Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Toy storage ideas for the living room.

It's inevitable that the kid's toys will eventually reach 'grown-up' areas of the house so be ready for them with these quick and easy storage ideas for living room spaces...

babyccino

rice

Baskets are one of the easiest ways to keep toys at bay...there's loads of choice to suit all tastes...

red editions

Look for 'designer' options for a modern home....this bubble-style tub is made from bamboo...so it's eco-friendly too...beautiful!


houzz

Wheeled storage is always useful if you need to get stuff out of the way quickly and easily...


Adapt existing furniture pieces to accomodate kids paraphernalia...these coffee tables are a great idea...


ikea

furnish

retrotogo

Hiding lots of clutter behind doors and in drawers means you can clear up in no time....


newhomedecorator

...and make use of awkward spaces for more permanent storage features.






Saturday, 23 June 2012

Decorating tips for a small room.

Let's face it, chances are your new arrival will be occupying the smallest room of the house for a few years to come, so it makes sense to prepare in advance to ensure every corner of that little space is put to good use.


In any room carefully considered storage is key...think about every area of your room that could accomodate some form of storage...
Make 'friends' with a reputable local carpenter or builder who may be able to come up with some imaginative solutions to your storage problems.


blafre




Small rooms filled with clutter look even smaller.
Limit the amount of display storage and go for cupboards, drawers, boxes or baskets to keep everyday items out of sight.
It's no coincidence that many kid's rooms are painted in pale colours...they have the effect of making the room much bigger...keep the bold colours for accessories.


Make good use of the height in the room.
Loft beds are an obvious example of space-saving furniture ideas...

apartment therapy

Be imaginative with the layout...furniture pushed to the outer walls of a room can often make it look smaller...


Take time out to plan and prepare your tiny room...that would be my one piece of advice...hasty decisions often lead to decorating disasters that cost time and money to put right, and with so much choice it can be a bit mind-blowing to get started without some idea of how you expect the the room to cope beyond baby's first twelve months...
Put together ideas, samples and images of favoured ideas and keep the all-important room dimensions with you for reference...you never know when you might need them!
And seek free advice from 'experienced' parents, professional designers, decorators or craftsmen via the Web...

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

33 great tips for mid-century modern decorating...

It's a style that's set to prevail for a long time...and compliments many of the current interior trends.
But how do you know when you're getting the look right or creating a home lost in a 1950's time warp...?

apartment therapy

Here's how!....follow the tips on Channel 4's website for all you'll need to know on stylish mid-century living...I need say no more.

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Random kid's playroom inspiration.

As the rain continues to fall here in the UK, it must be a real nightmare keeping the kids amused indoors...and stopping them going 'stir-crazy'...
Take heart...and some inspiration from this quirky bunch of kid's play rooms that took our eye at Dreams and Wishes...











Wednesday, 13 June 2012

More news on exhibitions...

It's graduate season at universities across the UK this month, with Art and Design departments showcasing their stars of the future....some of which will feature in the Free Range show at the Old Truman Brewery in London over the next few weeks...

University Campus Suffolk, where I qualified many years ago,  is right in the middle of their Art and Design exhibition and I'm off to take a look around tomorrow....can't wait!

Contact your own local college or university for similar exhibitions...or head to London for the big Free Range Graduate Design Show running till 16th July...

I'm looking forward to finding more 'gems' like these next month...

Typo furniture...

hannah hutchinson

Eco-housing...

dan atkins

Lighting...

dan mcmahon

Monday, 11 June 2012

Dreams and Wishes loves...from the Pulse exhibition.

The big early Summer showcase for hundreds of gift, homewares and lifestyle companies is on in London right now!
All the big (and small) retailers will be there checking out hot new products...here's just a few that we're lovin' at Dreams and Wishes....

This magnetic wallpaper from Sian Zeng allows kids to add pices to the wall and create their own artwork!



And we think these decorative pieces from Birchcraft would look great in a vintage bedroom theme...



What a difference these drawer knobs could make to a plain, simple chest of drawers...




You can get them as wall hooks too....


Cushions are all over the place...here's just a small selection on our 'wish list'...









Can't go without a soft toy or two....just love their button eyes...!


Oh to have a room filled full of wonderful designs like these.....





Sunday, 10 June 2012

Stylish ideas for a soccer themed kid's room.

The European Championships are underway and for the next few weeks it's wall-to-wall football...now I know for some of you there's nothing worse (personally I am a bit of a footy fan) and the chance to pack your bags and head for the hills is very tempting right now, but what do you do when you've got a young footy-fan seriously threatening your sense of style by demanding a bedroom full of garish reminders of his favourite team?
How about a soccer theme with style...that way you and your little 'Pele' can both be happy.

I'd start by giving the walls and ceiling a coat of white paint and ideally lay a quality wooden floor down.
You could customise the flooring by laying out the lines of a football pitch using white sticking tape...or adding a themed rug...

houseinteriordirect

'All white' walls can look a bit clinical so think about using stickers, stencils or wallpaper to add a little visual interest...keep to a simple colour pallette or opt for black silhouette shapes...


 
Pack a punch with black furniture pieces...




...And create storage spaces with old sports lockers...


 
Convert wardrobe space into a modern changing-room...what youngster wouldn't want to hang up his clothes just like his favourite footy hero?
It would work for me...!




Team tactics are always an important factor...adding a blackboard feature gives your little one somewhere to work out his game-play techniques...!



 
Don't forget the trophy cabinet...no self-respecting sporting team is without one...




 
Compliment bed linen in the colours of their favourite team with plain, checks and stripes...you could always add a quilt over the bed if any signs of 'team commercialism' offend you...!


Line the walls with vintage tournament posters...some of these images are now iconic works of art...and far less tacky than magazine cuttings of current players...






There you have it...a few ideas from Dreams and Wishes to keep your young sporting hero happy...and your home looking beautiful...
I'm off to indulge myself with more mindless football commentaries...