Originally built as a butter factory and most recently used as a candle maker’s workshop, owners Greg Hatton and Lucy Marx had to melt an inch-thick coating of candle wax from the walls of their future home with boiling water before their renovation could begin. And I thought stripping wallpaper was bad…
House tour: butter factory turned toasty home
20 May- Comments Leave a Comment
- Categories Architecture, House tour
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
Join The Room Debate!
10 MayMorning all! It’s my birthday today and what better way to celebrate than with the world famous Decorator’s Notebook Room Debate (humour me, just for today?). It’s a Scandinavian style white bedroom with natural touches for our perusal today…
To join in, just take a good look at the photo below and leave a comment with your answers to these two questions:
One thing I like most about this room is…
One thing I like least about this room is…
{Simon Bajada via 79 Ideas}
To me this room is a mixed bag so I’m looking forward to hearing which bits you love and loathe.
In other news, I’m off to West Dean for the weekend to learn how to throw pots. Hopefully I will have a few wobbly efforts to share with you on my return!
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Tags: bedroom ideas, decorating ideas, fur bedspread, home, interior design, natural bedroom, neutral bedroom, rooms, Scandinavian home, white bedroom
- Comments 10 Comments
- Categories The Room Debate
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
Fresh new colour combination: sage and gorse
1 MayHow’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!
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Tags: accent, bright yellow, color, colour combinations, decor, decorating ideas, decorating trends, fireplace tiles, home, interior design, paint colours, room, sage green, unexpected, yellow fireplace, yellow tiles
- Comments 1 Comment
- Categories Beautiful rooms, Ideas for walls
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
10 dreamiest vintage bathrooms
29 AprWhen 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.
{via Country Living}
{via Remodelista}
{sorry, unknown}Share this:
Tags: bathroom decorating ideas, design, dream bathrooms, freestanding bath, home, interior design, luxury bathrooms, period bathrooms, rolltop bath, traditional bathrooms, vintage bathrooms
- Comments 1 Comment
- Categories Beautiful rooms
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
Join The Room Debate!
26 AprAfter a couple of weeks The Room Debate is back with a rustic kitchen up for discussion today!
Everyone’s welcome to join in – simply take a good look at the photo below and leave a comment with your answers to these two questions:
One thing I like most about this room is…
One thing I like least about this room is…
{Heather Hobhouse via House to Home}
There are some things I really love about this room and others that niggle me. What do you think? Which elements are to your taste?
Have a lovely weekend!
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Tags: country style kitchen, Heather Hobhouse photographer, home, house, industrial style interiors, interior design, kitchen, reclaimed wood kitchen cupboards, rustic kitchen, The Room Debate, wood kitchen
- Comments 9 Comments
- Categories The Room Debate
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
House tour: light and airy French apartment (with just a little colour)
23 AprDo you remember a while ago I posted some gorgeous details from Le Dans La? Recently photographer Melanie Rodriguez did a photo shoot there and the resulting pictures give a wonderful insight into how Aurelie’s home looks as a whole.
The windows in this place are amazing. It looks like it might be a converted factory or something. Yet another home to get me dreaming of loft living!
The more I see it, the more I like this dusky pink wall colour. Not something I thought I would say in my adult life. It looks rather like Calamine by Farrow & Ball. One of my personal favourite paint names… every time I think about it I can smell that smell!
Very pleasant use of dark grey in this home, don’t you think… and there’s something really quite cool about the group of paper lampshades hanging from the wooden beamed ceiling too. A touch of fun, but in a grown-up way. The children’s bedrooms are really very grown-up too. A little too much perhaps?
{Home of Aurelie Lecuyer by Melanie Rodriguez for The Socialite Family}
What a beauty. This home is just the right blend of calming and interesting for me. For more inspiration from Aurelie’s home have a look at her blog, Le Dans La.
//
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Tags: Aurelie Lecuyer, childs bedroom ideas, contemporary interior, decorating ideas, design, French apartment, French home, grey home, home, house tour, interior design, kids bedroom ideas, light and airy interior, The Socialite Family, vintage interior, white home
- Comments 4 Comments
- Categories House tour
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
House Tour: relaxed loft living in Philadelphia
18 AprI’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.
//
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Tags: decorating ideas, exposed brick, home, house tour, ideas for walls, interior design, loft apartment, red kitchen, vintage home, warehouse apartment
- Comments 2 Comments
- Categories Beautiful rooms, House tour
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
My perfect hallway (just add dog)
11 AprI 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!
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Tags: Brent Darby, country home, Country Living magazine, country style, decorating, decorating ideas, entrance, entryway, hall, hallway, hallway ideas, home, interior, interior design, tongue and groove, traditional
- Comments 2 Comments
- Categories Beautiful rooms
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
Join The Room Debate!
5 AprI love Room Debate time and I have an unusual candidate for today’s discussion!
Everyone’s welcome to join in – simply take a good look at the photo below and leave a comment with your answers to these two questions:
One thing I like most about this room is…
One thing I like least about this room is…
{Matthew Williams via House to Home}
I have kind of mixed feelings about this living room so I’m interested to hear what you think. Not sure whether I’d use yellow clogs as an accessory in my flat but each to their own!
Hope you have a fun weekend planned – I’m going to be looking for a new flat. More on that soon :-)
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Tags: dark furniture, decorating ideas, Decorator's Notebook, green walls, home, interior design, living room, midcentury, sitting room, The Room Debate, traditional, yellow rug, yellow sofa
- Comments 7 Comments
- Categories The Room Debate
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
House Tour: not your usual Finnish home
28 MarFor 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.
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Tags: antique, decorating ideas, Diagnoosi Sisustusmania blog, Finnish home, Finnish interior design, flea market interior style, home, house tour, inspiration, interior design, Scandinavia home, vintage
- Comments 2 Comments
- Categories Beautiful rooms, House tour
- Author Bethan - Decorator's Notebook
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