Happy New Year to all you lovely people. I hope you and yours had a wonderful festive period and that 2016 will be filled with loads of good stuff for us all. I am personally not-so-secretly delighted…
In a little over three months I will be welcoming baby number 3 into the world. It’s a boy this time. I am filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension at the unknown quantity that is a small boy-child. I have two gorgeous daughters so all things girl-related I am highly versed in, but a boy…? It’s going to be a whole new adventure and one I am sure I will find incredible if at times nerve wracking.
So with the joys of a mostly wet and grey January ahead of me, I have started to turn my head to something not remotely drab and dreary… the design of the nursery. My wish-list is currently: bold, kitsch, quirky, bright, snug, surprising and as eclectic as possible to incorporate things we already have in our home. I am drawn to the colour yellow at the moment, but a 1950s yellow a la extraordinarily talented Lucienne Day or modern-day MissPrint, whose Dandelion Mobile fabric I just adore.
I am sure the design and scheme will morph organically over the coming months, but for the moment, here are some visuals that are inspiring me. Hope you enjoy.
Loving the colours used here and the kitsch prints are inspired. (retourdechine.canalblog.com)Perhaps not pink for a boy’s room, but the different scale of items works really well and I love the shelves/letters. (petitspetitstresors.tumblr.com)This mustard yellow pouf is spot on and I love the suspended lamp too. (petitandsmall.com)This vibrant print is stunning… (shelleysdavies.com)MissPrint Dandelion Mobile print.Great shelving ideas. (handmadecharlotte.com)Animal alphabet cards for the nursery ā educational and also look adorable on the wall! (etsy.com)Loving this DIY cloud light from handmadecharlotte.com.A room full of colour and character. (flickr.com)Bold wallpaper really works for me. (petitandsmall.com)How to make a statement! (diyordie.elleinterior.se)Habitat 1964 (handmadecharlotte.com)Cute hanging solution. A beautifully organised and bright nursery. (chalkkids.co.uk)A simple and effective way to create a quiet snug area. Love the colour of the side unit too! (dig-mig.blogspot.nl)Great colour combo. Am particularly loving the roof pattern. (mommodesign.com)
I donāt know about you, but itās at this time of year that I like to whisk the other half off, sans children, for a night or two of “boutique-hotel” stay yumminess.
Iāve found fantastic deals on Groupon; truly stunning accommodation on a par with any boutique hotel on airbnb; riffled through the virtual pages of Mr & Mrs Smith for a super-cool destination; or trusted the word of friends and family… And I canāt say weāve experienced a dud yet. In recent years we’ve visited Prague, The George in Rye, The Tunbridge Wells Hotel, Hastings Old Town, Barcelona, London, Paris, and Castell Deudraeth in Portmeirion in Wales, to name but a few.
And it’s not just about grownup time away from the kids. I get so much inspiration from the places we’ve stayed in that I come away bursting with ideas of how to add a touch of luxe living to my own home. So why not treat yourself to a night away from home and steal some fantastic home styling ideas while you’re at it! Here are some visuals to inspire you. It’s all about creating an indulgent and intimate space, full of layers of lighting, sumptuous bedding, and the odd roll-top bath for good measure.
Next stop a riad in Morocco! Well El Fenn to be precise. Itās on my Christmas list…
boudoir. (ĖbuĖdwÉĖ; -dwÉĖ) 1. a woman’s dressing room, bedroom or private sitting room or salon. [C18: from French, literally: room for sulking in, from ‘bouder’ to sulk]
Now the weather is turning decidedly autumnal how about creating a warm and relaxing sanctuary in the home where you can snuggle up with a good book, a hot drink and some cake, or luxuriate in a roll-top glass with some tunes and an indulgent glass of bubbly… I’m in!
For me the boudoir look is all about opulence, texture, pattern, drama, deep rich colours, and some female charm. Lighting is key too. This is a fantastic look to work with in a bedroom, dressing room, powder room or snug. If you are not a fan of bright colours you can always adopt a more sedate palette of nudes, creams, sorbet pinks and chocolatey browns.
A page from my scrapbook.Getting that boudoir feeling. Another page from one of my scrapbooks.Photographer: Miss Aniela. Series: Surreal Fashion. Model: Faye Shearwood Stylist: Minna Attala. Dress: Busardi. Feather cape:National Theatre Costume Archive. Hair: Doubravka Marcinkova. Make-up: Rhiannon Chalmers. Stylistās assistant: Becky Smith. Photographer’s assistant: Tim Charles Matthews.More Miss Aniela gorgeousness.Photographer: Miss Aniela / Model: Kim Davis / Dress created by Kirsty Mitchell Photography / Stylist: Minna Attala / Hair: Anne Veck / Makeup: Grace Gray / Photographer’s assistants: Greg Sikorski, Matt Lennard, Ian MearsSomewhere to recline with a glass of fizz. (image from pinterest)Grab a book and doze in this delightful space. (pinterest)A dressing room fit for any discerning boudoir fan. Loving the lampshade by Zoe Darlington. (Image from Pearl Lowe’s Vintage book/pinterest)Matisse’s ‘Seville Still Life’. (google images)Matisse’s ‘Reclining Nude Back’. (google images)Sumptuous lighting design by the extremely talented Zoe Darlington. Lush! (www.zoedarlington.co.uk)More yumminess from Zoe Darlington. (www.zoedarlington.co.uk)The Bluebell sofa from sofa.com.Waterblooms Crewelwork Rug by anthropologie. (www.anthropologie.com)Inject some colour into your scheme with the Maud Deco by Mols & Tati-Lois. (Photo by Chris Gatcum)The Club Tartan from Mols & Tati-Lois. (Photo by Chris Gatcum)Pineapple wall sconce from http://www.abigailahern.com.Anthropologie’s Nature Table Dessert Plate… perfect for eating cake off. (www.anthropologie.com)Elegant perfume bottles are a must. (fredmiranda.com)The bubbly is beckoning… so let’s get supping. Enjoy. (pinterest)
The work of the extremely talented artist/photographer, Miss Aniela, encapsulates the boudoir look perfectly in my opinion and she adds a healthy injection of attitude. A very modern boudoir I would say.
Think lush fabrics such as velvet combined with sheers, fresh flowers releasing a heady aroma, ornate mirrors, furniture to recline on (sofa.com has some beautiful customisableĀ sofas), pattern clashing, flamboyant lighting (visit Zoe Darlington, she rocks, and of course Mols & Tati-Lois), beads, tassels, fringing, dark corners, rugs, throws, cushions, arresting wall art.
There’s so much scope with this interior style so let your imagination run wild.
The Maximalist 