Hot Off the Press: Interior Designer Interview

It's that transition time of year whether you're stalking the shops for a new winter coat or updating your interiors with cosy cushions and thicker throws. I do enjoy this time of year but the darker and colder mornings make it that bit harder to get out of bed. I'm one of those people who has to get up and out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off. None of this having several alarms going off at scheduled times apart. Oh no, bite the bullet and get out of bed before my body knows what it's doing. 

I know I've been in a blogging hiatus recently and for that I do apologise. I can't promise that I will fully get back into the swing of things but I will try my best to post as and when I have something useful to say. I definitely want to share our garden as after all the hard work over the summer it is looking rather splendid, even if I do say so myself. 

Anyway, first up I wanted to share a professional interiors insight with you. The work of Anna Palmer a professional interior designer recently caught my attention as she's teamed up with Bathroom Heaven and you might remember that our small bathroom is next on my hit list. So when the opportunity arose to interview Anna I jumped at the chance. Here's what we discussed...

Q. What are the upcoming colour trends that we should be looking out for?
A. Copper, with its rich, warm and inviting feel is very much in at the moment. It works particularly well in kitchens and bathrooms and can create a stunning focal point in an otherwise plain interior. Copper has found its way as a feature with a plethora of accessories, making it even easier to use this beautifully hued metal as an accent colour.

Grey is the new neutral these days and works well with pops of colour alongside. I have seen some wonderful grey interiors with accents of yellow.

Via Decor8 Photo from Angelica Gonzalez

Q. How would you go about decorating a small bathroom?
A. Any space will feel larger if it’s lighter and brighter so start off with choosing the colour of your tiles and paint wisely; anything too dark will absorb light and make the room appear smaller. Consider putting in a wall hung WC which ‘floats’ above the floor. Lighting can help create height and depth in a space. Achieve this by adding an LED lightstrip underneath a wall hung vanity sink unit and Illuminating above the sink and in the shower area with task lighting. Include a large mirror or mirrored cabinet to bounce light around the room and lights either side to create the appearance of more space in the room.

Melissa Davis 

Q. What are your top tips for injecting personality into a space?
A. I saw a painting at the entrance of a flea market I went to years ago with my sister. It really caught my eye but was a bit on the expensive side plus I didn’t want to be carrying it around for the next few hours so decided against purchasing it. On my way out it was still there but reduced to half price! I bought it and every time I look at it, even now, it gives me great pleasure and reminds me of the fun I had on that day with my sister. The things we put in our space should have a positive effect on us – buy what makes you feel good. It’s hard to explain sometimes why something makes us feel the way we do but it’s all linked the our personality.

Kiitos Marimeko

Use a side table to display unusual objects, your favourite coffee-table book or a beautiful ornament/bust. It adds a depth and wonderful interest to a room and gives a glimpse of you and what you like. Add a light behind to illuminate and help showcase your life. I have a friend who has a wall dedicated to displaying all his many books he’s collected over the years. He says he’ll never get rid of them because every time he needs inspiration he’ll look at a book and remember what he’s read, where he read it and how it made him feel. It’s a personal thing but one which give him great pleasure and is a link to his past.

Erika Brechtel

Q. What are your favourite resources for inspiration?
A. Google is great for sourcing images and I use Pinterest to collect them and store on one of my many boards I have created. It’s also important to see products, if possible, before buying so I find myself in many a department store which are great places for inspiration. I travel by push-bike in London and I find myself stopping far too often to look into large window displays! It’s all very tempting…

Great tips! A big thank you to Anna for answering my questions and being a part of my blog. I hope you all found what she had to say helpful. 

Claire x

Pinch, Punch

Good day to you, and welcome to July! 

We're over half way through the year, can you believe it? There's something that I want to be open and honest with you about and it's that I am currently dramatically failing at achieving any of my 'Home Goals' that I shared way back in January. Other things have stepped in and taken priority or we've just not had the time or funds. I'm certainly not going to beat myself up about it because I'm very happy in our home, however it may come, and that's what's important to me. 

Anyway, summer is apparently here and I am definitely a fan of the warmer months and really want to try and make the most of being outside. We've even got a last-minute getaway booked for my husband's 30th birthday to look forward to next week. I'm rather excited! 

I also wanted to let you know that I was back over on the Object blog the other day, if you fancy heading over for a quick read. I'm discussing decluttering techniques for a healthy house and mind. 

Have a happy hump day! :)

Claire x

Object

There's a new online concept store that requires your full attention. Object is a beautifully curated virtual shop for those on the search for unique and delightful pieces for the home, wardrobe and wedding. I've known Rachael, Object's founder, for a few years now and had the pleasure of working with her on several projects in the past. She's an incredibly dedicated entrepreneur, and has worked hard to hone her eye to create a strong and extremely aesthetically pleasing brand. You must check out the official instagram account, it is a vision of rose gold heaven!

I did a little guest post over on Object's blog where I discuss 'The Rise of the Sharing Traveller'. This involved some research into Behomm, a house swap website for creative professionals. My new aim in life is to get my home listed on their site, there are so many picture-perfect places to stay, in all far flung edges of this earth. Have a little read if you've got a spare moment. I guarantee you'll want a nosey.

I wouldn't be a very good 'interiors blogger' if I didn't show you a few of my favourite pieces from Object's 'Home' section. So, here you go:

Biscuit Thief Bone China Mug by Ink Inc

Lucky Wheel Print by Kristina Krogh

Trio of Grey Felt Storage Baskets

Medium Textured Weave by Maryanne Moodie

Silver and Black Glass Circular Wall Hanging

I bet you've already mentally loaded your shopping basket. You're welcome ;)

Claire x

Three New Houseplants

It wasn't that long ago that I said I wouldn't be buying any more living plants to adorn my house with. I'm afraid I didn't keep my word. I gave in; and I'm so glad I did because the plants look great and thankfully haven't shriveled up just yet.  My new green friends all sneaked into my shopping trolley at the supermarket and are now happily dotted around the house. I really do love seeing a bit of the outdoors inside, they make such a difference. 

My fireplace in the front room is now home to a lovely fern. I've mentioned previously that our living room is rather shady; and fortunately ferns don't mind that too much. 

Our bedroom fireplace is perfect for this little succulent fella. Unfortunately I don't know it's name - it has tiny heart-shaped leaves that grow from long stems and tumble delicately over the edge of the pot. Any guesses? 

And last but not least the bathroom window has a happy little Christmas cactus also known as Schlumbergera. Our cat Bella has taken quite a fancy to it.

Adding a little splash of green to my home has really helped set the tone for summer. How are you prepping your house for the change in season?

Claire x

Utility Room Inspiration

Our small Victorian terrace has a utility room surprisingly tucked into a narrow extension attached to the rear of the house. The name utility room is definitely apt for this particular room because we utilise it to the max! It houses our washing machine, chest freezer, bike gear, walking attire, coats, boots, dog leads, an extra sink and a whole lot more. When we arrive back from a dog walk and Luna is covered head to toe in mud (a frequent occurrence, thanks to living in Manchester) this is the entrance we use. Unfortunately this means that the room takes a good old bashing and is often a little disheveled to say the very least. I really want to give it a refresh but I know that it isn't quite so high on our list of priorities at the moment. Oh well, a girl can dream. And that's exactly what I do via the world of Pinterest. Below are some current inspiration ideas for our utility room. At the moment I seem to be favouring an all white scheme but I'm not sure how well that idea fits in considering the amount of mud and dirt this rooms sees.  My ideas may have to be adapted. 

This small laundry room uses simple touches, like the basket and artwork, 
to make it feel homely
Source unknown

Great use of plants and greenery in this particular utility room
Source

Subway tiles - of course
Source

Great storage ideas, more subway tiles and, of course grey 
will always be a firm favourite of mine
Source

A utility room that doesn't look quite so utility-like, 
hidden white goods are another potential option
Source

Do you have a utility/laundry/mud room? How do you combat the mess, especially if you have a mucky pup?

Claire x

Loving Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus has been taking the home interiors world by storm for a while now. It's stunningly delicate green/silver leaves and warming fragrance has made it a strong favourite for many interiors-obsessed folk. I recently picked up a few stems at a local florist. Here's how I styled them in my bedroom:

Eucalyptus in the home

Eucalyptus branches add interest and height to any area

I've been thinking how much easier it would be if I could pop out to my garden, instead of the florist, each time I wanted to bring some of the eucalyptus trend inside my home. Imagine having your own eucalyptus plant just outside your back door. I want in! My initial research on the Royal Horticultural Society website seems promising if a little challenging but I'm willing to give it a try. 

There are lots of different varieties so I'm going to speak to my local garden centre to make sure that I select the right one. Once the garden has had it's makeover and the eucalyptus plant is in-situ, I'll be sure to share the outcome with you. 

Claire x

White Bedding and a Pop of Pink

I mentioned the other day that I had ordered some new white bed sheets that I was hoping to share with you. Thanks to a little bit of sunshine this weekend I was able to snap a few photos of them styled up on our bed. If you'd like to see the 'before' pictures then you can click here and peruse our Master Bedroom Reveal post from November last year.

The bedding is from Debenhams and is their White pleated 'Tibet' bedding set from the Home Basics Collection. Even though our bed is only a double we like to have a king size duvet so that's the size you can see below. I decided to go for white bedding because I like the contrast against the grey walls and dark furniture. However, I shied away from completely flat sheets and chose a set with pleats to add a bit of texture (plus, it makes me feel less guilty for not ironing them! Does everyone always iron their bed sheets? Or is this just something my mother tends to do?) I also happened upon a rather lovely accent cushion in TKMaxx the other day, the colours fit in perfectly with our bedroom's scheme so it was swiftly popped into my shopping basket. The hint of pink is feeling suitably festive what with Valentine's day just around the corner. 

White pleated 'Tibet' bedding set

Crisp white bed sheets / Pop of pink

Herringbone blanket / Pleats

Textured sheets

The bedding is soft and looks great, especially considering that the set only cost £50. Bargain! I would love to be able to invest in some Egyptian cotton sheets or perhaps even switch over to linen but I'm not currently able to justify the price. I think this set is holding it's own for now anyway.

Do you like my choice of white bedding? Would you dare to pick completely plain white bed sheets? 

Claire x

Bedding - Debenhams
Cushion - TKMaxx
Vintage-look glassware - gift
Pink heart print - Made By Girl 
Herringbow blanket - H&M
Candle - Yankee Candle (Black Coconut)

Dollybirds Art

The use of birds in interior design and home decor will probably never grown old. They can instantly add a feeling of frivolity to a space and bring a snippet of nature inside to liven up any room. 

When I first caught sight of Dollybirds Art on Twitter, I knew straight away that I would eventually be ordering one of their prints. The instantly recognisable selection of British Isles native birds was perfect. Belfast artist Eimear Maguire captures the character and colours of her favourite birds in a way that truly demonstrates her appreciation for all things feathery. The perfect opportunity to purchase a print presented itself last week when my bird-loving mother's birthday came around. I opted for the 'Cyanistes caeruleus' also known as the Blue Tit. It arrived promptly and beautifully packaged with a lovely little note from Eimear. I love that each print comes mounted and presented in it's own upcycled frame. They really are the perfect gift. Although in all honesty, I'd quite like to 'gift' one to myself ;-)

 Which is your favourite Dollybirds print? Have you already used birds in your home decor? 

Claire x

Top Six Artificial Plants

I love, love, LOVE the indoor plant trend that's been dominating the home accessories scene for the past couple of years. Our green leafy friends can instantly change the feel of a room. The plants themselves can be works of art and even more interest can be added with a beautiful pot or stand. What's not to like? 

My front room is fairly dark and this has lead to several unfortunate short-lived plant appearances. I can't bring myself to buy another living plant for this room, when I know it's most likely going to end up in my compost bin. There is an alternative and that's the growing market of artificial plants and flowers. I've pulled together six of my current favourites and they look pretty good to me:

Eucalyptus Bush - Abigail Ahern 

Lit Banyan Tree - Next

Faux Aubergine Succulents - Nordic House

Green Succulents - Dunelm Mill

Fig - Ikea

Mini Echeveria - John Lewis

Would you fake it with an artificial plant? Or do you find it easy to look after the real-deal?

Claire x

Home Goals

As well as sharing my general plans for 2015 here, I thought you might be interested to read my plans for our home this New Year. 

Our hallway when it's seen better days (and light!)

Decorate the bathroom: I've mentioned previously how I've been feeling the need to decorate our bathroom and hopefully this will be the year that we get round to it. I want to say goodbye to the current pastel yellow and hello to something crisp and clean. I've been gathering inspiration on Pinterest, if you'd like to take a look.

Touch-up the hallway: I love our hallway. From the dark grey carpet on the stairs, to the light fittings and the radiator covers to the art on the walls. I think it is a great welcome to our home and accurately sets the tone for the rest of our house. However, it's been looking a little bit sad due to wear and tear. I guess that's the trouble with high-traffic areas like hallways. If you're planning on decorating a hallway, then make sure you go for a tough, hard wearing paint. Lecture over ;)

Sand and repaint kitchen cabinets: Our kitchen cabinets are a country-esque cream colour but over time they've become discoloured and cracked in places. They need some TLC. I think we will be able to get away with sanding and repainting them but if not then we might have to look into replacing the doors altogether. This will be a spring/summer job because we will need to do the sanding outdoors. 

Repair kitchen sink: Our kitchen and utility room boast Belfast sinks and I think they look fabulous, but a disaster recently struck one of them. Unfortunately a mystery chip has appeared on the rim of the kitchen sink. I actually nearly fainted* when I spotted it. Thankfully, after a little research I found that there are DIY repair kits, so I shall be giving this a go in the near future. Fingers crossed!

Repaint the outside of the house: We live in a typical Victorian red brick terrace and it's stone masonry is painted an off-white colour. It needs a fresh lick of paint to get rid of flakes, marks and paw prints (thanks, Bella!). This is going to be another warmer weather job. 

Decorate the utility room: The utility room at the back of our kitchen will be the last stronghold of the dreaded pastel yellow. This room requires a very hard wearing paint, as it's the first room we enter after walking our puppy. She is quite often wet and/or muddy so the walls are constantly getting wiped down. I'm yet to feel inspired about how to approach decorating the space so expect lots of new pins on my Pinterest boards in the near future. 

Plant a herb garden: I've already planted some Mint (don't worry gardeners, it's in a container and so won't take over my whole garden) and when the frost stops I'll be adding some Rosemary, Basil and Thyme. The wall baskets are just outside our kitchen door and so will be the perfect spot for us to nip out to when cooking. 

Well, I think that's about everything. Other bits and bobs may creep onto this list over the coming year and we may end up deprioritising some of the above tasks depending on time and money. I'm excited to get stuck in and of course I'll be sharing updates as often as I can. 

What are your decorating plans for the New Year? How do you prioritise what to do first?

Claire x

*slight exaggeration

My Perfect Christmas Table

We all want our Christmas dinner to be perfect. I'm talking a deliciously succulent turkey, crisp and fluffy roast potatoes, sublimely seasoned vegetables; the list seems endless. I've never cooked a Christmas dinner myself, so hats off to all those that have. I personally struggle with a regular roast dinner, so I'm not sure how I would cope with cooking the most important meal of the year. There's just so much to think about. One aspect of Christmas day that you can usually plan in advance, is the look of your Christmas table. 

Below I've pulled together my wishlist for my perfect Christmas table. Let's hope old Saint Nick has made note of how good I've been this year!

The table:

The foundation for any festive family meal is, of course, the table.
This pale solid oak beauty is the perfect base for my elegant and simple scheme.

Chairs:

I've long been a fan of mismatched dining chairs.
These three work well together thanks to their distinct yet vintage vibes.
1 / 2 / 3

Crockery:

My Christmas crockery upgrade would have to be to these perfectly imperfect white 'Wobbler' plates and bowls from Loaf. I don't want any distractions when it comes to surveying my piled-high plate of Christmas goodies.

Cutlery:

The gold cutlery trend is a little too brash for my earthy and paired-back theme.
That's why these simply chic knives and forks from Zara Home hit the spot for me.

Napkins:

Elegant linen napkins can soften or smarten up any scheme.
These ones fit perfectly with my refined and rustic vision.

Place names:

I think I have enough creativity in me to replicate these name cards and they ooze with Scandinavian style. Follow the full DIY here.

Crackers:

I think I may have an unhealthy obsession with Craft paper. If an item is made out of, or wrapped up in, this lovable brown paper, I will most probably buy it.
Case and point are these delightful and eco-friendly crackers from Not On The High Street.

Centrepiece:

I have a thing for foliage filled tablescapes. The inviting and warm look that they effortlessly create is exactly what I want on Christmas day.
Just be extra careful where you place those candles!
1 / 2 / 3

What does your perfect Christmas table feature? Have you already thought about what it will look like? 

Claire x

This post was written in collaboration with Loaf.
Loaf stockist details: LOAF.COM / 0845 459 9937

Home Is...In Ancoats

I mentioned last week that I was heading to Home Is In The North on Saturday so I thought I'd share how I got on. 

My mum and I arrived at Halle St Peter's quite early on in the day and there was already a fair bit of hustle and bustle. It's a gorgeous venue, I challenge anyone to walk through the door and not be a little bit gobsmacked at what you find. It's quite unexpected to step into a beautifully restored deconsecrated church in the middle of Ancoats, surrounded by old buildings and converted warehouses. Ancoats is on the up and it's great to see an area of Manchester with so much history being given a new lease of life. 

The thirty-something exhibitors had each created beautiful and enticing stalls. There were plenty of pieces catching my eye as we began to wander so we decided to do a recce tour of the room before any purchase decisions were made. The purchases I did make are going to be gifts and so I can't share them here (sorry!)

However, here's a glimpse into some of my favourites: 
Scented candles from Lomas and Lomas, wooden Christmas decorations from Double Thumbs Up, vintage furniture and homewares from Homeward, mugs and coasters from Northern Letters, notepads and cushions from Natalie Laura Ellen, unique ceramic vases from Knit Me A Stitch, cosy investment quilts from Lisa Watson and pretty much everything by Ink Inc (I was stood at their stall for so long trying to decide which little character was the cutest!). 

Ink Inc

Natalie Laura Ellen

You can see a full list of exhibitors here.

The event was fuelled by Ancoats Coffee, Tea with Tom, Rudy's Pizza and Fat Annie's Hot Dogs. All of which looked and smelt amazing. I had to stop myself from digging in as we were heading to lunch after the event. It took a lot of will power though! 

Sign up to The Social Butterfly mailing list to make sure you don't miss the next event. 

Claire x