit America called Eau Spa for the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach). Here is a little selection of them plus the review oh and happy birthday Mr Russell Lewis – love you dearly x

Picture of Bluebird above – one of most beautiful stores on earth if I say so myself!

Some images of our concrete figurines which are selling like hot cakes