A Design For Life

As a Designer, sometimes inspiration just strikes and you cant help but run with it - todays board materialised from one of those moments!

I accidentally stumbled across the image of the beautiful sideboard I've featured whilst looking for something totally different. I pinned it instantly - knowing full well it was exactly the right partner for the equally epic West Elm sofa Id already earmarked a couple of weeks ago. With two strong pieces decided, the rest of the design just fell into place.

I'm aware that quite often anything related to 'interior design' tends to err towards the female of the species but, from both personal and professional experience, I know that blokes do have an opinion on it and the ones that go down that professional route are generally red hot at it! So here's one with the guys in mind,  A Design For Life.

I've used a few industrial touches to balance out the slick lines of the furniture. The saw-burnt reclaimed timber flooring, the distressed leather of the punch bag and the rough surface of the concrete planter give balance to the overall effect.

Often we think a look is determined via a 'colour scheme' but in this instance the design is held together through the repetitive use of 3 main materials - timber, leather and concrete.

Choose some statement art work that reflects your own taste and yes, despite being the nemesis of many a man, I actually went and added cushions.
They are Star Wars graphics though so I think I might just get away with it!

Sources & links (clockwise from top left)

Concrete & Brass Lamp from Graham & Green

Double Trouble Canvas by Bitten London

Round Hanging Mirror from John Lewis

ES Sideboard by AFID Design

Brooklyn Leather Sofa from West Elm

Jake Tripod Table from Johnny Moustache

Concrete Planter from Whosit & Whatsit

Reclaimed Oak Flooring from Trunk Reclaimed

Timothy Oulton Punch Bag from Barker & Stonehouse

Star Wars Cushions from Whosit & Whatsit

Drop me a line or leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Spring Dining

Mid March & finally the weather seems to be on the turn!
I live in the North East of England - not too far from the coast - so when the wintery wind gusts off the cold North Sea it has such a bite to it, but this weekend that edge was definitely missing and the sun was trying so hard to warm things up.

It got me thinking of fresh, clean & beautiful but low key interiors and I unearthed a whole pile of amazing pieces that I narrowed down to this one board dedicated to Spring Dining.

Its important to light your dining table well - and while a large statement fitting can be ideal in some circumstances, sometimes you can achieve an equally perfect effect by hanging several smaller pendants (I always choose an odd number) over a table. I was really taken with these wooden pendants - there's a few different shapes and combos available I chose these as they mirror the white legs/ timber top of the dining table perfectly though.

Chairs, I dont mind mixing it up with chairs - the Ercol bench is always going to be fab, but Im itching to try out these crisp John Vogel chairs!

Mouth blown glass and hand thrown teacups; embroidered runners & textured fish scale ceramics - by focusing on various natural materials and incorporating organic textures and patterns we can invite the outside in, even when its still a tad too chilly for proper al fresco meals.
Ive kept it simple, using a neutral colour palette but freshened it up with accent spots of natural greens and blues.

Are you feeling that spring in your step yet?!

Sources & Links (clockwise from top left)

Sinatra Dinnerware from Habitat

Reykjavik White & Wood Pendant from Horsefall & Wright

Carla Teapot from The Scandinavian Design Centre

John Vogel Chair from West Elm

Scales Vase from House Envy

Betty Extending Dining Table from Made.com

Spring Bird Table Runner from Marks & Spencer

Relief Patterned Glass Jug from H&M

Ercol 3 Seater Dining Bench from John Lewis

Prindl Celadon Thumb Cup from Canton Tea Co

Granada Juice Glass and Bronze Age Cutlery both from Anthropologie

Copper & Teal

Copper & Teal is such a fabulous combination.

The blue-green colour of teal naturally zings when paired with orange-red tones of copper.

If you're up on your colour theory it makes perfect sense - green and red are complimentary colours (they sit opposite each other on the colour wheel) as are orange and blue, so when place side by side they enhance each other.....but maybe this is a whole different blog post for the future!

Back to copper & teal!
Its a versatile mix - it can be dressed up in a sumptuous, decadent stately fashion or pared right down with lots of raw materials - think exposed brick for example- as a nod to industrial chic, or it can sit quite confidently anywhere between the two.

For todays inspiration board Ive aimed for a bit of an eclectic mix. 

Ive teamed distressed style paisley papers with rich, dark paint colours. Using the muted paint palette in this instance serves to anchor the scheme with an air of refinement but it could work equally well with lighter, airy paint colours too depending on the atmosphere you want to achieve.

Ive mixed it all up with beautiful velvets and button down upholstery flanked by minimalist side tables. Simple, angular light fittings (this one is copper and leather - what a twosome!) and faceted glass candle holders. However the pièce de résistance has to be the copper drinks trolley for when you're finally ready to sink into that sofa & enjoy.

Sources & Links (clockwise from top left)

Mervyn Console Table from Barker & Stonehouse

Dinner Candles from Rockett St George

Aqua Diamond Hand Cut Glass Tealight Holder from Oliver Bonas

Mahogany & Brassica paint colours from Farrow & Ball

Paisley Wallpaper in Turquoise by Barneby Gates

Wilder Pendant Light by Endon from Castlegate Lighting

Biba Feather Foil Cushion from House of Fraser

Roo Abrook Antique Page Print from Rigby & Mac

Mirrored Copper Side Tables from The French Bedroom Co.

Enya Relaxing Chair from Graham and Green

Shoreditch Drinks Trolley from Rockett St George

Mid Century Planter from West Elm

Bagsie Sofa in Belize Clever Velvet from Loaf

As always please get in touch and let me know what you think - if youve any subject requests or questions let me know!

Also, if you happen to buy anything Ive suggested Id love to hear your feedback on it and maybe even send me a pic so I can see it in situ!

Kids, Kids Kids!

Step away from the perfectly neutral, muted tones that we see touted for kids rooms and nurseries and back off from the 'girly pastel pink', the 'baby boy blue' or the 'yikes-we-still-dont-know pale yellow' and lets inject some zest into our kids rooms!

I know theres a theory that keeping the decor all serene will help induce sleep and instil a sense of calm, but to be honest, once its time to sleep and the lights are down its all the same anyway, isnt it?

Get a funky wallpaper, keep the remaining walls crisp then accessorise with all things bright & quirky. The beauty of a room like this, aside from the fact its NOT necessarily gender specific, is that it can grow with your kids with minimal effort and there's no need to completely redecorate and replace everything everytime they outgrow the current favourite character or trend.

So, todays board has been pulled together for a kids room with a bit of personality..........

Sources are as follows (clockwise from Balloon Lights top left)

Memory Balloon Ceiling Lights by John Moncrieff available from NOTHS 

Vintage 50s Style Tissue Paper Fans from Pipii

Which Came First Wallpaper from Paperboy

Bean Shaped Pouff from Fairchild Designs on Etsy

Large Storage Basket from H&M

Multi-Coloured Funk Wool Rug from Debenhams

Baa Baa Book Shelf from Rowen & Wren

Peppermint Eames Style Kids Chair from Cult Furniture

Pantone Colour Of The Year

What is the Pantone Colour of the Year all about? Well, according to Pantone, its a symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.

2016: Rose Quartz & Serenity

Its been said that Pantone have stepped away from the norm by choosing 2 colours for this year - when in fact they've just been a bit clever and chosen the blending of 2 colours to be THE colour of the year. Nice one Pantone!

So, what do you think?
I think theyre pretty spot on. Ive noticed a big shift in society towards a more gentle and holistic way of living - people looking within for peace and happiness rather than searching for it externally.
The blend reminds me of those early morning sunrises you sometimes get in late spring - a moment of grounding at the start of a fresh new day, when everything is calm and the warmth of the sun gently fuses into the airiness of the sky.

Ive always been fascinated by the psychology of colour. I utilise it a lot in my work, especially commercial projects, but more on that another time!

Ive used Rose Quartz as the base for this latest mood board and worked in Serenity as subtle accent and grounding 'shadow' tones. What better place to start instilling peace and tranquility than in your bedroom.....

Ahhhh, Im feeling better already..........................!
As always I love to hear your thoughts, feedback, questions, requests. Please do get in touch!

Sources are as follows (clockwise starting from the Feather Pendant)

Aurora Feather Pendant from Graham & Green
Olivia Mirror from Laura Ashley

Quatrefoil Side Table from The French Bedroom Company
Vida Bedding from Star by Julien McDonald at Debenhams
Eglomise (Blush 110621) Wallpaper by Harlequin (available from many wallpaper suppliers)
Loire Bed from Feather & Black
Almeda Mirrored Chest from The French Bedroom Company

Fresh flowers - how about an informal armful of pale blue hydrangea, delicate pink ranunculus & garden roses displayed in a vintage cut glass vase - all available from your most favourite local florists

Love Is In The Air......

I figured I ought to acknowledge the upcoming day of slush and/or nonsense. It seems to be a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it - but wherever you stand, you definitely can't avoid it!

I personally don't really buy into Valentines Day - so I thought Id gather some less obvious bits and pieces together to please both the lovers and the haters out there.

   

Lets cut to the chase - forget the bling - buy me a beautiful chair and Im yours!
(It may become apparent, as my blog progresses, that Ive got a bit of a thing for chairs) 

This stunning Vitra Heart Cone Chair from Heals is a Verner Panton design. Panton, unsurprisingly, was also the designer of the unmistakable and instantly recognisable ‘Panton Chair’ in 1963 – the worlds first chair to be manufactured from one single piece of plastic - google it for your very own 'ahhh so THATS a Panton Chair' moment! 

The little heart shaped chair above the Heart Cone Chair is the Moroso Soft Heart Chair by Ron Arad and available from Nest. You actually sit inside the heart! So sweet, with an equally sweet price tag… ahem!

Anyway, now you're sitting comfortably, lets talk about commitment. No pressure.......

So, when I say commitment I'm thinking......long term... like actually permanent *omg*

Does it get more permanent than a tattoo?? I think not!

So, if you're really serious about this years Valentine how about this Tattooed Ceramic Hand from Rockett St George to declare your true lurrrve OR…… if you truly love cake (or someone called Cake?) then these Tattooed Oven Mitts were actually made for you! They even do a hairy handed version should that be more apt - love is in the errr, umm.. hair after all! They're both available from the wonderful shop inside the Baltic Art Gallery in Gateshead (keeping it local peeps!)

Should you happen to still be in the Baltic, but you prefer to go down a more technically factual valentines route, then perhaps you could offer your true love your heart on this Trinket Tray as an alternative instead?

So when you dont actually fit the norm, exactly how do you convey how you feel about that on/off best friend with benefits or the ex you totally want to blast into space but has such a great bod you just cant shake off? Well thanks to all the amazing graphic designers and illustrators of Ohh Deer you can be sure to find exactly the right card for your special/not-so-special someone (delete as applicable) Get a card that literally takes the words right out of your frustrated head!

I very nearly skipped by this Love Cushion from M&S until I realised it has LED lights in it! Team it up in a cosy boudoir with plenty of candles – then get those fires burning  with a long stemmed pink matches from Graham & Green – they come in a beautiful little glass jar with a heart printed letterpress gift tag. Im a sucker for packaging so Im sold. Im evidently a cheap Valentine date too..... providing you already bought me the chair that is!

Moving on, believe it or not there are people out there that actually love buttons. It’s a thing.
So, if you happen to know one of these people then these vintage inspired East of India Little Heart Buttons from John Lewis are going to go down a treat. If you actually are a button lover then treat yourself anyway!

And of course, some people just want to go all out on Valentines Day and why not?
So if champagne is on the menu then you MUST up the style wattage by serving it in these fab-u-lous LSA LuLu Champagne Glasses from Houseology. A set of 4 and each one is different - because who wants to be the same?? It just ramps up their appeal in my book. 

To finish, regardless of your personal relationships and regardless of the date and regardless of the expectations that society puts on all of us in general, theres one thing Id like you all to remember and that is:-

Be Kind To Yourself

Sincerely

(If necessary get yourself a little reminder with this Be Kind To Yourself from Bodie & Fou)

Grey & Gold

It might be cold and wet and windy out there, but lets take those moody grey skies indoors where its nice and warm.

The calm and sometimes industrial tones of the lighter greys of the spectrum will always be elevated to a more sophisticated level when teamed with a beautiful shimmery gold. So that’s just what I've done. Then I've teamed this up with some geometrics as a nod to the current Skandi trend and mixed it up with plenty of materials and textures.

So, come in and kick off your winter boots. Get comfy on a retro styled Barbican sofa from John Lewis, in slate grey with warm timber feet. Then snuggle in with multi textured throws and this luxurious sequin spattered Benni cushion from Rockett St George.

Ive had my eye on this Sumi wallpaper by Harlequin for a couple of months now. They do several colour variations, but this one is just the perfect backdrop in this instance.

There would be no better way to banish the gloom than with this Tuli Cluster Pendant from Made.com. It would look fab hung low over a dining table or as a feature over a side table. The shades are made from fabric, but the visual texture and that lovely sharp folded detail gives them a look of concrete or stone don’t you think?

Then, just for good measure (because you can have too much incidental lighting!) I just had to include this Wood & Porcelain Table light from Cox & Cox. The oak frame is lovely, but the shade and base are made of porcelain. Have you ever seen light shine through porcelain? It looks amazing!

Somewhere to pop your obligatory hot chocolate is a must, so Ive picked out this Roar + Rabbit Rhombus Layered Side Table (available from West Elm) I love the shape and simplicity of it, but the mix of materials is just perfect – hammered antique brass & solid marble on top of mango wood.  

Additional touches for the room, to echo the faceted details of the pendants and table, are these Glazed Geometric Vases from Rockett St George. Ideal as display on their own, or maybe dressed with some simple greenery to remind us that spring is on the horizon.

Finally, a mirror is always a great way to flash a bit extra sparkle around a room. This Rays of Sunshine mirror from M&S has the perfect name and would make the perfect finishing touch to our Grey & Gold February

Phew! So thats my first proper post done & dusted!
Do you love it or hate it? Let me know what you think!