Bookmarks: Vintage Homes

We’ve been dipping in and out of this publication for many weeks now (which is always a good sign!).

It’s Homes & Antiques magazine’s Vintage Homes special edition…

…a collection of twenty five of their favourite homes featured in issues of the magazine over recent years.

There are vintage inspired homes in a variety of styles from rustic country to mid century modern.

The overriding factors for inclusion were that homes were ‘curated and had evolved over time’, and that, ‘owners have a love and appreciation of beautiful design and objects from every era’.

The ‘magazine cum book’ is broken down into five broad chapters – 20th century style, country chic, English eclectic, French decorative and vintage crafty.

Each chapter has homes that encompass the style with a ‘Get the look’ page to conclude.

The editorial team gives an overview of the homes – and the owners provide back story, highlight favourite aspects and so on.

It’s crammed full of gorgeous photographs to inspire and trigger ideas, whether it be decorating schemes or pieces to look out for at markets or vintage fairs.

It’s hard to pick favourites with such a wonderful collection of homes. We love the look of clean, sleek modern spaces – but always gravitate towards the characterful vintage country looking homes with exposed stone & wood as our true love – especially in autumn & winter when curtains are drawn, a real fire is lit and candles twinkle.

We fill our own spaces with a mix of traditional antiques, industrial and mid century modern design…

…the kind of eclectic mix much in evidence in this selection of homes.

So it’s really interesting to see other peoples vintage finds and how they’ve incorporated them into their houses.

There are over 120 pages to peruse so it should satisfy your vintage cravings for a while!

The publication is currently only available through the Homes & Antiques website.

[Many thanks to Homes & Antiques magazine for the review copy]

Bookmarks: Decorating with Colour

This is one of our favourite books at the moment – we’re dipping in & out of it all the time!

It’s entitled, Farrow & Ball – Decorating with Colour.

It’s beautifully written by Ros Byam Shaw with stunning photography by Jan Baldwin.

We tour around Europe, visiting some truly gorgeous homes that incorporate Farrow & Ball products into their decorating schemes.

There’s no doubting that Ros is an expert when it comes to this much-loved British brand, this being her second book in collaboration with them!

Her first book concentrated solely on English houses, but in this tome we’re also treated to peeks inside the homes of Farrow & Ball lovers in France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Norway & Switzerland.

There’s a great variation in the types of property & spaces featured – from country farms to urban villas. They have broadly traditional, rustic country and contemporary styles – but in truth they’re truly eclectic, their owners skilfully mixing items from many styles & eras.

They’re furnished with antique, vintage, retro and industrial pieces.

In addition to having owners with great taste, they all have one more important thing in common…

…the magic touch of Farrow & Ball.

We love Farrow & Ball ourselves – the tradition, the integrity, the colours, the eccentric names!

This book is a must for anyone who shares this love – or for anyone who likes beautiful interiors.

We like the fact that each photograph is accompanied by a short descriptive passage that helpfully includes the specific paint shades used in each space.

The author also shares each owner’s story, the property history, architectural highlights and details about certain pieces of furniture & art works.

The book is divided up into broad sections which cover the decorating principles relating to Classic, Contemporary and Country.

Towards the end of the book there’s also practical information about products, finishes and colour groupings that work well together.

The author also takes us inside her own home – and a beautiful home it is too – with a modern, country, rustic style. We love the house and could really relate to the section where she talks about the challenge of a poorly lit space – in her case, an inner hall. She plucked up the courage to paint this space in Farrow & Ball ‘Mahogany’.

It’s counter intuitive, but as Ros points out, the darker shades create atmospheric & dramatic spaces – and actually make them look bigger. She says that it still gives her a thrill every time she enters. We’ve been toying with the idea of painting our landing area & upstairs lounge space in a dark shade. This section of the book has finally convinced us to go for it!

We know what we’re going to paint – and when. There’s just one last question to resolve though – Mahogany, Tanner’s Brown, Pelt, Off-Black, Pitch-Black or Downpipe?? We’ll flick through the book once again to look at how the various shades look in real life.

This book comes highly recommended. It’s a comprehensive guide – and will be an endless source of inspiration.

[This review is brought to you in collaboration with Farrow & Ball]

Redecorate without redecorating: 5 Quick tips

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So, this is the holy grail of all interior design; how to redecorate without actually redecorating. But just in the same way that a new pair of shoes makes Carrie Bradshaw feel like she has a whole new outfit, and the same way that a new supercharger makes Lewis Hamilton feel like he has a brand new car, there are some quick and cost effective ways to help you spruce up your home.

Cushions and Throws

It’s truly amazing what a few cushions and throws can do for your home. If you want to build up depth and textures in your interior design, make sure you layer, layer… and layer some more. Not enough pennies in the piggy bank for some new fabric? Not to worry. Old curtains, bed sheets and upholstery offcuts can all be recycled to create your new cushion covers. For sewing newbies, here are 3 ways to make a cushion cover.

Paint a Feature Wall

An easy way of refreshing the look and feel of a room is to create a new focal point. A feature wall is quick and simple to do: a new lick of paint and you’ll have a whole new space. If you want to save money or you want to be more eco-friendly, you can even make your own home-made paint.

De-Clutter Your Home

Sometimes the quickest way of improving your home décor is to de-clutter and keep it looking clear & tidy. Throw away anything you don’t need, use old materials for recycling / up-cycling projects, and make sure you have ample storage around the house. For a range of storage units, chest of drawers, blanket boxes or display cabinets, visit the Fortune Woods website.

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Update Your Window Furnishings

Windows are key features in every room. You’d be surprised at how a new curtain fabric, a fresh tieback or an imaginative curtain pole makes a world of difference. Visit UKTV to find out how you can make your own curtain tiebacks to save money.

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Paint Inexpensive Furniture

French colonial, English country cottage, shabby chic, mid century modern; there are so many different interior design looks you can create simply by painting an old piece of furniture. Buy second-hand furniture from a flea market or car boot sale and give it a new lease of life by painting it your desired colour. You can refresh the furniture regularly with a new coat of paint and edit your accessories / cushions to match.

If you do decide to go all out and redecorate, there are a few things you have to take into account. Planning is key and there is likely to be a lot of mess. Organising some skip hire may be beneficial.

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Choosing the right doors to suit your space

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Doors have a huge functional and design impact on our homes. If you’re buying brand-new doors, the chances are that you don’t need to worry too much about functionality. All new doors from reputable suppliers will comply with safety standards – though of course you do need to check where fire doors may be required to higher standards.

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The main point to decide when choosing new doors is how well they complement the rest of the interior design of your home. Do they fit with the look you have or are trying to achieve?

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Wooden doors continue to dominate the market – and it’s obvious why this is the case. Wood is a beautiful and natural material that has been used by mankind to furnish the home since Adam was a lad. Wood lends charm and warmth to a home in the way that no other material can and with today’s huge choice of natural wood finished available from suppliers like Todd Doors, Door Stop and Howdens for example – there’s something to suit every style of home. Even oak, the most traditional of all woods for doors, can be precision-engineered to give a clean, light and very contemporary feel to the most modern of internal environments.

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No other material really captures the texture and natural beauty of real wood – which is why it’s always such a popular choice with interior design professionals. It’s also so versatile.

With doors, it’s generally true to say that you get what you pay for. So look for special offers from bespoke, high-quality, and custom made internal doors suppliers. It isn’t always easy for the non-expert to see why one door is cheaper than another; but you will once it’s in place, by which time it’s too late if you’ve bought cheaply. Along with the look and feel of the doors, tell-tale signs of quality are revealed when you look at how a door has been made (particularly its joints) and of what material. Also, check whether the supplier is able to offer the 10-year Manufacturer’s Defect Guarantee.

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Once you’ve chosen the style of door, you also need to choose handles that will complement the doors and your overall design. Take time in getting this right, as the handles really change the look and feel of the door and your whole interior.

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From a practical point of view, if you have any doubts about being able to fit the door – then get professional help. If you live in a modern house, though, this isn’t too difficult a task for those with just a little DIY experience. First – accurately measure the frame. If the frame isn’t “true” then fitting the door will be more difficult. Buy a door that either fits the opening perfectly (being careful to measure the opening very accurately) or buy a door that is very slightly too large, so it can be planed or cut down as required.

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Next – enjoy the look and feel of your new interior!