Weekly Inspiration #4

So this week, I've been feeling the Orange vibe. I'm also loving the idea of male/female sides of a bedroom (as shown in Disney pixar's UP) and incororating a division screen into our master bedroom somehow. Also, I loved a Portrait Wall I saw at a friends house the other day which climbed the staircase and looked brilliant. And finally, I've been truely inspired to launch an "Inspired by Fashion" series of Interior scheme posts after reading one of my favourite Fashion blogs, Kendi Everyday - keep your beady eyes peeled for the upcoming post this weekend!

Get the Look: MAISON MOSCHINO IVY ROOM

If you recall a few months back I posted a Hotel feature on the Maison Moschino in Madrid and have decide to include this in my "Get the Look" range - and I highly recommend you do get the look as its surprisingly simple to do, and far more achievable than some other Hotel schemes to implement in your own abode.

Firstly, the rooms are imaginative and fun - both key factors in replicating the look - but not entirely practical (rose petal bedspread = not easy to wash!) so its not necessarily a bad idea to deviate slightly from the actual hotel rooms and go at little less OTT. I've looked at two of the rooms - the Ivy room and the Rose room so far - my favourites. I'm saving the Rose room for a later date, but for now...

Here is the Ivy Room Scheme:

The main feature of this room are the stripes. I think you could go with a dark olive or dark blue and achieve the same result - I've shown dark blue in the below scheme as its widely available and a little cheaper. Ikea have some blue & white striped fabrics in store, but I've shown William Yeoward in my scheme as he does a matching St Ives wallpaper.
The bed style requires a decorative ornate headboard which is both framed and upholstered (ideally customers-own-fabric so you can get the stripe) so the frame helps define the headboard against the matching striped wallpaper. The bed below is from Stokers and is called Sofia, but you could use a divan bed with separate headboard (if on a tight budget, headboards of this style can often be picked up at House Clearance shops or even Charity shops for a bargain price, leaving the relatively simple task of upholstering the board in your chosen material.
The Ikea staple, Hemnes Bedroom furniture, is a close match in terms of style and colour, though french shabby chic furniture would also work for a more decorative look. Top the bedside off with a simple shaded lamp.
Finally, add an Ivy garland and drape up the wall. These are available at many garden centres and would really complete the look.

Colour Wheel: OLIVE GREEN

This is a new type of post I’m trying out. Basically, I plan on selecting a colour and creating a little bedroom scheme around it. This week, I’ve opted for Olive Green.

For paint, I’ve picked Olive by Farrow & Ball – it has a little bit more pigment than Lichen but isn’t as overpowering as a lime would be. Green is also a great basic colour to work alongside dark woods – I’ve shown it here with Walnut Engineered flooring though Thermo Fumed Oak would work just as well. In the furniture, I’ve mixed walnut and wenge – I find that with wood its often good to mix, especially when the wood is darker in tone. This gives more depth to a scheme and helps create highlights. I’ve used walnut and wenge combinations many times and really like the overall effect.

To complete the palette, I’ve teamed the Olive with a rich Dark Chocolate and Mink, with white linen bedding and a selection of green shaded scatter cushions. I love the chair as it gives a nice strong statement – very masculine – and opted for a feature pendant light to add interest.

Though I haven’t used any in the visual I’ve drawn up, there are some nice wallpapers which would work with this palette. Here are a couple from Graham and Brown – I particularly like the Brown “Jazz” swirls which add a little feminine touch.

Have you used Olive in your bedroom? If so, what colours did you mix it with?

Mx

Designer Focus: Vivienne Westwood

It’s fair to say that Vivienne Westwood fashion is unique. You certainly wouldn’t confuse it with being, say, Armani or Paul Smith. It is iconic of the British Punk era of the 1970s, with strong Patriotic statements and Festish inspired accessories – it’s difficult to think of Westwood without simultaneously imagining Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols. And the same ethos has been implemented to her dabbling in the Interior world, creating edgy Punk inspired pieces to inject some mischief into the home. In conjunction with Cole & Son Wallpapers and The Rug Company, Westwood has created a small selection of Punk items – so here a just a few.

The rugs are great – real statement pieces which strike a political point as well as a fashionable one. Unfortunately, the prices are about as far away from the grass roots of Punk Fashion as you could imagine, but that’s fashion for you. This is Interior Design for Rock Stars as you’d be pushed to afford any on a normal income.

The wallpapers are by far more affordable and can have an equally dramatic impact on a room. Teaming any of these designs with traditional furniture (think worn leather wingback chairs) and you’re onto a winning Punk look.

Weekly Inspiration #3

Well – I think it’s fair to say I’ve failed miserably on my New Year’s resolution to post a weekly inspiration montage, considering it’s the 14^th February and I’ve only just posted my 3^rd one! Oops. Bi-weekly is perhaps more accurate, but that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it does it?!

This past week or so, I’ve been feeling all Loved Up. Yes folks, it’s Valentine’s day and Love is All Around. So I’ve been looking at romantic images – you know the sort – rose petal scattered beds, candlelit dinners and open fires. But I’ve also gone a little abstract as well: writing desks are such a romantic piece of furniture don’t you think? Long before email and instant messaging, Writing Desks were privy to all our romantic musings. I’d like to think that people still write – pen to paper – and commit their feelings with ink. Never had a love letter yet, but I’m still young… Also, I’m still perusing the web for new bedding with our second bedroom in mind, and looking for an inspiring colour palette too.

What’s got your design juices flowing this Valentines week…?

Get the Look: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES RENEE

As the vixen on Wisteria Lane with boodles of cash and the co-founder of an Interior Design company to boot, Renee’s Bedroom had to be really impressive to match the character. And it is. In fact, the whole house (formerly home to Edie Britt before her untimely demise) is decked out in some fabulous interior wares. Needless to say, there are a few designer labels dotted about the place. This last season has given us some great shots of Renee’s home, from her textured wall on the stairwell to the uber modern kitchen. I managed to capture a few screenshots of the bedroom and have compiled a little moodboard for anyone looking to create a Renee style boudoir.

The bedding I tracked down at Macy’s and is currently on offer. The bronze tones are complimented by the mocha wallcolour. Combined with splashes on Turquoise, the milky brown is then subdued with white furniture. Though I couldn’t locate the exact pieces used on the show (I’m not from the states and have limited knowledge of their interior industry) I did find some suitable pieces by Italian designer SMA – available at various stockists around Europe. Top it all off with a velvet upholstered Chaise Longue with scroll top detail and you’re onto a winner. The must have piece is the upholstered bed – I found a good match at High Fashion Home – with a high headboard, deep button detailing and winged sides.

Happy shopping!

Mx

NURSERY RHYMES: photo showcase

This is really more of a "story so far" kind of post. Its significantly nicer than the original room with its plain magnolia walls and beige carpet, but its not quite there yet. I have many things I plan on implementing over the coming months, for instance:

• Tissue Paper Pom Poms are a must - the ceiling height looks vast at the moment and for a box room, it needs bringing down a little bit visually, so pom pom clouds should do the trick.
• Silver Birch stump Table - currently, i have an old bedside unit with a wicker drawer in which solves some minor storage issues and gives me a place for the baby monitor to sit, but I'd love a little tree stump instead to complete the woodland theme. Fortunately, I have a friend who is a Tree Surgeon so he's keeping his beady eyes peeled for me.
• Wardrobe - we got this bargain from Argos. the reason its a bargain is because its unfinished. As the cot is second hand and a varnished pine, it would make sense to varnish this too - but i don't like that idea. So i do plan on painting it white, when my daughter has outgrown her cot. So, in about 3 years.

There are also a few pieces just to dress the room I'm looking for, and I'm sure these will pop into my peripheral vision at some point. Anyway, hope you like the photos!

Mx

HOME IMPROVEMENT: Master Bedroom Photo Showcase

So, its not quite complete just yet, but the room is finally coming together. To summarise the scheme so far:

• The walls have been re-neutralised to a "contemporary" off white with splashes of lime/mint and chocolate.
• Curtains are a recycled feature of our old living room, by Montgomery
• The Bedstead is the Leamington by Next
• Throw from (*shocked face*) Sainsburys
• Bedding from Next
• Wardrobe by Argos
• Bedsides & Chest Of Drawers by Ikea

A lot of our bits and pieces are not new, as we've lived together for almost 8 years now and have acquired things along the way. But the two large pieces (bed & wardrobe) have been bought with longevity in mind and we searched around for the bargains.





The room is not completely dressed yet. I'd like to really make a feature of the bedding and am considering buying some egyptian cotton of a good quality high thread count (600 if i'm lucky). Also, when money is not such a deciding factor, i'd like to incorporate a stunning wallpaper, like the "Elementi Fiamma" by Zoffany. This would look amazing with the zesty greens already used.