Canary Yellow with a 50s Vibe

Firstly, let me apologise for my absence of late. Many things have kept me distracted. Firstly, my long time boyfriend finally proposed after 10 years (!) of “courting”. As you can imagine, I have 10 years build-up of marriage related ideas which I had to explore immediately. This has lead me to look into designing my own wedding stationary and has developed into a little business idea. So, with daydreaming of weddings and my possible business venture (which shall remain an idea for a little while longer I imagine, if ever becomes anything more) I have not thought about anything remotely interior design based which would be worth noting on here. Add to that, my daughter is at a rather interesting age (10 months now, blimey its gone fast) and is trying her level best to walk. This is causing me to be both physically and mentally exhausted come the evening, when I usually dedicate my spare time to The Blog.

 BUT, did you notice spring has suddenly arrived?! Yes folks, spring is officially here and the fresh spring light has shined through my windows and into my humble home… which is still in need of decorating. And in true spring-cleaning like gusto, I’m back on the case and keen to get cracking again.

One room which has not been touched yet is our Spare Bedroom. For a long time, in fact since we moved it, it has been a junk room. All the stuff which we’d acquired in our old house and didn’t have a place for has been piled up and I had mentally closed the door to the issue. Temporarily. But with lovely weather and that burst of energy that seems to come with spring, I’ve managed to clear most of it away. So, now to the fun part: getting a moodboard together.

I’m LOVING yellow at the moment – not sure if I’m a couple of years behind a trend here or too trendy for my own good, but there is not a vast amount of yellow currently on our high streets. Green, yes. Teal, yes. Red, yes. Yellow… not so much. But it’s such a gorgeous colour in my opinion, so fresh and gender-neutral, I’m really keen to use it in our Guest Bedroom. I’m also looking for a little bit of a quirky edge on it too, and would love to incorporate a 50’s vibe. So, for the time being, I’ve done a little sketch and am working on a moodboard. Most of our furniture will be second hand here, so I want to pull it all together by making bold statements of Black, White and Yellow. Its gona be great… trust me, I’m a designer.

Mx

DESIGNER FOCUS: Orla Kiely

She’s become such a success of recent years, chances are you’ve come across Orla Kiely designs in numerous forms. Her fashion line is right up my street – 50’s and 60’s revival, using textured fabrics and retro proportions and cuts to create timeless designs. Her homeware products bend a little bit more towards the 50’s I think, using nature to inspire geometric patterns and neat colour palettes. The most common design I’m aware of is the multi coloured stem print design which has been transferred onto a wealth of merchandise from Radios to cushions to mugs.

Here are a few of my favourite images showing her Interior items. I’m loving the wallpaper in the kitchens but sadly I cannot afford £62 a roll… but if you can, then Heals is the place to go. But I bet there are a few copycat designs available – I shall be perusing Graham & Brown later to see if I can find one for my own home. Also, check out the fab “carpark” duvet covers, currently on sale at Dotmaison.com – I just love the simplicity.

Weekly Inspiration #1

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to broaden my blog posts in 2012 and post more regularly. So, in what can only be described as a blatant copying off one of my favourite blogs, Elegant Musings, I have decided to post a weekly (!) inspirational post showing the things on the web which have caught my beedy eye this week, as well as anything which is particuarly influencing my current tastes, be it a newspaper article, upcoming event or film which i've recently watched.

This week, I'm feeling the vintage vibe. I'm looking at our kitchen and none-existant dining area and mulling over the possibilites. The space restrictions have lead me to look at making a boothed seating area, a la the 1950s. Also, i've been looking at vintage pieces for our master bedroom to dress the room. Finally, I saw the film, Revolutionary Road, earlier this week and spent the whole film drooling over the decor, so i've been googling that a fair bit too.

What's been catching your eye this week?
M x

Grease is the Word: Get the Look

I think that for a generation of teen girls, Grease really was the word. There are few girls who haven’t donned black leggings and a pink satin jacket with the words “pink ladies” emblazoned across the back for a girls’ night out or fancy dress party.  The iconic film with its catchy songs and risqué tale of teen love continues to spawn new fans and romanticises 1950’s America, making us all wish that, despite its lack of internet and sky TV, we had been lucky enough to have been born in the era where a circle skirt was compulsory attire and school looked (almost) fun. But are today’s teenagers still as gripped by the film as we were? Or will the sight of Pink Ladies on a hen do disappear in years to come? No – I think it has a longevity which most films and musicals can only dream of. So, why am I, a self-confessed interiors addict, talking about films and fashion? To help any Pink Lady wannabes out there recreate a true Pink Lady bedroom of course, with a nod the 1978 classic film.

If we look at a screenshot of the movie during Rizzo’s rendition of “look at me I’m Sandra Dee” , we get a great snippet of Marty’s bedroom. Are we surprised the room is mostly Pink and Black? Not really.  Are we surprised that there are pictures of 1950’s heart throbs pinned to the wall above her bed? Nope. And who wouldn’t have wanted to have such a cool bedroom as a teenager? I know I would have killed for my own en suite “powder room” that’s for sure. I’ve searched the web for furniture currently on the market which could help achieve a Pink Lady bedroom with inspiration drawn from Marty’s room.

To begin, the wallpaper in the film is a vintage coral pink swan design and there are a couple of options available for this: the Flamingo design by Cole and Son (£55 a roll) or Swan Lake by Nina Campbell (£52 a roll) both available from Wallpaper Direct. Use this in moderation like Marty, as a Feature Bedhead wall.

Accessorise: Marty is a real man eater and clearly a fan of Elvis and James Dean. If old 50’s heart throbs aren’t your thing though, how about using black and white photos of your own teen crush instead? But I’ve got to say, who wouldn’t have drooled over James Dean in this picture? Marty also shows her arty side with her half-finished Paint By Number’s Horse picture and a patriotic token Rydell High banner in red.

Furniture: Marty’s room is nice and girly on the colour side but has some fairly plain and simple furniture, much in-keeping with the era. The Ikea Brimnes bed with its headboard storage is ideal for a teenager’s room and matching simple bedsides and chest of drawers to complete the basics. Marty also has a deco style dressing table with marble effect top and vanity mirror –but I love this 1950’s style one available from Bouf.com.

Her bedding sticks with the pink and black colour scheme, much like this vintage 50’s fabric with lighting in the form of a tripod standard lamp and simple bedside light. Finally, finish the room with a weave chair like this one available from utilty – a classic 50’s design.

Is there anything else which you think should go in a Pink Lady bedroom? Feel free to leave comments and links below,

Oh, I forgot about the wall colour! in the words of Rizzo: Peachy Cream.

Classic Cars

Now, I won't pretend that I know a single thing about cars. I know how to open the doors, switch on the engine and if I'm lucky, open the bonnet to refill the windscreen wiper fluid. But I certainly admire good design, even if it is purely aesthetic appreciation. This Sunday was the Port Sunlight Village Festival - a highlight in my calendar - and the village was host to a Vintage Classic Car show, amongst other entertainment. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are just a couple of the cars which I especially liked.

Ok, so I don't know what this car is exactly, I only know its pre-war, and its classic :D but by happy coincidence, I took the photo as it cruised past one of my favourite buildings in the Village - it has a very Agatha Cristie look about it, and I though this car really fitted well with it.

This next car I do know: its a Vauxhall Cresta. It says it on the side. It also happens to be my favourite of those I photographed - its a real 1950's gem. Oh, and its Pink! I just adore the shape - the curve of the roof, the neat little wings on the back, and the beautiful tyres. These weren't just practical modes of transport: they were pieces of Art on wheels.

And finally, this is the gorgeous MG A (?) with a hard top. It hails from the late 1950's/early 1960's I believe and for some reason makes me think of driving across a windswept Yorkshire moor towards Whitby. I imagine that's down to seeing something similar in an episode of Heartbeat (which I swear I don't watch. Often). What really made me smile was the little rack on the back with a picnic hamper strapped on. You rarely see that feature on modern cars, mores the pity.

Well, that's all folks! I should have taken more photos, but alas, the funfair was beckoning. Which is your favourite? If money wasn't an issue, would you choose to drive a vintage classic? I think I would, but only if the picnic basket was included.

Nifty Fifties

I've been getting an inkling lately that a revival is on the horizon: stand back Shabby Chic, the Nifty Fifties are making a come back.

I'm a HUGE fan of 50's design, so in part I'm trying to lay the seeds for this design revival and in part, I think the Industry is leading that way. (Please note, when I refer to classic 1950's design, I am NOT endorsing the overused 50's American Diner style which has been peddled since the 1980's)

There are already a few wallpapers, fabrics and furniture items out there that are heavily influenced by this fabulous Design Era, and quite a few items which never went away.

For anybody with any learning in Interior design, you will invariably be familiar with Charles and Ray Eames furniture designs: The Eames Lounger; the Eifel Chair. These classic 1950s designs have been so successful, that they have never left the fashionistas' must-have list and remain as popular today as they were when first released. I might even say that these iconic designs which laid way for all modern furniture are unparalleled. And I think that it is their undeniable popularity that has encouraged some manufacturers to reinvent the 50's vibe. So, if you're interested in recreating the 1950's in your own home, why not check out these items?





Utility Design is one of many suppliers of classic furniture, including the designs of Charles and Ray Eames. And if your budget doesn't stretch to the authentic, then there are some excellent copies on the market, such as those available from Blue Sun Tree for a snippet of the price. And there are some new designs out there too: Morgan Furniture have a gorgeous new range which would fit nicely into any Nuclear Family lounge.

Sanderson Wallpaper has a whole 1950's range new to their books. As stated on their website:

"This is a bold and iconic collection of wallpapers that celebrate a decade of design which transformed the boundaries of interior decoration. The Sanderson 50's collection combines original 1950's designs from the Sanderson archive with designs from contemporary artists who have taken great inspiration from this era."