Style Inside

16 August 2012

In Search Of The Perfect Sideboard

It seems it's a never-ending task - possibly because I'm constantly inspired by a complete mixture of style and design when working on different projects. Do I go for sleek and modern with clean simple lines?.....or perhaps a little more retro inspired? Or hold on, maybe a little vintage number? No, wait, that painted one over there's pretty cool....you see what I have to deal with on a daily basis!!!??...

So here's a nice eclectic selection anyway....all of which are just lovely in their own right!

Decisions, decisions!!....

Ruby Rhino on Etzy

Decor de Provence

Emmas Blogg

See my problem??? There are just too many!!

I could go on........and on.................and on, and on, and on, and on.

Favourite anyone?..

14 August 2012

Colour Vote!

Soooo, bedroom 2 of our lovely little project is almost there - apart from the pile of rubble still sat in the middle of it as you can see here....(mentally remove!)

We have some pretty cool plans for this room, but thought we'd throw it out there to you lovely peeps and see what you thought....

We've gone for a lovely shade of dusky, chalky purple... BUT...

do we team it with light, white furniture with a feminine edge like this....?

do we go with something a little more sultry and dark with a look like this?....

dulux

What do you think??

We'd love to know!

13 August 2012

Lighten Up: Interview with Zoe Darlington

When I first came across the wonderful Zoe Darlington, I felt I had to contact her straight away and share with you her amazing lampshades. After launching her business only eight months ago, Zoe Darlington has shone bright with her colourful creations. Quintessentially British, the bases are constructed in the Midlands by craftsmen, and the shades are hand-stitched by Darlington herself. Now, let's get to know her a little better......

Ralph

When did your love for lampshades start and how did it come about?
I love antique and vintage designs from a variety of eras and when we bought our first home five years ago, I struggled to find vintage shades that were really beautifully made and weren’t museum pieces. I began studying soft furnishing and upholstery – initially to renovate a lovely mid-century chair I’d found – but quickly moved on to making lampshades using traditional methods and mastering the craft. I found that I loved working on this smaller more intricate scale and creating the kinds of pieces I’d been looking for and couldn’t find for my own home. Commissions from personal recommendation fairly quickly followed, after which I launched my website to reach more people.

Where do you find and seek inspiration?
All kinds of old things! I love old books and have some beautiful old cloth bound volumes about decorating the home in the 1930s which were a lovely gift. They have these amazing vibrant hand coloured plates which provide great colour inspiration. I get inspiration for shapes from vintage fashion and all sorts of strange things like the curve of a vintage car. And I love a rummage around old junk shops and auctions where every piece has a secret story.

Above: Welles | Below: Delilah

How long does it take to make one?
My pieces are all handmade by me to traditional techniques which means all fabrics and trims are hand stitched – no nasty glues! They are intricate, delicate pieces that are really time-consuming – but beautiful as a result – and can take several days to complete.

Where do you buy your fabrics and materials?
I’m constantly on the look out for fabrics and trims. It’s a real passion of mine and I often come back from holidays with many metres of fabrics from local markets. I also inherited my Grandmother’s fabric chests which contained the most beautiful vintage fabrics from the 60’s upwards. She was a dressmaker and put on fashion shows and I’m so lucky to have her archive. I love using her fabrics as part of a beautiful piece that I know will be cherished and will live on through future generations in someone’s home.

Do you prefer sketching designs or actually constructing them?
I like to do a mixture of both. Sketching is great when you get an initial idea for a new shape and need to work out the angles and details, but I find there is nothing like physically piecing your ideas together. What works on paper doesn’t always work in real life.

Logan

How would you define your style?
A combination of tradition and wit beautifully constructed.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years, perhaps pursuing other projects?
I’m so happy with what I’m doing at the moment and what I’ve achieved over the past 8 months (I only launched my company in November) that it’s difficult to think so far ahead! I’ve found that responding to what your clients want and what you enjoy doing has been a good recipe for success and I intend to continue growing in this organic way.

Primrose

For all of Zoe’s pieces visit her website and give her a like on Facebook too to keep up-to-date on her work!

26 July 2012

WARNING: Imagination Essential

Ok kiddo's....we're on to the bathroom! We've got our main bathroom, and a lovely big en-suite to get fully decked out. The tiles are going up today....lovely pale stone with a bit of texture for that added bit of interest around the shower areas.

We're mixing the tiles up with painted walls to keep it a little more relaxed....and not so clinical!

Soooo, here's the before shots.....(try to block out the wires and holes)....

En-suite

Main Bathroom

.......and here's what we're hoping for!

Apartment Therapy

Houzz

...along with the all important accessories!

19 July 2012

Fancy Floor-Work

Dare to be daring? Get creative and wow your guests with a jazzy floor.

Whether it be carpet, painted floorboard, lino, tiling...anything goes! Geometric prints are especially in at the moment. Keep the walls simple to make your focal point stand out and let your floor do the talking!

Check out these masterpieces…

via apartment therapy

via contemporist

via House Beautiful - Jonathan Adler

via house to home

via houzz

via skonahem

via cimots

18 July 2012

Five Shades Of Grey

Well, well, well....first and foremost, apologies for the complete lack of attention you've all been given over the past couple of weeks. It's been a hectic couple! We're currently knee deep, completely transforming a lovely property complete with original features from a building site into a fully liveable, luxurious holiday rental - so we're being kept rather busy!

We certainly want to stamp a little personality into the place, but we're constantly having to remind ourselves that there is in fact a BUDGET!...

Bedroom 1 has been given a lovely lick of paint. We've gone for grey walls (heaps of shades scattered across our floors until we finally decided on the perfect one!) teamed with white woodwork to give that freshness you need when you wake up on a sunny morning*...

So, here's some before shots.....

...and here's where we've drawn inspiration from...and we're hoping our end product turns out to be a lovely mix of these beauties....see what you think!

Love the softness of the grey used here combined with pastel shades...

houzz

Feminine and Beautiful!..

centsational girl

Relaxed and informal....and most of all comfy!

do8urself

A nostalgic feel with cleverly hung mirrors and chintzy lampshades...

dulux

Rustic but clean....light and airy but still cozy!

elle decor

What do you think? Are you digging the grey??...

Keep a lookout for Bedroom 2...coming soon!

*if you're very lucky

04 July 2012

Shutterly Fabulous...

At some point in my life (the exact moment I am unsure of) I began to develop a rather annoying shutter obsession. It was more than likely around the time I spent in Maine a few years back - curtains and blinds are pretty much none existent out there - shutters however, well if you 'aint got 'em....what's wrong with you??!!!...

I thought I'd take a little look a shutters in a different form (mostly to feed my obsession) but also to take inspiration from nifty ideas, practical storage solutions and just downright clever little touches. As I'm sure you're all fully aware by now, us Style Insiders are a little partial to a bit of upcycling and some of these ideas are definitely easily achieved. See what you think!...