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SS13 Trends: Yellow

Yellow was one of the key colours on the runways for Spring-Summer 2013, from a strong sunshine hue making up Louis Vuitton looks, to a paler pastel tone at Christopher Kane. Meanwhile in homewares, Next and Dwell are leading the way with yellow accessories and furnishings. This trend works great as a bright accent for kitchens, paler for living room throws and cushions, or combined with turquoise blue and magenta pink for an urban feel.

TOP L-R: Ochre Bubble Knit Throw (Next), Glass Stem Table Lamp (Dwell), Jonah Armchair (Made.com)

BOTTOM L-R: Eames DSR Side Chair (John Lewis), Fresco Tumbler (Heal's), Pantone Wallstore (notonthehighstreet)

For more yellow updates for your home, follow SS13 on my pinterest.

Window Seats

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If I am to ever go on Location, Location, Location, the first thing I'm asking Kirstie and Phil for is a house or apartment with a window seat. Window seats are the perfect space for flicking through a magazine, reading a book, or just gazing out the window. Here, I've gathered a collection of my favourite window seats and different ways to have one.

Bay windows are the most natural place for a window seat, whether it be in a bedroom, living room or conservatory. By using different hues from the room's existing colour palette, for cushions and throws, the seating area becomes tied in with the rest of the room. 

Coastal Living window seat and daybed

Window seats also provide the potential for lots of storage underneath. Great in the kitchen for storing extra pots and pans, as well as giving seating space for dinner party guests to chat to while you cook.

Make the most of a great view, like this mountain glacier, with bench cushions on top of a storage unit. Perfect for daydreaming!

Mountain view

A contemporary curved window seat makes for a statement area of the room, and draws the attention to the unusual window shape.

Yellow and grey curved seat

Surrounded by book shelves, this window seat in a city apartment provides a peaceful little nook to catch up on your favourite reading. Keep the look calm and airy with white soft furnishings and a simple green plant.

From the big...

Not got the arrangement for a traditional window seat? Make a floor one! Pile cushions, beanbags, pillows and throws by a wall length window and you've got yourself a when-you-feel-like-it window seat.

...to the small

The smaller, the cosier! Squeeze in a small bench into an alcove and top with a flat cushion. Keep the fabrics neutral as to not overpower the space.

Check out the window seat board on my pinterest for more inspiration!

Colour of the moment: Berry

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Berry nice...

Deep purple, lilac, raspberry, burgundy - berry shades are hot for homewares right now! The colours signify royalty  creativity, independence, and wisdom, so why not use them?! And with so many shades to choose from, berry colours provide the opportunity for individual looks, whether you're after a traditional, modern, or eclectic look.

Modern

Layering rich pink tones with navy, slate greys, and touches of pastel pink for a modern look. Add to these with white features, industrial style furniture, striking artwork, and of course plenty of mod cons.

Images: Top, Middle, Bottom

Traditional

For a more traditional look, team dark purples and lilac together. Mixing in neutralising tones such as beige, adding gold accessories  and using classic dark wood or oak furniture helps to create a calm and cosy feel. To add contrast, try throwing in some green accent pieces to really highlight the colours.

Images: Top left, Top right, Bottom

 

Eclectic

Coral, turquoise, yellow, teal, coffee - berry shades look great with all of these to create an individual and eclectic take on this trend. They produce a one-off, 'just-thrown-it-all-together' look (ssh no-one needs to know about all the planning and cushion arranging). Here are some of my favourite looks for this.

Images: Top, Upper middle, Lower middle, Bottom

Check out my pinterest for more berry room inspiration and products! 

Back to school

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Back to School

As the new school year has just begin, schools can provide plenty of design inspiration, whether via subject, uniform, or furniture. Here are some ideas of how to incorporate 'school style' into your homes.

1. Vintage school desk: Wood or painted, this old style school desk would look great as a small work station, or even as a dressing table, in a bedroom. The small shelf underneath provides a good little storage area too.

Antique Desk

2. Be inspired to learn by Dr Seuss' classic children books with a quotation printed on canvas. Great for by a children's bookcase or library. Similar canvases can be found at Etsy.

3. An old gym vaulting box makes for a great storage piece. The stacking nature of it makes it ideal for storing items from least used to most often used (bottom to top). 

Difficult to find in stores, but sometimes available on Ebay.

4. School colours: take inspiration from your old school tie. Striped bedding in classic navy blues, reds and white, accompanied by dark wood furniture create a traditional, public school look without the fees! Ralph Lauren and Lexington interiors provide great sources and ideas for this.

Image

5. Revisit your geography lessons with world map wallpaper. You can personalise it with postcards or stickers of places you've visited. This wallpaper would look great as a feature wall in most rooms: an office, dining room, playroom, bedroom.

World Map Wallpaper

6. Use vintage metal lockers in the hallway for storing coats and shoes. If there is space, one for each family member helps to organise and separate everyone's gear.

Polished Metal Lockers

7. Remember your biology lessons by framing species posters and hanging around the house. For children obsessed with butterflies or dinosaurs hang prints in their bedrooms for a much chic-er way of decorating around their interests and even encouraging their learning.

Similar prints available here.

Please feel free to leave your opinions, and remember to check my pinterest account for more 'back to school' ideas.

Dip-dye & Ombre

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Dip-dye & Ombre

Dip-dye & Ombre is one of the key trends in fashion at the moment, and there is no reason why fashion styles can’t be transferred straight from the catwalk and into our homes. Here’s just a collection of some of the best, quick and easy ways to bring your interiors up to date.

1. Candles - A quick and understated way to ease the trend into your home. Cheap, simple to make and chic! Find out how to make them here.

2. Matching the 'dip' of your furniture to the wall or floor colour creates the illusion of more space.

Dip Chair

3.  For an instant update to your bedroom or living room, add an ombre inspired throw.


Ombre Throw: Turquoise

4. If your family is anything like mine, your place at the dinner table is your place. Let all the family choose a different colour for their chair for a personalised dip-dye look around the dining room table.


Image

5. Highlight intricate or decorative details by painting that bit in a different colour to the rest of the furniture. Colours such as gold and bronze really enhance the elaborate nature of the piece.


Before & After

6. Be inspired by the Olympic success of Team GB this summer with gold dipped wine or champagne glasses.


MYO Gold Dipped Wine Glasses

7. Dip-dye and neon: channel these two trends in one easy piece by painting the lower half of flower pots in a neon pink or yellow. These would look great against a white background, just be careful to keep the flowers simple so as to not steal the show!

Dip Dyed Planters

8. Update your office with ombre desk drawers. Nab a paint colour swatch at your local DIY store for inspiration, buy a small pot of each sample colour and get painting! So simple and cheap!



Anthropologie desk

Feel free to leave any comments and for more dip-dye & ombre inspired homes, check out my pinterest board.