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!

Time for the picture round… a quiz!

I have a reputation amongst my friends and family for being the least competitive individual on the planet. They’re nearly right, except I love a quiz!

So I’m kicking off the week with a little treat for you (well ok, me). Litographs make lovely posters where the design is made up from the complete text of the book it depicts.

But can you work out which books these are?

Answers in the comments – or cheat and buy one of these for yourself by visiting the Litographs website.

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?

Paint effects: they’re back and this time they’re on a roll!

I am a child of the paint effect generation and my Mum’s passion for rag rolling and scumble glazing was what sparked my passion for interiors in the first place. So when photographer Clare Bosanquet dropped me an email about her traditional Romanian paint pattern rollers, I was intrigued.

Clare stumbled across these patterned rollers in a Romanian market, where they’ve been used as a traditional alternative to wallpapers for around 150 years. She’s updated the patterns to suit modern tastes and adapted the roller designs for use on fabric or walls.

I really love this design with its little deer family. Clare’s decorated her whole Welsh cottage using her product and it looks great – and at £15 for each roller design they’re a bargain compared to designer wallpaper… although like wallpapering I bet there’s a knack to getting it right!

Interesting, don’t you think? Pop over to The Painted House for more ideas and tips or if you’re ready to have a go yourself, visit Clare’s Etsy shop.

I must be getting old…

…but does this trendy new paint effect look a lot like rising damp to you?

{Elle Decoration France}

Tonight I’m planning a quiet night in with an electric blanket and a sherry. You?

Shake your tail feather

I find myself adding more and more natural touches to my rooms at the moment… a delicate seedhead here, a crispy-dried hydrangea head there. Next time I head back to Somerset I’m on the hunt for dramatic pheasant tail feathers to add to my hoard.

{via Home Beautiful}

{via Britta Nickel}

{via Serin & Sorrel}

Sometimes mother nature comes up with the best prints and patterns!

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…

One-step craft idea: washi tape photo frames

Washi tape has to be the biggest trend to hit crafting in years and I love the innovative ideas people come up with for using it. So, today’s simple craft idea is these washi tape picture frames. No instructions – simply cut, stick and away you go.

{Trendenser}

I’m wondering about running a little mini series of oh so simple crafting ideas like this… would that go down well do you think?

Behind closed doors

I’m a real sucker for architectural salvage (I can spend hours on eBay scrolling through brass taps, Bakelite light switches, chipped marble fireplaces and rusted metal grilles) and love seeing innovative ways of turning functional cast-offs into decorative objects. I think that’s why the recent trend for using doors as wall art, headboards and cladding appeals.

{Amy Gilbert via Rue}

Isn’t this headboard lovely? Personally though, I’d choose a divan bed so the doors formed the headboard itself.

{via La Vie Des Anges}

Maybe using doors as wall cladding is more suitable for a cool hotel or restaurant than a home but I can see it working in a dining room maybe. Perhaps with a dark, gloomy grey on the other walls and a sparkling crystal chandelier? Yum!

{Dreamywhites}

Ah ha! Did someone say chandelier? I’ve had this lovely bedroom on my Pinterest board for a while and have only just noticed that it has those tin ceiling tiles I’ve been lusting after…

{via Design*Sponge}

I reckon that if you’re not lucky enough to have nice wooden floorboards this could be another way to add some warmth to your home. Or what about a patterned glass window or a peeling painted shutter instead?

Have you come up with any unusual or clever ways to add interest to your walls?

Shot in the dark

I love these deep, atmospheric images styled by Hans Blomquist – the watery light and inky blues set the perfect mood for autumn.

{Styling Hans Blomquist via Agent Bauer}

I’ve written before about my recent conversion to blue interiors – these just about seal the deal. Blue so often feels like a cool or fresh colour but these rich slate shades seem so soft and cosy to me.

Would you decorate with blue in your home?