Right Royal Obsession

After the festivities of the Royal wedding I am feeling two things; firstly rather flat now that it’s all over but secondly overflowing with pride to be British. Having never thought of myself as a true patriot I have recently found my eyes welling up at the mere mention of ‘God save the Queen’ while unintentionally my house seems to becoming more red white and blue by the second. So in tribute to the happy couple and my newfound Union Jack craze here are a few things available at the moment.

These Union Jack silk memento cushions from RE are inspired by vintage souvenire scarf’s. They are backed in contrasting silk tie fabric and are a bold British statement for any room.

There’s something about the royals that makes you want to bake whenever they do something good. The King’s choice biscuit tin from dotcomgifts has a fabulous vintage feel to it as if it’s been passed down generations of royal baking extravaganzas. Alternatively could just be used to store your shop bought digestives but it should definitely be bought out with any cup of English tea.

On the subject of tea, a mug is a brilliant way to get a bit of union jack in your house. There is nothing more quintessentially British than the cup of tea, what could be more perfect than Emma Bridgewater’s Union Jack mug to host said tea. It comes in various sizes and she also does a range of plates and bowls to match.

Now that summer is upon us it’s time for the bunting to reemerge. Pedlars are currently stocking a Union Jack bunting in a lovely faded blues and reds. The flags are all hand printed and made in London. A must have for this season.

Finally, for those who either love Britain or just adore the regal colours of the Union Jack then this Edwardian double drop end sofa covered in vintage flags (Blighty England) is perfect. It would look brilliant in a plain room as the focal point or in an old leather clad study surrounded by books.

Congratulations to William and Kate.

3 of the best...door knobs

Nkuku, Daha Ceramic Door Knob, £4.95

Anthropologie, Lace-Strewn Knob, £10

Dotcomgifts, Red Spot Ceramic Door Knob, £4

Mad Men

Mad Men is the hottest TV series at the moment. Having dedicated my entire Christmas break to watching it I feel it is only right that I sing its praises. It is impossible not to get hooked to this sexy, stylized and provocative show set in 1960’s New York. While the story line is subtly captivating, you can’t help but notice the difference in lifestyle and how this is echoed in the 1960’s interior style. The designs, now considered retro, are being seen more and more on the current market. I love the 60’s look, especially when combined with pieces from other eras. Here are a few pieces from the Sterling Cooper office available today that Don Draper would approve of…if you haven’t heard of Don Draper then buy Mad Men first!

Low and long furniture is characteristic of the 1960’s design style. This teak sideboard with rosewood handles could be used in the office or the home. Currently available from The Old Cinema, it is one of a large collection of authentic 60’s furniture. The design creates lots of storage space in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Barely a scene goes by in the office without a glass of whisky being poured. Such a fantastic way to work, but it has to be done with these 60’s silver rimmed cocktail tumblers, perfect size for a small drink in a quick meeting. They are often for sale on ebay but you can find similar ones at Zara Home.

No office would be complete without desk lamps. In Mad Men the 1960’s lamps are in a similar monotone finishes to the rest of the office, as seen in this shot from Harry Crane’s office. They have an industrial look to them and all have the flexible arm. Find similar ones like this on ebay.

Meetings have never been as casual as in Sterling Cooper. These comfy low slung arm chairs are a Danish design simply made of chrome steel and leather. Perfect for the relaxed atmosphere of the 1960’s office. Find these at KlassikMobelkunst.com

The telephones used in the office are actually the 1950’s Bakelite phone. Both original vintage and modern replicas are widely available. Find these original ones at Robert Opie’s website. In an age of such technology it is great to see these beautiful phones come back onto the high street.

Season 4 Mad Men is now available on DVD and season 5 is due to been aired on Sky Atlantic soon.

It's the small things...

Transform a room by adding in quirky, interesting bits and pieces, these are the things that stand out and give the space a bit of character. These pieces can be function or totally useless, the emphasis is more on the asthetic. I love rooting through car boot sales and charity shops for these kind of things. Also try salvage yards and antique shops. Here are a few I’ve found recently, they are all from antique shops with great websites so check them out if you’re in need of a bit of inspiration.

James Plumb is a combination of two artists who take cast offs and disused antiques and make them into one off pieces.

This is a fantastic amalgamation of an old worn dictionary and a discarded candle sconce makes an eye catching wall sconce. They are an inspirational duo that inspires you to reconsider throwing anything away.

Retrouvius is an architectural salvage yard that has a fantastic range of furniture, lighting and accessories all reclaimed and restored.

This central line tube sign would look great either on the wall to give an eclectic look mixed with other pictures, or could be used as a retro tabletop.

Robert Young hosts a collection of fine antique country furniture, folk art and unusual vintage items of predominantly rural and provincial origin. They have everything from tables to pincushions so is a great place to find interesting bits.

This pair of vintage sign writers trestles has been beautifully converted into a set of shelves through the combination of contemporary glass and the old painted pine trestles. A brilliant structure to host more interesting pieces you might find.

Joss Graham has long been the go to man for antique ethnic textiles from India, Asia and Africa. In recent years he has expanded the collection to include paintings, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery.

An example of his collection is this Indian silk painting from the village of Orissa. The simplicity of the monochrome combined with the intricate detail of the picture makes a beautiful piece guaranteed to add interest to any room.

The Old Cinema is a whole department store filled with a fascinating collection of antique, vintage and retro pieces. It is overflowing with unique items that catch the eye.

This parts box could be used for extra storage in any room and I love the colour and interesting shape paired with the retro writing.

Multicoloured Mania

Multicoloured pieces are always a fantastic investment as they can be such a versatile item in a room. Put it in a neutral palette and it can instantly be the centerpiece of the room. However if you’re going for the eclectic look it will slot in easily to a scheme and is a great opportunity to add in previously unused colours. Here are some fantastic pieces I’ve found.

This sideboard is from Elemental Antiques. It’s made from recycled plywood laminated with sections of enamelled steel advertising signs.

I love this armchair from Moroso, called Los Muebles Amorosos, it’s covered in such beautifully vibrantly colours

These button badge hearts pictures are from Rocket St. George. They are made out of a mixture of buttons from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and comes in a box frame. Each picture is a one off and totally original.

Grange's Jacob collection is inspired by Louis XVI and comes in a range of colours but I love this multicoloured finish, the contrast of old and new works beautifully.

Lampshades can be a brilliant platform for introducing bold colours. The Old Lamp Shed does exactly this using any fabric you want. This one is made from a Michael Miller fabric.

Finally this Cappellini folding chair from Twenty Twentyone is great for adding those bold primary colours into a room.

Christmas Presents

Merry Christmas everybody! I have been very generously showered with gifts this year including an enormous amount of kitchen stuff, I can't wait to get cooking to use them all. My mum found these fabulously coloured mixing bowls, they will definitely not be confined to a cupboard:

Set of 6 melamine bowls from Horsfall & Wright

My brother got me the most beautiful salad bowl from Country Traditionals. All of their stuff is amazing, definitely worth a look.

Father christmas gave me these great little silicone muffin cases, the flexibility of the moulds makes it so easy to get them out and ready to eat!

Hope everybody got what they wanted for Christmas and if not get sales shopping...many a bargain to be had at the moment.

Christmas Decorations

It’s December and I’m finally feeling Christmassy, however if your not it’s time to change your house into a winter wonderland! Christmas is the perfect time to be creative, don’t just stop at the tree, spread your decorations around every room and it will make for a far more Christmassy Christmas. There are some fantastic decorations out there and I always think they are such an investment as you will use them year and year again. All shops seem to be doing at least a few tree decorations this year, here a couple of the best ones I’ve come across:

Rudolf Tin Christmas Giant Antiqued Silver

Decoration Baubles, Graham and Green

from Accessorize £3.95 from £7.60

Papier Mache Christmas Baubles

from Niki Jones £25.00 (box of 4)

Felt Russian Dolls from

The White Company

Don’t stop at the tree though, fill your house with Christmas ornaments to give your whole house a Christmas atmosphere. Here are some good ones to look at:

Felt Robins from Berry Red

Wooden Tree from Muji £12.95

Munecos Garland

from Zara Home £15.99

I am a huge fan of a Christmas wreath, set on a front door it gives a brilliantly festive welcome to any visitors. You can either make a simple one yourself out of holly or branches but if you just don’t have time here are a couple I love:

Eucalyptus and Pinecone wreath from dotcomgifts £15.95

Cranberry Christmas wreath

from The Contemporary Home £24.99

Christmas Wreath by Karen Miller Devon Driftwood Designs £195.00

3 of the best...Stools

Rose and Grey, Metal Stool, £89

Rockett St. George, Tractor Seat Iron Stool, £69

Danetti, Silvi Bar Stool, £82.99

Available in 6 colours

Letters

Oversized letters are a great way to fill a wall space with something different than a picture. They can be bright and colourful or subtle and stylish. You don’t necessarily need to spell out a whole word, often just a single letter can give a room a fantastically eclectic feel. Here are a few examples of letters on the market at the moment.

These wooden ‘love’ letters from dotcomgiftes are so simple but so effective. Set on a mantle piece as shown they can immediately become the focal point of the room.

I love these lower case ‘pinwale letters’ from Anthropolgie, the quilted fabric look on top on such vibrant colours will brighten up any room.

Bliss and Bloom’s silver ‘home’ letters are very smart and sophisticated; they would look great with a minimalist, neutrally coloured style.

Add a bold splash of colour with this great red ‘Eat’ sign from Berry Red, perfect for the kitchen.

These vintage letters from Camel and Yak are such a versatile decoration to have, they would look great grouped with any style of interior.

Shower Curtains

Having recently redesigned my bathroom I found it nearly impossible to find a nice shower curtain that isn't covered in some garish 'retro' pattern and, on being moistened, almost irreversibly sticks together. A few places have started doing beautiful curtains made of fabric with a waterproof lining that have transformed the 'shower curtain' into an actual centre point of the room. Here are a few of the best...

Balinium, Tamsin shower curtain made from 100% Indian cotton, machine washable, £50-£55

Anthropologie, Flamenco shower curtain, cotton, machine washable, £98

Toast, Ticking stripe shower curtain, organic cotton, machine washable £65