Bathroom Envy III

White herringbone tiles with random pops of colour? Yes, please. If you like this bathroom you have to check out the rest of the London town house designed by Studio Too Good. It's actually too good.

photography by Bill Batten

Cos Kids

You know what's better than finding some really cool kids clothes? Finding out that they do grown up clothes too! Check out the close up of that little grey skirt, it has neon stripes! Surprisingly not ridiculous prices too...Bonus.

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Family Home, Mantua

Could you guess that this beautiful home belonged to a couple of Italian architects?

via Milk

Three's A Crowd Pleaser /// Bears on the Wall

I fell in love with Susie Wright's Bear print when I saw it on the wall of Skylark café near my flat. Then I saw Sarah Maycock's giant bear painting on Design*Sponge and realised I've developed a bit of a grizzly addiction. I then happened upon this resin Nordi bear on Etsy...Do you think a bear themed room would be going too far? 

Dare Studios

I'm guilty of defaulting to Scandinavian or US sources for inspiration and key interior features or unusual furniture pieces and accessories, all too often. As a keen supporter of local and UK designers, I'm vowing to discover and share lots of home grown talent this year.
Take a look at this beautiful hand made furniture from Dare Studios based in Brighton. With a nod to mid century modern design and a firm grasp on current trends, Dare have produced some beautifully crafted, statement pieces. The wire based tables are also available in brass and copper and I've fallen for this marble topped, steel framed, 'strand' side table.

If you are, or know of any great UK designers/makers whose work you think I'd like, please get in touch via the 'about me' page, facebook or twitter. I'd love to hear from you...and if I love your work I'll share it here...

Last Minute Valentine

I've had my eye on this print from Seventy Tree for a while and it's now available from new Edinburgh concept store Life Story. Perfect if you haven't picked anything up for your Valentine yet...

Malmo Apartment

This is the home of Nina Bergsten, head of sales for Swedish fashion label Acne. I've been meaning to share it with you since I saw it in Elle Decoration UK's December 2012 issue and then I discovered it had been published in the January 2012 issue of Residence via Smart Design, so it may look familiar to you (but it didn't to me).
That sofa (by Acne) is perfect...as is everything else. I'm loving the touches of gold and sporadic marble and smoked glass table tops, bringing the cavernous, ornate spaces in that nineteenth century building bang up to date with a glamour injection. So good.

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Living Room Envy

Black, white and blush pink. An elegant combination I've been seeing a lot of recently. I'll take the loft too.

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ESPC Feature: Part I

Check it out! As I mentioned here, I was asked to write a little piece for Edinburgh's free, weekly property paper, ESPC, about interior trends for 2013. The issue hit stalls on Tuesday and I'm really happy with how it looks (and reads)! Pick it up from estate agencies and most bank branches, this week only, or like the ESPC facebook page for a sneaky peek. If you want to read my trend predictions check out the ESPC blog next week.

I thought the best way to illustrate my points would be to set up a couple of different room settings so I planned a light and a dark arrangement and asked Rachel Hein to take the photos. Rachel took fantastic pictures of Sebastian and Kingston at the beginning of last year so I knew she'd do a great job. I asked the lovely Dixie of Catalog on St. Stephen Street if I could borrow a couple of items from their gorgeous shop, when I started to panic that a whole load of my stuff chucked together just wasn't going to cut it! They stock beautiful contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories, from the likes of Hay and Foscarini, (two of my favourites)! I spent quite some time choosing what to borrow from the showroom floor and was very upset to have to give back that white side table!
Here's a closer look at the light arrangement which I set up in my living room.

Weathered leather sofa: mine (2nd hand from Retrouvius) | Black and white throw: mine (2m of wool fabric from John Lewis haberdashery department) | Sheepskin: mine (IKEA) | Skull and antlers: borrowed from The Last Word Saloon | Belle & Sebastian poster: Sebastian's (from StrawberryLuna framed in white with black frame interior by Carol Coulter) | Candelabra: ours (a wedding gift (muuto)) | Black vase: mine (IKEA) | Tall jug: mine (from The Adam Pottery by Lara Scobie) | White metal framed tray table: borrowed from Catalog Interiors | Black and white striped runner rug: mine (Broste Copenhagen).

I've always been interested in doing a little writing and I loved the styling aspect of this little project so hopefully I'll get to do some more of both in the future. What do you think of the outcome?
Photographs 1 & 4 taken by me, 2, 3 &5 by Rachel Hein 

Inside Down Under

I love this interior by Australia based, Scandinavian designer, Anna Carin. It's a good one to add to the inspiration bank for that terraced house renovation project I'll find one day. There are some great tips here for getting the most out of a narrow space. The opening at eye level between the entrance hall and the dining space borrows light and extends the view across the limited width of the house. The kitchen is my favourite space; one elevation is made up of horizontal lines creating an illusion of a longer space. The other, shorter, elevation has tall, narrow units to contrast and maximise storage space. All in all, a very clever and beautiful space.

Images from Anna Carin via Yellowtrace's pinterest board.

Framed

I know...it's already the 7th January. It took me a while to get back in the swing of things after enjoying lots of family time. I hope everyone has detoxed, recovered, purged the Christmas tat and already broken all resolutions ready for another fun filled year ahead?!
To take us all into the new year I want to share some predictions of interior trends with you over the next few posts; Something I was asked to write about recently for a local property paper, soon to be published.
I think we'll be seeing lots of beautiful metal framed pieces, powder coated in black or white, or bare naked brass, copper or steel, like these incredible lights by Iacoli & McAllister. I love the simplicity of the single pendant and the drama of the cluster but the two piece is my absolute favourite.

I've seen tables, lighting and and  accessories already and still haven't seen a single metal framed item I didn't like! I have my eye on a white powder coated frame coffee table from Catalog pictured in a previous post (more to come on that very soon). My letter to santa must have gone awray because it wasn't in my stocking on the 25th...

My Stylin'

Last week I set up a couple of little corners in two very different spaces for a feature I've been asked to do about the trends for the new year for Edinburgh's property paper. One little corner was in my flat and the other was in The Last Word Saloon. I had lots of fun styling the shots with photographer, Rachel Hein, and the results are better than I'd expected so I'm pretty excited about seeing them, in print, in January.

I borrowed the cushions, the red 'birdie' lamp and that beautiful, white metal framed side table from Catalog in Stockbridge; my new favourite shop. It was very difficult to give that table back...my living room is a lesser place without it. I have notified Santa...

The little art deco table with blue painted top was borrowed from Cherubim, a great little gallery on St Stephen Street with an ever changing stock of interesting upcycled furniture for sale. It's always worth a visit for an unusual statement piece.

The antlers were visiting my flat from The Last Word and the rest of the stuff is mine...received as gifts, bought, found or inherited over the years. 

I promise to share the final shots and pictures of the feature when it's been printed but in the meantime here's a sneaky peak of how the day went from behind the scenes.

If you reeeeaaaaally can't wait you can see some of the shots here. 

Main photograph by Rachel Hein, the rest were taken by me.

Three's a Crowd Pleaser /// Cork

Waterproof, durable, versatile and most importantly, sustainable; cork is just all round awesome. Stop thinking about cork in the 70s...It's had a makeover and it's going to save our planet*. Cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees, native to the Mediterranean area. It's extracted every 9 years giving the tree enough time to develop the superficial layers of bark, so the tree is never cut down and the surface is not damaged. These trees can live for hundreds of years.
There are some beautiful accessories and kid's toys made of cork, as well as this great tableware (also available in white and lime green). Take a browse here for more goodies.
From a practical point of view, if you're looking for a stool for your bathroom or other wet areas, you can't go wrong with one of these, by Jasper Morrison for Vitra. While we're at it check out this clutch by Monki, my new favourite clothing label.
Here are my favourite suggestions for an earth friendly holiday season.

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*not single-handedly but it will help.

Geometric Tiles

Before I worked in the world of spa design (as I mentioned here), I have to admit, I wasn't a fan of mosaic tiles (or any tile for that matter). They reminded me of cold, clinical swimming pools.
I was quickly introduced to the likes of Bisazza and I haven't stopped exploring the world of beautiful tiles since.
I can't get enough of geometric patterns at the moment, and it seems neither can designer, Maria Lladó. Monochrome is always a winner in my book but she's thrown in some teal and gold for a spectacular colour combination here. It's soooooo good.

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Nursery Envy

I had to post this awesome nursery even though you've probably seen it. It's a collaboration between Sharon Montrose of The Animal Print Shop and interiors genius, Morgan Satterfield of The Brick House. The photographs were taken by the uber-talented, Laure Joliet.
The routered wall is brilliant isn't it? These images are definite keepers for anyone up the duff, looking for inspiration for a non-gender-specific nursery. And...it doesn't even belong to a baby! It was designed and set up to promote Sharon Montrose's work and there's still time (till the end of today (America time)) to enter the giveaway to win that chair, that cot and $1000 worth of those animal pictures!

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Calligraphy Inspiration from Sweden

Super talented Swedish designer and calligrapher Ylva Skarp opened up her home and demonstrated some beautiful handwritten Christmas ideas for the latest issue of Lantliv magazine. She lives with her family in an old schoolhouse. The space is incredible and a great example of how to layer up textures for the winter months but I'd like to see this space at night. As much as I love the neutral colour palette, it looks a little chilly. I hope it's flooded with warm light from those lamps in the evenings. Still, if it was offered to me, I'd take it...

Images from Lantliv via 79 ideas 

Three's a Crowd Pleaser /// Letter Sweaters

Presenting three white on black letter sweaters from Chinti & Parker for this week's TACP 

Also, you can give Yeah...Ok...Bye a 'like' on this list of the 'Top 100 Interior Design Blogs' or on Facebook...if you like...

Get your initial or random letter sweater here (with 20% off till Monday 5th November!)...and have an excellent weekend!

Three's a Crowd Pleaser /// Monochrome

My obsession with all things black and white continues...(see my wishlist from last year).
The fact that I narrowed it down to only three things for this week's 'TACP' (Three's A Crowd Pleaser) has surprised even me.

1 That rug that's been around forever yet, somehow, still isn't on my floor 2 Effie Tuck Stitch Sweater 3 New York Typography print by Emerald Son

Pink...

In honour of Breast Cancer awareness month and Pink Friday. I've collated some very varied interior inspiration images. Where a splash of hot pink makes a bold statement, I'm more a fan of a touch of blush; be it a sofa, a lamp or a feature wall. The all-pink bedroom below is a little creepy but I'm loving the painted table supports. So feminine and pretty...

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A Few of My Favourite Things

I never thought it was possible to have the perfect amount of my favourite things in one home. One kitchen even! I'm a big fan of the juxtaposition of textures, especially when that includes rustic versus finished materials, so the kitchen units next to the tile here is making my heart beat a little faster. I'm not even going to mention the floor. It speaks for itself.

This place is so good...AND it's in Spain!
I'll take two. Please.
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