Are you afraid of introducing colour in your home? It can be daunting and it’s easy to make mistakes; it takes boldness to identify the perfect palette. One of my workshop offerings is a day's course, Colour Style Home in which I will equip you with the confidence necessary to inject colour, style and personality into your home. Click here to read about the workshop.
Read morePrivate Home Tour !
Do you like noseying around other people's homes? I love it ! If you would like a nosey around my home, there will be a Private Home Tour on Wednesday 16th August organised by The Decor Cafe.
Read moreThe ta-dah effect of lighting!
Hello everyone. Just a very quick post before I rush out the door.
I recently did a Q&A interview for one of my favourite lighting stores Pooky Lighting and I thought you might be interested in reading it.
Read moreAn optical feast at Petersham Nurseries
s many of you know, I love Petersham Nurseries and am a frequent visitor. It's described on their website as "Internationally prized garden centre, Petersham Nurseries is a tranquil oasis
and seedbed of inspiration" and that about sums it up. The highlight is always the shop which is in one of the glasshouses. The styling of the furniture, accessories, plants & flowers is superb and I find it a real inspiration. I love to wander around admiring and of course buying one or two things as it's very difficult to leave empty handed!
Tips for creating a picture wall
Most of my clients and friends are daunted by the task of hanging their artwork so it usually never makes it on to a wall !
Styling your walls with artwork and mirrors is something that people struggle with because they don't know where to start and when they do start, they usually hang everything too high and don’t group things to give a feeling of cohesiveness (see my separate blog post How to Hang Artwork).
Read moreUse colour to make your bathroom zing
It may have been the long winter months or just time for a change that prompted me to change the colour scheme of my bathroom. Either way, I felt it needed lifting from meh to tahdah and the way to do that is with a massive injection of colour!
Read moreMirror mirror on the wall….
As many of you know, I have a passion for mirrors and my home is full of them. At last count I had 27 and it's only a two bedroom apartment!
You can't have too many mirrors in the home. Apart from their functional purpose, they are a superb way to bring light into a space, can be used as artwork or generally to enhance the aesthetics of a room.
Here are some of the mirrors in my home and how I've used them.
Read moreThe Flower Fairy
Not only am I an interior decorator but I'm also a qualified & experienced florist. As part of the services I provide, I offer a two hour consultation at your home to teach you how to make the most of your vases and the flowers you buy or pick from your garden. I'm the Flower Fairy!!
Read moreChoosing colours for a Victorian home
Find out how I helped the owners of this newly renovated South West London Victorian home to come up with colour schemes and finishes, working with the existing furniture to give a contemporary edge to the original period features.
Read moreA radical makeover
Read all about the most radical makeover I've done to date. Out of this nicotine-stained man-cave I created a classic yet contemporary and comfortable snug, as a gift for my client's husband.
Read moreDecorex 2016 here we come!
On Tuesday my friend Jane Fitch, also an interior designer, and I made our annual pilgrimage to Decorex at Syon Park. Decorex is internationally renowned for being THE event to discover the very best and most coveted products from 400 exhibitors. Decorex has been running for 39 years and this is the third year that I have been.
We were not blown away by much this year as it was very much the same exhibitors as last year. However some new blood gave a much needed injection of interest. I've included below a few newcomers as well as some highlights.
Naomi Paul beautiful crocheted lampshades were a feature in the VIP lounge as well as on their stand. Their ethos is to create beautiful functional textile objects by highly skilled craftsmanship and they certainly have achieve this. The lampshades are simple, stylish and elegant.
Bert and May are another newcomer to Decorex. They are committed to raw materials, natural pigments and fine craftsmanship which they certainly have achieved in their products. They launched a fabric range at Decorex which were beautiful subtle colours and bold geometric designs.
Santorus is another exciting newcomer. Brother and sister, Fabian and Tara have a rich cultural heritage of Indian and Italian parents and their products certainly reflect this. I adore the patterns and colours of their fabrics and wallpapers.
Tom Raffield is a relative newcomer to Decorex. Their beautiful wooden lighting and furniture are made in a woodland workshop in Cornwall where the company is based.
Tom Faulkner is not a newcomer to Decorex but I am always interested in visiting their stand and seeing their exquisite handmade furniture.
No visit to Decorex would be complete without a vist to the Ochre stand. I am always in awe of their celestial pebble light!
There is always the obligatory over-the-top glitz and these Murano chandeliers by iDogi were no exception!
I always look forward to the floral displays on the exhibition stands but they were few and far between this year and very disappointing. The one that stood out for me was on the Sir John Soane Museum stand which was designed by Ben Pentreath and the magnificent display of dahlias was grown and designed by Ben's partner Charlie McCormick. This stand stood out from all the others for its design and colour.
To finish this whistlestop tour, here are a few more shots that I took.
I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of the highlights of Decorex. It was a long day as there were over 400 stands to see. A few glasses of bubbly in the VIP lounge with canapes helped to keep up our energy levels!
Did you go to Decorex this year? What did you think of it and what were your favourites? I would love to hear so do drop me a note.
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Give a piece of furniture a new lease of life
I'm a great one for up-cycling furniture with a lick of paint rather than get rid of it. I usually paint with Annie Sloan chalk paint as it's so easy to use - no prep required and you can paint it on any surface including on fabric! However this time I wanted a specific colour which doesn't come in the Annie Sloan range so I opted for Farrow & Ball which had the exact colour.
I'm a huge fan of Farrow & Ball paint and I have used it throughout my home. Most, if not all, my clients have F&B throughout their homes. I particularly like the way F&B split their neutrals into six groups which makes it so much easier for people when trying to choose a neutral colour(s). In fact I use the six neutral groups as the basis for my colour talks.
Read moreHeadboard or Artwork in a Bedroom?
Do you have a headboard on your bed? Many of us don't. So what alternatives are there? Mirrors, artwork, wall hangings.......... ?
In one of my bedrooms the bed has no headboard so I have added a very narrow bookcase on which are two lamps. However the wall above that was completely empty and crying out for a wow factor alternative to a headboard.
I recently purchased a boxed set by Natural Curiosities of 14 x 14 inch square prints called 'Images for the Inquisitive - Volume 12 - Hortus Eystettensis'. They bear the authentic Latin name of an important 1613 collection of engravings of every species in the palace garden of Prince Bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria). The box had been sitting in a cupboard and this was the perfect opportunity to have some of them framed and placed as art decor behind the bed. I used my wonderful picture framers, Read and Booth, in Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6, who helped me select nine of the prints and a suitable frame (with no mount). I planned to hang them 3 x 3 to add a real sense of drama to the room. The ceilings are very high in the room so there was plenty of space below the picture rail. I also painted the lamp bases in Annie Sloan's 'Aubusson Blue' and bought a pair with a lovely botanical fern pattern pleated shades by Pooky Lighting.
In the other bedroom there is a headboard but the wall above the headboard needed something on it to complement the headboard and add a wow factor.
I had forgotten all about a very old book of Pierre-Joseph Redouté rose prints that was my grandmother's. Belgian born Redouté achieved success as a painter working for the French royal court as a tutor to Marie Antoinette and later from 1798 was appointed to paint the flowers of Malmaison by Josephine Bonaparte. His famous published works include 'Les Liliacées' and 'Les Roses'. This version of 'Les Roses' was published in 1954 and I had rescued it from my grandmother's house in New Zealand when she passed away over 40 years ago!! I had a light bulb moment and decided to create a group of framed rose prints above the bed as the colours would beautifully complement the headboard and the colours of the cushions and Kantha throw. Also, the wall colour, Farrow & Ball 'Teresa's Green' would provide the perfect colour to enhance their beauty. Once again my lovely framers, David and James from Read and Booth helped me select the eight prints from the book and a suitable frame. The frame is a reddish-brown wood which really works well with the background colour of the prints and the red/pink colours of the roses.
I hope I have inspired you to use art in a bedroom in place of a headboard or even to enhance a headboard. I would love to see what you have done with the wall above your bed(s) so do send me pics.
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Inspiration from the colours at the Isabella Plantation
It's that time of year when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower and what better place to see them in all their glory than the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. For those of you who aren't familiar with this London landmark, the Isabella Plantation is a 40 acre woodland garden set within a Victorian woodland plantation planted in the 1830s. It was first opened to the public in 1953 and it's best known for its azaleas which line the ponds and streams and are at their best in late April early May. Given the bad weather we've had recently they are a bit behind schedule and should be at their best about next week. The Plantation also is home to a wide variety of rhododendruns and many other rare and unusual trees and shrubs.
It's amazing how much inspiration for interior decoration you can gain from looking at nature and what better than a display of colour from acres of azaleas and rododendruns!! Their colours are simply mind-blowing when seen in a condensed area as they are in the Plantation.
When we arrived, we immediately entered the bluebell wood which had this sea of blue beneath the canopy. I was pleased to note that the bluebells are English bluebells and not the pesky Spanish bluebells which seem to be invading our woods.
It had rained heavily in the days leading up to our visit and also the night before so everything was heavy with rain and there was a lovely mist across the Plantation. However it was warm and the paths were not too soggy. I actually preferred to be there without direct sunlight as it's better for photography and also the azaleas and rhododendrons were only half out which made them a lot more interesting to view.
There is a huge variety of trees in the Plantation and some very beautiful trunks, especially after the rain.
Before I get to the azaleas which are obviously the star of the show, there are so many other features of the Plantation, not the least the pocket handerchief tree which my sister is totally obsessed with!!
The rhododendrons are also a feature of the plantation but had only just started to flower.
There are other interesting plants in the Plantation (I'm keeping you in suspense with the azaleas!)
And now for the star of the show, the azaleas. They were only 50% in flower but actually I preferred to see them like this than in full bloom
If you are in London in the next week or two, take the time to visit the Isabella Plantation as it really is a very special place.
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Back to Petersham for inspiration and sourcing
Hi everyone. I went back to Petersham Nurseries this week armed with my Nikon D5500 camera. It was a sunny but cold day and I decided to take a walk along the Thames before lunch (Petersham Nurseries is a stone's throw from the river). There was even someone launching a boat and taking a jaunt up the river, despite the cold.
Along the river bank I found some pretty delicate wild flowers
I branched off the towpath along the river into the woodlands of Petersham Lodge. Signs of spring were everywhere:
The woods led to a pretty iron gate that separates the gardens of Petersham Lodge (which are private) from the woodlands.
The Belted Galloways are back in the Petersham Meadows by Petersham. Dogs are banned during the grazing season, April to October.
I returned to the Nurseries and spent time before lunch taking photos in the cutting garden where there was a superb display of tulips.
There were so many beautiful flowers to photograph
And of course the highlight of my visits to Petersham is the shop. I love the way it is styled with plants, flowers, furniture, accessories etc. And I am always tempted to buy something!
These two beautiful bowls of flowers greeted you as you enter the restaurant
SEEKING STYLE INSPIRATION?
If you’re working on your own home decorating project and looking for some inspiration, please get in touch and see how I can help.
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Upcycle with Annie Sloan paint
As many of you know, I love upcycling furniture with Annie Sloan paint. I use this paint because it doesn't involve sanding or undercoating - you just slap it on and away you go!
I have recently had a bit of a binge of painting pieces of furniture that I've been procrastinating about for nearly a year.
My favourite Annie Sloan colours are Graphite and English Yellow. This 50s cabinet was first up - English Yellow at the back and Graphite everywhere else. I was given this piece of furniture by someone who was getting rid of it and I was going to sell it but I rather like it now that it's painted. No distresssing on this piece, just Annie Sloan clear wax.
Next up was this little vintage Hungarian table which I use for my printer. It was already painted in a hideous yellow gloss paint (sorry no "before" image) so I decided to give it a dousing in English Yellow with distressing.
While I was on a roll with the English Yellow, next up to get a dousing was a gilt mirror that I bought in a second hand shop two years ago for £20. I fancied something different and fun so it certainly scores on both these points. I may add more dark wax into the crevices but for now it gives a lovely sunny warmth to the kitchen.
Next up, my workstation. This is a cupboard that I use for my work and the yellow mirror sits on top of it. It was painted in a dark grey gloss paint and I prefer a chalk paint finish. Once again I used Graphite. However this colour can look a bit dull on some textured furniture and that's what's happened here. This can be resolved with a coat of dark wax over the clear wax.
The biggest success was the next item, a gilt mirror that I have had for 5 years and never really liked. Sometimes it's all about trial and error when painting furniture so do have a go. Mix colours together, put one colour on top of another, use a wash (diluted 50/50 paint/water) etc etc. On this mirror I've used Aubusson Blue and Old White then clear wax and dark wax. It is a stunning transformation and the shape of the mirror is really enhanced (sorry no before pics).
The jury is out on the next piece - I don't like the finished look. The table was originally a light grey/green colour when I bought it (first image below), then I painted it Graphite. I should have left it at that because now the effect doesn't suit the elegance of the table. So it's back to the drawing board with this piece. As I say, trial and error!!
I'd love to hear about pieces of furniture that you have painted in Annie Sloan and see some images so do share them with me.
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Make a statement with your table lamps
Hi everyone. Firstly I must apologise for the lack of blog posts in the last few weeks; in fact since 5 March when I posted the last one. I've had a manically busy few weeks having taken on a number of new clients. Also, I am preparing for a photo shoot of my flat in mid April which has been stressing me out somewhat. So I've been furiously upcycling some of my furniture with Annie Sloan paint (separate blog post shortly) and changing lampshades on all my table lamps.
Table lamps can be so boring and serve no other purpose than to provide a lighting source. Gone are the days when you only had a limited choice of shades, mainly 50 shades of beige or cream!! Now you can buy the most divine shades and make a real statement, a wow factor, even if the lamp base is a bit "meh". The reverse is a statement lamp base with a plain shade that doesn't compete. However, beware as you can spend hundreds of pounds on a lamp shade and even thousands of pounds on a lamp base. It's a matter of finding something affordable and you really love.
There is a great shop in London called Pooky Lighting which sells affordable and fun lamp bases and shades so I popped in and bought three pairs of lampshades for the bedrooms and kitchen. What a difference they have made to the rooms; the lighting has transformed the spaces from "meh" to "tah-dah" !!!
In the kitchen I changed the shades from plain taupe coloured silk to these gorgeous silk Ikat pleated shades by Pooky Lights. In the sitting room I replaced a pair of beige linen shades in the alcoves with black & white Ikat ones which really draw the eye in.
And finally, I bought a rather expensive but absolutely divine lamp base from Nicholas Haslam designed by Paolo Moschino. It is my piece de resistance but one of those items that you see and just have to have!! It is solid handcarved brass and it was the way it opened up like a flower and had such beautiful flowing lines that made me fall in love with it. The jury is out on whether any of my friends like it !!
I would love to hear what sort of table lamps you have and would be happy to offer some advice if you are thinking of changing them so do contact me.
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Inspiration for home styling
As regular followers of my blog know, one of my favourite haunts is Petersham Nurseries which is about 20 minutes from my home. It's somewhere I go for inspiration and to take photos. It gets my creative juices going and all I want to do is take loads of photos and buy lots of plants and items for the home! I've become quite obsessed with photography since I invested in my first DSLR camera, a Nikon D5500. Macro photography is my passion so Petersham is the perfect place to go as I can take closeups of flowers, plants and the gorgeous items for sale.
The way they style the shop and the glasshouses with plants and flowers is absolutely superb. And there is the added bonus of great food and coffee in the cafe or if I want to treat myself, the other end of the glasshouse where the shop is located is a Michelin star restaurant! The floors in the glasshouses are just earth, even in the Michelin star restaurant but that's what makes Petersham so unique.
If I have some free time and the sun in shining my first thought is to head to Petersham. I could bore you with loads of superlatives but I'd rather stimulate your creative juices with a visual feast. It's not the same as being there in person but it gives you a good idea of why I love the place so much.
Some advice when looking at the photos below. Look at the way they style the items in the shop as this should help you when you style your own home - the way they group items, colours they put together, textures etc. This is one of the things that I really find helpful when I go there. I hope you enjoy my photography; don't all budding photographers aim to take the perfect photo?!
I'll start with some closeups of the flowers
I have a passion for vintage chandeliers and Petersham always has a range of the most beautiful ones (in fact I bought a small antique French chandelier from them a few weeks ago which is being wired up currently and will then have pride of place of my kitchen table).
The sun was shining on one particularly large chandelier this time, and I was mesmorised by the colours in the crystals so became rather "trigger happy" with my camera. These images come with a health warning - you may need your dark glasses on !
There was a lot of new stock in the shop since I was last there a week ago and quite a number of ceramic pots with incredible shapes and textures. You can see from the scale of the small items next to these pots the sheer size of some of them.
Petersham always has a good selection of vintage mirrors. I have bought quite a few over the years and recently have been buying some of their convex mirrors in various sizes. And then there are so many other interesting items on display which you think "I want that" but then "where can I put it in my home?" and then "oh heck, who cares, I just want it" and you go ahead and buy it !!
I hope you enjoyed these images and that they have given you some fresh ideas about how to style your own home. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
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Decorating living spaces with grey
I decorated and styled the ground floor living spaces of a Victorian home in South West London. The clients love the colour grey but weren't averse to pops of colour.
Read moreTop tips for buying & arranging flowers for your home
Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of blog posts recently; I’ve been manically busy with client work. Can’t complain, quite the contrary but something has to give and it’s usually my blog. I am continually asked by friends and clients to write a blog post about how to arrange flowers in the home so here goes.
There are so many places to buy flowers – florists, markets, outdoor stalls, petrol station forecourts, local shops etc – but it’s the supermarkets that have usurped most of these outlets. How many of you are regularly tempted to buy flowers when you are in your local supermarket? I for one am guilty of it – the flowers are so reasonably priced and always fresh so it’s hard to resist the temptation. However the selection is limited and there are always so many awful mixed bunches of flowers (even worse in petrol station forecourts) where they mix one of every colour and every variety. Avoid these like the plague and NEVER give them as gifts to someone who loves flowers!
But what do you do with the flowers when you get them home? So many people just jam a bunch into a vase with some water and hope for the best. No wonder they never look good and don’t last as long as they should.
Here are my top tips for flowers in the home:
1. Best shaped containers have a narrower opening than the base - try to buy containers like this as they allow the flowers to fan out better. However for flowers like daffodils, narcissi and tulips a straight sided container works well as it will emulate how they grow, straight!
2. Monotones work best – buy flowers that are one colour as monotones create the most impact. Of course there are exceptions to this rule - mixed colours of the SAME flower, for example, tulips are rather lovely in mixed colours though I still prefer them in monotones or two colours (as you can see in the images below).
3. Prepare your flowers well before putting in a vase - strip off a lot of the foliage on the stems so that it isn't sitting in the water getting smelly! Also, the foliage takes nutrients so if there is less the flower will have a better chance of survival. With roses, remove any thorns as they also take nutrients. Always cut the stems on a diagonal and with any woody stems (stock, hydrangeas, blossom, pussy willow or any other hard stemmed flowers or greenery) cut a slit vertically up the stem as well, about half an inch (see image below).
4. Don't waste anything - when stripping the stems of foliage there are often offshoots. Don't throw these away, put them in little vintage bottles on a window ledge or a small vase. I waste nothing! Freesias and hyacinths are classic examples where they have a lot of offshoots that look like they will never flower but usually they will.
5. Keep the vase clear of water marks - I add a drop of bleach to the water AFTER I've filled the vase (if you do it before you add the water it will create a lot of froth) and this stops the water smelling and any water marks on the vase (crucial with glass containers). I also add a sachet of flower food.
6. Keep it simple! - Don't always feel you have to add foliage to flowers that have their own foliage as it just detracts from their beauty. Less is definitely more! Flowers should look as if they are growing especially spring flowers like tulips and daffodils. You would never see Eucalpytus growing in the middle of a clump of daffodils! Same with roses, they have beautiful leaves so don't add anything else.
7. Try and buy flowers that have their own foliage - They look so much more natural in a vase with their own foliage. I'm particularly fond of spring flowers and dahlias with their own foliage. Unfortunately most of the retailers sell them without leaves but I've managed to find them in my local florist and local market stall.
8. Use flowers to style a room - flowers are a great way to add colour to a room but don't forget they can also add texture, height, scent and of course to create a focal point. Here are some examples of how I've used flowers in my home this week:
9. Do it on a budget - it doesn't have to cost you a lot of money to style your home with plants and flowers. If you buy carefully and look after your flowers you can create multiple containers of beautiful flowers, some large and some very small, that will last you several weeks (or even longer). Here are some that I have in my home currently, both inside and outside.
I hope these tips will help you to enjoy buying flowers for your home. If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always happy to help!
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Design Week 2015 at Chelsea Harbour is the perfect environment for meeting and greeting the great and good of the interior design world. Find out all the juicy design details of my first day at the Design Centre.