Fresh new colour combination: sage and gorse

How’s this for a lovely new colour combination? Softest sage with an unexpected splash of gorse yellow in the fireplace.

{sorry, unknown}

I’ve blogged loads in the past about my love of yellow and grey, but I feel like I’ve been getting a little sick of that combo recently and this seems a much more sophisticated, grown-up twist. Prettier somehow.

Also, I’ve looked everywhere for the source of this image to no avail – if you know whose home this is please let me know via the comments or email. I would love to make sure the owner of this home is credited for their fabulous eye for colour!

10 dreamiest vintage bathrooms

When I move out of my flat in a few months time, I’m really going to miss my bathroom. Even though I much prefer showers to baths, there’s something about the freestanding tub that really adds wow factor. I think it will probably be a long while before I own such a lovely bathroom again, but I’ve still been collecting lots of vintage bathroom inspiration recently and thought you might like to soak up (boom boom) some of my favourites.

{William Abranowicz for The New York Times}

So, a mirror above the basin might’ve been a more practical choice but I completely respect the owner of this East Village apartment for taking the aesthetic option. The colours in the painting highlight the reclaimed brassware perfectly. I love it.

{Jason Busch for The Design Files}

If I was staying in my flat I’d definitely have a go at painting the outside of my bathtub. This metallic, slightly plummy grey looks really sophisticated, but I love the idea of adding a bit of punch to my pale grey walls with a vibrant coral or pretty rose pink. Maybe the new owner will decide to have a go!

{via Remodelista}

It’s the bathroom tiles I go mad for here. These patterned Moroccan tiles are perfect proof that just a little of something really luxurious can go a long way.

{via Lantliv i Norregård}

You’ll definitely have spotted the trend for using building materials like plywood and OSB in interiors at the moment, but I haven’t seen corrugated metal used as a splashback like this before. Unusual… but teamed with the bare zinc tub and part-stripped wood I think it works.

{Gardener & Marks}

I appreciate that rust isn’t usually a desirable feature in a bathroom, but I can’t help liking the faded grandeur of this beautifully battered rolltop. I’m not sure how much I fancy bathing on stage, but everything else (especially that dresser) looks great to me.

{via House of Bliss}

Now, if I’m ever lucky enough to get my dream Provencal farmhouse, this is the bathroom I’d love to have there. Restful, vintage and fresh. So lovely.

{via Country Living}

Space for a freestanding bathtub is obviously a luxury, so I wanted to include this tongue and groove panelled bath to show you can still create a vintage smart style room without one. I hadn’t thought of painting window frames in off-white paint before but I think it looks nicely subtle against the pure white tiles and soft grey painted bath.

{Country Homes & Interiors}

There it is, that calamine pink again. I think I actually prefer slipper baths like this to double-ended tubs… maybe it’s those feminine curves (or the fact you don’t have to share!)

{via Remodelista}

I’ve seen a lot of non-bathroom furniture used as washstands recently (including this ingenious IKEA hack). I think adapting antique pieces lends a warm ‘living-y’ feel rather than looking completely sleek and bathroom-like. If you know what I mean!

{sorry, unknown}

Finally, what looks like the typical London ‘bedroom into bathroom’. The dusky blue painted linen cabinet, fireplace and painted floorboards with warm rug are gorgeous.

Which is your favourite?

If you’re looking for more bathroom decorating ideas, my Pinterest board is a good place to start.

House Tour: relaxed loft living in Philadelphia

I’m not really into fashion blogs, especially ones attached to commercial brands, but despite being both of those things there’s something lovely about The Free People. The mix of fashion and beauty mixed with horoscopes and expert hula-hooping tips is kind of offbeat and charming… in a too-cool-for-school American way.

Anyway, the owner of this welcoming loft apartment is the company’s graphic designer. I’ve always fancied a warehouse home one day (I love the high wooden ceilings and exposed brick) and this mix-and-matchy decorating style is perfect for the space.

I’m not sure I would’ve been clever enough to add deep red furniture to a room with so much brick, but actually I think it works beautifully, creating a comfortable and ever so slightly seedy vibe. In a bohemian French way I mean.

You might expect an apartment like this to have a pokey internal bathroom built into a corner somewhere but this bright white bathroom is a most pleasant surprise.

{all Brigette for The Free People blog}

There are a few more snaps of this apartment over on The Free People blog – I recommend you have a browse of their other posts and see what you think. Although you might want to wait until Coachella’s over. Yaaaawn.

//

My perfect hallway (just add dog)

I found this gorgeously grey country style hallway on Pinterest a while ago, but didn’t share it because I struggled to find the original source. I’ve now tracked it down (I should’ve guessed really – it’s the wonderful Ben Kendrick and Brent Darby for Country Living) so can post it last and we can all drool over it together.

{Brent Darby for Country Living}

I love it all – the contrast of the soft grey and red brick, the rough linen bench cushion, the touches of seagrass and rattan. It will be many moons before I have any hope of having my dream country home (although I’m happy to report I’m one baby step closer) but when I do, I would love to welcome my visitors into a hallway like this. All that’s missing is a dog!

House Tour: not your usual Finnish home

For reasons I won’t dwell on, I spend a lot more time than the average Brit reading Finnish interiors blogs. Despite having  the most incomprehensible language imaginable, I can usually spot them from a mile off because they almost all the homes have a remarkably similar style. Black, white, big Marimekko prints and a hit of bright yellow.

So when I came across Maria’s blog Diagnoosi Sisustusmania (Interiors Mania) I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming vintage vibe of her lovely Finnish home.

Maria’s blog mainly tracks the restoration of her house and her flea market finds. I like the relaxed, non-try-hard vibe, mixing vintage bits with inexpensive high-street accessories like the cushions from H&M home. Her style feels achievable and real somehow. Styled, yes, but not contrived.

Maria’s clearly a dab hand with a paintbrush and there are some really cool things going on with the floors in her house. Check out the checked floorboards in the living room and this pattern in the hallway. If I’m lucky enough to have original boards in my new flat I’d love to have a go at something like this…

Upstairs the bedrooms have that magical mix of warm and inviting and fresh and calm.

And tell me… what teenage boy wouldn’t want to have an old VW campervan embedded in their bedroom wall?

{all Diagnoosi Sisustusmania}

Follow the renovation diary and soak up more inspiration by clicking through to the Diagnoosi Sisustusmania blog.

How to add warmth and softness to a monochrome bedroom

I’m not big on bright colours – so much in my life is super hectic that when I come home I want to close the door and feel I’ve entered a calming sanctuary. The problem with black, white and grey rooms though is that they can feel a bit hard or cold. I spotted this bedroom and thought I’d share it to show my fellow monochrome fans it doesn’t need to be that way!

{Carina Olander via 79 Ideas}

When you look closely, there’s subtle texture in almost every area of this room. The wood panelled ceiling, raised wallpaper, rough headboard and embroidered textiles all work together to take the hard edge off the white and grey colour scheme.

Then there are all the wooden elements – painted, waxed and raw which add warmth too. If you chose vintage furniture then that’s even better – like a good wine, wood mellows with age and by adding antique bits and pieces the mellowing effect will transfer to your room too.

Lastly, it helps to have a few different lighting options in every room, especially a bedroom where you want strong natural light for doing your make-up, a directional light for reading and something a bit more romantic too. Although this photo was taken in bright daylight (with no curtains!) you can easily imagine how warm and cosy it would look at night time as well.

Have you got any other good tips for adding softness and warmth to a room?

Cheap and stylish kitchen design? It’s as easy as ply!

Sorry guys, but there’s nothing like a terrible pun to get Wednesday off to a cracking start in my eyes!

In all seriousness though, I’ve long planned for my next kitchen to have basic IKEA carcasses with Little Greene painted MDF doors, but these bare plywood cabinets and shelves take that design idea one step further. And I have to admit, I really, really love it…

{Jason Busch / Megan Morton via Tribe Studio / The Design Files}

As a girl with tastes above my station, finding a simple and stylish design idea that would be cheap to do is a rare occurrence. But knock me down with a feather, this one really is both. I’m sold.

House tour: vintage and global Melbourne home

Paula Mills is one well-travelled lady. She grew up in Cape Town where she studied commercial art before moving to London to work as an art director. After eight years she left Britain to travel the world, have children and eventually settled in Melbourne, where she now lives and works as an illustrator.

Paula’s home is filled with collections old, new and far-flung. The nicely distressed fireplace was thrifted from the roadside and the mantle is the perfect spot to display an assortment of silver sports trophies. By coincidence, Paula stumbled across one inscribed with “Woman’s Netball Association won by P. Mills 1950” at a local flea market! I’m strangely drawn to religious imagery and really like the various postcards and posters scattered across the walls in this house.

Pink 1950s melamine table. Yum.

I love the mix of shiny white gloss and rough wood in the kitchen, and the little splash of red is a hit with me.

One day I’ll get sick of exposed bulb lights… but not yet! This home office is where Paula works on illustrations for her shop, Sweet William.

{Photographs Sharyn Cairns for Homelife}

The fresh white backdrop shows of Paula’s Vintage bits beautifully, with just one blue painted wall in the living room to cosy things up a bit. Blue interiors have really been growing on me recently, and this home illustrates the lovely warmth it can add to a room. Check out Paula’s living room before she painted the wall here and compare…

House Tour: amazingly austere American farmhouse

Sometimes trends come along and, although you might like them, they take a bit of effort to embrace. Others  just slot into your natural way of doing things and feel like they’ve been around forever… to me, those ones are undoubtedly the best.

The emerging trend for all things uncomplicated connected with me straight away – probably because it’s not really a trend at all. Valuing authenticity, cherishing history and making the most of the simple things in life taps into the nostalgic yearnings we all share. It just feels right. I came across this incredible home on Pinterest and it so completely encapsulates this mood I had to share it.

{all Phoebe Troyer}

Phoebe Troyer‘s Ohio home is so uncomplicated you might call it sparse – maybe even austere. Its simple style has such an air of authenticity I wouldn’t be too surprised if the owners were fresh off the Mayflower! Every single piece of furniture has been chosen so perfectly that there’s not one item that jars or feels out of place. The design is so apparently simple, but there’s an incredible skill in the way the rooms have been put together.

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a house like it and I’m completely in awe of Pheobe’s style. If you’re as drawn in as I am, there are lots more photos of the house its beautiful garden on her Pinterest boards.

Put another log on the fire for me

Brrrrrrr, it’s getting nippy out!

{via Bonytt / Planete Deco / Devon Fires / Living Agency}

Every house I grew up in had a roaring open fire, so when the weather turns, central heating just doesn’t do it for me. Nothing feels cosier than gathering around the hearth on a chilly evening and to my mind, living rooms just don’t have a natural focal point without one.

{via HK Living / Keltainen Talo Rannalla / Oh, Pioneer / Bo Bedre}

Looking at these welcoming open fires makes me feel that a working fireplace has to be on the ‘must haves’ list for my next home. In the meantime, I’ll have to make the most of the woodburner at my parent’s house while I’m home for Christmas… if I can wrestle the dog out of prime position on the rug that is!

Stay warm peeps xxx