This has to be the most drawn out room pimp ever – and the changes weren't even that dramatic. But it's done, and our sleep space now feels calmer, zenner and softer underfoot.
Here's how it looked before:
Showing posts with label bedrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bedrooms. Show all posts
I'm dreaming of a zen bedroom
This has to be the most drawn out room pimp ever – and the changes weren't even that dramatic. But it's done, and our sleep space now feels calmer, zenner and softer underfoot.
Here's how it looked before:
A calming bedroom colour combination
How beautiful is this blue and mustard/gold bedroom? The downlit wall really adds drama and the illusion of different layers – making a flat wall an interesting canvas, even before the art gets hung.
And on the idea of texture, I love how there are so many on show here: the velvet of that elegant golden bed, the gentle sheen of leather armchair, the burnished metal wall-lamps, soft linen bedding and a nicely battered chest of drawers. This is a textbook example of one easy way to create a welcoming space.
Blue can be a great, calming colour for a bedroom – unlike hot shades that can fire you up, not great if you're prone to waking up at 3am and frantically compiling to-do lists (like me). And I love how this dark shade (I'm thinking Blue Denim or Teal Tension, though the right colour will of course depend on how the light hits your wall) is cosy rather than cool. And the bold shade gives it a grown-up, elegant edge, too. Strong colours, well-combined, show confidence.
This room or, rather, room set, was on display at Grand Designs Live last week, and served as a relaunch for the interior consultation service that the paint company offers. More of which another time. For now, here are some more rooms designed by the company full of ideas for other strong colour combinations.
Clockwise from top right
1. Proof that monochrome can be soft – and easily broken up with brights (here, in the books) without killing the two-colour statement. Again, texture comes into play: the (fantastic) lampshade is not solid, and the whites are not just one, dazzling block: the walls and woodwork are gently different, and the white-ish leather stool adds softness, as does the floor is off-white floor.
2. Grey and yellow is my current favourite collision of colours, and it works really well with monochrome too, for a fifties feel. The flash of turquoise on the headboard is brave – the wrong blue (like the one in the image directly below it) would look harsh against the yellow. But because teal is, essentially blue + yellow, a blend rather than a solid contrasting primary shade, it totally works.
3. Inky black is a great foil for vibrant shades, and lots of them all at once. Bright colours really leap out at you, with a super-dark backdrop like this (I've tried and tested it in my new office), and in a good rather than a head-ache way.
4. My granny, now 100 and a half, is the most elegant woman I know. I remember as a style-free, gonky teenager telling her I couldn't borrow her navy Guernsey jumper, even though I was cold, because it wouldn't go with some black thing or other I had on. "You can't wear navy and black!" I said with the boldness of ignorance. My grandmother shot out her catchphrase: "Don't be so stupid." And, of course, she was right.
And on the idea of texture, I love how there are so many on show here: the velvet of that elegant golden bed, the gentle sheen of leather armchair, the burnished metal wall-lamps, soft linen bedding and a nicely battered chest of drawers. This is a textbook example of one easy way to create a welcoming space.
This room or, rather, room set, was on display at Grand Designs Live last week, and served as a relaunch for the interior consultation service that the paint company offers. More of which another time. For now, here are some more rooms designed by the company full of ideas for other strong colour combinations.
1. Proof that monochrome can be soft – and easily broken up with brights (here, in the books) without killing the two-colour statement. Again, texture comes into play: the (fantastic) lampshade is not solid, and the whites are not just one, dazzling block: the walls and woodwork are gently different, and the white-ish leather stool adds softness, as does the floor is off-white floor.
2. Grey and yellow is my current favourite collision of colours, and it works really well with monochrome too, for a fifties feel. The flash of turquoise on the headboard is brave – the wrong blue (like the one in the image directly below it) would look harsh against the yellow. But because teal is, essentially blue + yellow, a blend rather than a solid contrasting primary shade, it totally works.
3. Inky black is a great foil for vibrant shades, and lots of them all at once. Bright colours really leap out at you, with a super-dark backdrop like this (I've tried and tested it in my new office), and in a good rather than a head-ache way.
4. My granny, now 100 and a half, is the most elegant woman I know. I remember as a style-free, gonky teenager telling her I couldn't borrow her navy Guernsey jumper, even though I was cold, because it wouldn't go with some black thing or other I had on. "You can't wear navy and black!" I said with the boldness of ignorance. My grandmother shot out her catchphrase: "Don't be so stupid." And, of course, she was right.
At home with...
The Peanut Vendors
Becky Nolan is one half of the couple behind one of my favourite shops, The Peanut Vendor. It is based in north London but the online version is just as exciting. And you can imagine that running such a stylish shop would equal a pretty special home.
So I asked Becky to share some snaps, which you can see below. It is a testament to how much you can do on a shoestring, and in a rented flat. Very inspiring indeed. Over to you, Becky…
So I asked Becky to share some snaps, which you can see below. It is a testament to how much you can do on a shoestring, and in a rented flat. Very inspiring indeed. Over to you, Becky…
Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop… I set up the vintage furniture shop The Peanut Vendor in 2008, with my partner Barnaby Read and we live together in Stoke Newington. We started the shop because we wanted to do something creative together and we've always loved finding old gems, whether it be furniture, records or clothes. The whole idea about The Peanut Vendor is that we don't focus on a particular period of design, so our tastes are constantly changing. We love seeing how items from the past can become so interesting looking really set the scene for a room.
Where do you live? We rented this flat back in 2009. We'd only been trading for about six months, so money was tight and we had to be "creative" with finding a place we could live in for a while. It's a second floor flat above an old Victorian shop, at the end of the road, on a nice street with a window in every room. It's always lovely and light. But the flat was pretty disgusting when we viewed it: stained brown carpet, fitted 80s cupboards and brown walls. We negotiated the rent down in exchange for ripping everything out ourselves, re-painting and laying down flooring throughout. We also knocked down the stud wall in between the very small living room and the useless spare room, giving us a normal sized living room.
Describe your decorating style... We are constantly bringing interesting things home, some stay permanently and some go back to the shop. I definitely want our flat to feel lived in and cosy. We want there to be a mid-century sort of feel, which I think is reflected in the chairs we've chosen and our sofa (we're still searching for the perfect arm chair). But we don't want to live in a house that is entirely dedicated to one period.
Show us some of your favourite things...
We adore these chairs that this very cool elderly couple came in to the shop and sold us. When we told them that we were going to keep them for ourselves, they were over the moon. The leather on the seat is very worn now, but when it finally goes, it'll be fun to restore them again.
The little blue lamp! It is tiny but so perfect in every way. The base is polished marble and the enamel, turquoise blue, champagne-style shade is so dainty. I haven't seen anything like it since we got it.
It's hard to see, but we replaced every single brass door handle with 1930s Bakelite door knobs and all the ceiling lights with traditional fabric covered cable. It's the little things that matter.
Where do you like shopping to find all this lovely stuff – and what else inspires you? Love the Historic Lighting company. We got large bulbs from here and brass fittings for our living room. When we went to Paris, we were so excited to visit Deyrolle, an amazing Taxidermy shop. The entomology room is incredible. You can choose a box and spend hours deciding what to put in it. The Geffreye Museum is down the road from us in Dalston. Every room has a different set up, going through the periods. It's fantastic inspiration and we like to copy their Christmas decorations too.
GET THE PEANUT VENDOR LOOK
Taxidermy bird £125; 50s floral bolster cushion £25; Travel blankets (underneath), £25 each; WW1 first aid poster £100; Stackable vintage stools £65 each; Industrial-style hook rack £85
Buy filament light bulbs, £13 and fabric electrical cable, in various colours, £3.75 per metre from Historic Lighting
H&M Home's super affordable summer range
Earlier this week, Gaelle Monin gave us a tour of her stylish home.
And a couple of the lovely things in it were – I was surprised to discover – from H&M. So I thought I'd check out what else their summer range, below, had on the go. And it's all rather gorgeous (and bargain-ous to boot).
Here are some of my favourite picks...
Florals
Mismatched florals is a big look in fashion right now – so why not go catwalk at home, too? Love all these strong, cheery, summery colours. Makes me want to go and do some gardening...if only it'd stop raining.
1. Shower curtain, £14.99
2. Single duvet cover set in cotton, £7.99, reduced from £14.99
3. Doormat, £14.99 (50x80 cm)
4. Cushion cover in cotton satin reduced to £3.99
Monochromes
I do love a good flash of black – it's a very anchoring colour that can really pull a room together. These two-tone graphics could look rather cool clashing with some of the florals above. Would need some care choosing the right clash though, or it could just lead to a headache.
1. Cushion cover, 50x50cm, down from £7.99 to £5.99.
2. Shower towel (in background), £12.99. Very Missoni.
3. 'Guest' towel (comes in a two-pack), £6.99
4. Storage bag, £2.99
5. Cushion cover, 50x50cm, £12.99
6. Organic cotton tea-towel with 50s-style print, £3.49
There is heaps more luscious, and lusciously affordable stuff in the H&M online store too. I must put that credit card away now...
And a couple of the lovely things in it were – I was surprised to discover – from H&M. So I thought I'd check out what else their summer range, below, had on the go. And it's all rather gorgeous (and bargain-ous to boot).
 |
| What a pretty way to picnic. Find these pretty products and more at the H&M Home website |
Here are some of my favourite picks...
Mismatched florals is a big look in fashion right now – so why not go catwalk at home, too? Love all these strong, cheery, summery colours. Makes me want to go and do some gardening...if only it'd stop raining.
1. Shower curtain, £14.99
2. Single duvet cover set in cotton, £7.99, reduced from £14.99
3. Doormat, £14.99 (50x80 cm)
4. Cushion cover in cotton satin reduced to £3.99
 |
| Love those black metal shelves. Not, sadly, from H&M Home – but the vegetable-themed linens all are |
I do love a good flash of black – it's a very anchoring colour that can really pull a room together. These two-tone graphics could look rather cool clashing with some of the florals above. Would need some care choosing the right clash though, or it could just lead to a headache.
1. Cushion cover, 50x50cm, down from £7.99 to £5.99.
2. Shower towel (in background), £12.99. Very Missoni.
3. 'Guest' towel (comes in a two-pack), £6.99
4. Storage bag, £2.99
5. Cushion cover, 50x50cm, £12.99
6. Organic cotton tea-towel with 50s-style print, £3.49
There is heaps more luscious, and lusciously affordable stuff in the H&M online store too. I must put that credit card away now...
Introducing... Gaelle Monin and her lovely home
The stylish Gaelle Monin and I e-bonded over a shared love of Bjorn Wiinblad ceramics (see below). I featured a wall plaque (from the wonderful Pip's Trip on the blog a while back and Gaelle dropped me a line to say she was watching a couple on eBay – and, by the way, "nice blog". Which is always great to hear.
So I was delighted when, a couple of months after that email, Gaelle got back in touch to say she'd started her own blog, Nice Day 4 A Sulk (in case you don't recognise the reference, it's lyrics from a Belle and Sebastian song). The blog shares her discoveries of loveable stuff she comes across, as well as snaps of her new and gorgeous done-on-a-budget home as she continues to decorate it. I've loved watching her chart her progress, and so asked her to share photos of and words about some of her finished corners and rooms here (and keep reading for her shopping tips, below).
I love clever details like the unexpected kitchen-style clock in the bathroom, clashy bedclothes and artfully positioned framed pictures. And I really now want some Papier d’Arménie!
Sitting room The high ceilings make the whole wall-dressing task very tricky. With daunting surfaces of white walls to fill, I have to be thankful to Ikea for selling such cheap frames. The ‘art’ was purchased from my comfortable couch, via Spineless Classics, A Little Bit of Art and Folksy. Her swish pendant lampshade is – gasp – from B&Q. Sadly they don't sell them anymore but this bamboo shade isn't a bad match – Kate.
Reading room (left) I’m cheating here. This is really a corner of my living room, so I should call it the reading ‘area’. My obsession for order turned these shelves into a meticulously organised library. From the bottom up: cooking shelf, art and French shelf, and Murakami and African literature shelf (and nearly out of the shot, my boyfriend’s comics’ shelf).
Bathroom Despite owning a £14.99 Argos drill, I am not one for DIY (and nor is my boyfriend). We were therefore very lucky to find a flat that had just been refurbished from top to bottom. The downside is that our bathroom does look like a hotel bathroom. This corner of the room is my attempt to ‘shabby it up’ a bit...
Bedroom A lick of paint and a few mismatching brass and ceramic knobs from eBay transformed this old Argos chest of drawers from my student days. Et voilà! And Bombay Duck has an inspiring selection of interesting new knobs too – Kate
Stove This stove is probably my main reason for wanting the flat so much. And when it’s not burning during milder months, I use a "firewood" scented candle from Henri Bendel to pretend I still have a fire going.
Shopping: A few of Gaelle's favourite things
(From left to right) Aluminium stag hook Another impulse of mine: hooks. I want them everywhere. This one is particularly Christmassy, but I like it up all year-round on my bedroom door. £9.95, Graham & Green; Invisible metal bookshelf The perfect solution for growing piles of books by the bedside: these invisible shelves seamlessly float above our bed and carry the mess that would otherwise clutter our small bedside tables. £14.50, Amazon; Papier d’Arménie The oldest, greenest and cheapest of home fragrances, it reminds me of my childhood in France. £2.50, Labour & Wait
Linen box I have recently developed a worrying obsession for old-fashioned linens. What better place to store them but in this French-style wooden box? £29, Caravan nb. not available online. (Left) huckaback linen bath towel: £17.99, LinenMe, (right) linen table runner: £7.99, H&M Home.
Retro style clip lamp I wish I could buy all the different colours available in this range and change them to match the seasons, or my mood. To please the banker, I settled for a sophisticated grey. £34.99, Kidsen
So I was delighted when, a couple of months after that email, Gaelle got back in touch to say she'd started her own blog, Nice Day 4 A Sulk (in case you don't recognise the reference, it's lyrics from a Belle and Sebastian song). The blog shares her discoveries of loveable stuff she comes across, as well as snaps of her new and gorgeous done-on-a-budget home as she continues to decorate it. I've loved watching her chart her progress, and so asked her to share photos of and words about some of her finished corners and rooms here (and keep reading for her shopping tips, below).
I love clever details like the unexpected kitchen-style clock in the bathroom, clashy bedclothes and artfully positioned framed pictures. And I really now want some Papier d’Arménie!
Reading room (left) I’m cheating here. This is really a corner of my living room, so I should call it the reading ‘area’. My obsession for order turned these shelves into a meticulously organised library. From the bottom up: cooking shelf, art and French shelf, and Murakami and African literature shelf (and nearly out of the shot, my boyfriend’s comics’ shelf).
Bathroom Despite owning a £14.99 Argos drill, I am not one for DIY (and nor is my boyfriend). We were therefore very lucky to find a flat that had just been refurbished from top to bottom. The downside is that our bathroom does look like a hotel bathroom. This corner of the room is my attempt to ‘shabby it up’ a bit...
Shopping: A few of Gaelle's favourite things
(From left to right) Aluminium stag hook Another impulse of mine: hooks. I want them everywhere. This one is particularly Christmassy, but I like it up all year-round on my bedroom door. £9.95, Graham & Green; Invisible metal bookshelf The perfect solution for growing piles of books by the bedside: these invisible shelves seamlessly float above our bed and carry the mess that would otherwise clutter our small bedside tables. £14.50, Amazon; Papier d’Arménie The oldest, greenest and cheapest of home fragrances, it reminds me of my childhood in France. £2.50, Labour & Wait
Inspiration from the tropics
But now I'm back in Blighty, to gorgeous (not to mention tan-sustaining) weather, feeling refreshed, renewed and full of inspiration.
Meanwhile, here are some nice jungle-y, planty, flowery things you don't even need a garden for...
1. Cotton Kaveri bedding, designed by artist Rebekah Maysles, who was inspired by a trip to the south of India. Anthropologie, from £38
2. This luscious Green Flower Oilcloth, is one of the new designs at Viva La Frida. Big, bold flowers (the largest white flower measures 20cm square), and just £12 per square metre. Use it as a tablecloth to bring the tropics into your kitchen, or stretch it like a canvas and hang it on a wall. I think it'd look great in a bathroom.
3. This pretty vintage garden print, from The OK Corral is far from tropical – instead it's packed with bluebells. Very English. And very lovely. The artist is Beatrice Parsons (1860-1955) and this 24.5cm x 32cm painting, in its original wooden frame, is a snip at just £12.
4. Good old B&Q. I really like this environmentally friendly wallpaper, which is printed on 100% FSC paper using water based inks. It'd look lovely livening up a wall in a hall or along a staircase, I think. Best of all, it's just £12.98 per 10m roll. (And look out for this wallpaper in next Sunday's green-themed Insider column in the New Review. This week's, in case you're interested, is all about how to pimp your stairs.)
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