"I rebel, therefore I exist"

Hardworking. Conscientious. Motivated. Ordinarily I can tick all those boxes, but you know what, nope, not today.

I, like you I bet, have worked my noggin off all week, exhausted myself mentally, denied myself fun, frolics and fitness (sitting at my desk is soooo not good for my butt!) all in aid of achieving my work goals.

Well, sayonara baby, laters, I'm outta here. I've done loads this week and I'm off to take my mum out for lunch. It's been waaaay too long since we had a girly catch up and I could do with some fun mum time.

Ok, I admit I'll do some work tonight (see, I am conscientious really) but for now life takes over and a yummy lunch and maybe a cheeky glass of something pink and bubbly await me.

Why don't you give yourself a break and be a rebel. Give yourself the afternoon off and go do something amaaaazing, yay!

Have a fab weekend my lovelies x

A happy Tuesday shout out for true craftsmanship

Cor blimey it's been a little while hasn't it, life seems to just take over and stuff happens - like moving house (yay!) and half term holidays full of kiddies parties and halloween excitement…enough excuses because today I just HAVE to share with you the best and my most favourite solid wood furniture, which I have been meaning to shout about for ages. Oh what joy there is to be had when you buy a timeless and beautiful piece of furniture that has been impeccably crafted and is full of life and character, just fabulous. I'm most certainly going to be buying some for me very soon and also sourcing for a new and exciting project next year. So let me tell you all about it…

Ethnicraft has been producing solid oak and teak furniture for 15 hears now and has built up a reputation for creating authentic, warm and natural furniture collections that will only become more beautiful as time passes. Supplying the likes of John Lewis, Pure Home Lifestyle and Mac & Mac to name a few, Ethnicraft's stunningly simple collections can be found in the most diverse interiors across the world. See for yourself why there is so much to love about their gorgeous oak and teak solid wood furniture…

 

Nordic bed - this will be mine!

Shadow oak cupboard

Wave oak sideboard

Wide oak TV unit

Teak pop occasional table

Teak chest of drawers

Madra teak bed

Do you see why I'm so in love with this furniture? So simple. So timeless. So stunning. For a pared back, contemporary Scandinavian styled home, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Not cheap, not over expensive but a truly worthwhile investment that will age beautifully, at least that's one of us then *wink*

Have a fab day and let me know if you do go and buy any Ethnicraft furniture, I'd love to hear about it. What's more if you do buy some, you'll be safe in the knowledge that you have bought something made with the world's most environmentally friendly raw material and are doing your bit for the ecology of this beautiful planet we find ourselves living on. Bonus!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Take metallics to another level - luxe it copper style

Rainy walk picking blackberries...made into crumble, served with thick custard - tick
Putting the heating an hour in the morning & evening - tick
Dreaming of hot chocolate, knee-length boots & scarves - tick

OMG, a week ago I would never have thought I'd be saying "Summer thank you, you've been truly amazing but could you please now give way for Autumn?" I've got to that point, 2 days before my birthday (ahem) that I inevitably get to every year when I want to pack away my summer clothes, dig out the warm and cosy stuff and light candles every evening.

I love seasons. The change. The newness. And so to mark the start of my official Autumn I've created an Autumnal Pinterest board as a source of inspiration for all things 'Fall'. Stepping back from it, it appears I'm somewhat in love with white &  coppery orange colours and wood & metallic textures.

I was thinking about why I seem to love copper so much. It's warmer than silver. It's less bling than gold. It oozes coolness that other metallics don't seem to pull off in the same way. It suits contemporary and traditional interior design alike and, for me, mix it with navy or charcoal and your style stakes are seriously high.

Seeing as I'm weeks off from moving into a new house (fingers crossed) I'm all abuzz with the new look I'm going to create and I know that copper is going to feature somehow, somewhere. I've pulled together a few favourite looks and products for your perusal, what do you think?

H&M copper look tea light holders & vases

'Snug' copper look vase by Human Empires

Copper foil wall stickers by Ohh...Mhh...

Cantori City bedroom range, Heals

Stanley hammered copper pendant, Original BTC

Stanley hammered copper table light, Original BTC

So, what do you think?? You like copper too? Think you might inject some of its warm glow into your home? Let me know, always fab to hear your thoughts *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Make your TV look fab in your living room

The television, the television. A bug bear for those designing their living room, especially for those who want to keep the eye drawn to the more exciting installations within a room and not the black box.

Do you you want it to stand out? Not really, I love to watch a good film on it but it's not exactly a beautiful object in its own right to look at.

Do you want to hide it? Yes and no, I need to easily be able to watch it.

Do you want to merge it into the design of the wall its on so it doesn't stand out? Yes, but it is still an eye sore...

There are some very clever ways to 'hide' your television amongst artwork and shelves in your living room, some examples of which you'll see below. But how about going one step further and having a transparent television, which would have an incredibly minimal impact on the overall look of the room? This would overcome all your design quandaries...you just have to choose how to style the wall behind it! Still in concept phase but this Loewe Invisio TV could be onto something...

Some clever ways of blending your TV into the design of your living room;

Paint out dark walls & you'll hardly notice the television

Install a striking digitally controlled framed mirror aka LCD cabinet

Play spot the TV with an installation like in this Brooklyn loft apartment. (Fab green sideboard, non!)

Where there's a will there's way, see how you can blend your TV into your living room. Personally right now I could live without the TV as I never get time to watch it and in this glorious weather I'd much rather spend the evening chilling outside BUT I will admit, I am somewhat devoted to keeping abreast of what's occurring on Eastenders. I know, I know! *cheeky smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Loewe Invisio images courtesy of Yanko Design

Expensive taste? Challenge yourself to find something similar cheaper elsewhere!

Absolute mental and creative overload happened last week. Chelsea Harbour took me by the horns and gave me one huge injection of design oomph for a current hotel project I'm in the early stages of. I'm crazy busy pulling the overall look and style together so my blog is taking a little back step but I'll still be sharing loads of fab stuff so keep on coming for a cheeky peek.

Today's "just gotta share this with you" is this most wonderfully beautiful and elegant Rose Gold Davlin glass tile. I chose it for the hotel bathrooms but when the very friendly Kaitlin at Ann Sacks showroom kindly informed me it retails at over £1,600 per sqm - yup per square metre - I politely smiled, gulped and thanked her for her help. Ok, so the tile is hand painted in gold leaf, uh huh real gold folks, but seriously I'm not designing a princ'e's palace here.

The showroom tiles in all their glory

Do you have expensive taste? Yes? Do you have the mega big budget? No? Well, take on the challenge: find what you love then find something similar for a fraction of the price, you'll feel so chuffed with yourself.

My alternative to the stunning tile above is Original Styles' Cleopatra, which incorporates the thinnnest layer of real gold foil beneath the glass, but only costs £224.72 per sqm. Sill quite pricey but a fantastic price for the look you'll achieve and you would save yourself over £1,375 woo hoo!

So what money saving design challenge are you going to take on?! Go for it and why not tell Home Restyler all about it here.

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Let the sun shine right into your home

The timing couldn't have been better. Just as the sun starts to pump out some serious rays and we all throw open the doors to our gardens, Devon Home magazine feature, which is all about bringing the outdoors in has hit the shelves. When Stacey Sheppard originally asked me to contribute to the feature it was cold, miserable and positively wintery, so I was delighted at the prospect to have to think about all things outdoorsy and nature inspired. There are some great ideas as well as beautiful photography in the feature, so if you're looking for this kind of inspiration but don't have your own copy, keep on reading the feature is below...

Enjoy the sunshine *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

http://pinterest.com/homerestyler

Choosing chalk paint

Customer service is key, well in my opinion anyway. Yesterday I was in the process of choosing paint for a client and aside from the quality of the product itself, it was the customer service I received from the company that helped me make my final choice.

The brief: source suitable paint for lime plastered walls

The contenders: lime wash paint vs. clay paint

The winner: Earthborn

Originally the builder responsible for the work on this project had suggested we go for lime wash paint, as this it traditionally works best on porous surfaces such as lime plaster and lime render. Despite it being an ancient paint made from limestone which has good breathability, anti-bacterial and insecticidal properties (woodworm and death-watch beetle hate it) and hence suited to older dwellings, I'm just not a fan of it. You see, when it's applied on porous surfaces, any dampness in the background material causes shading, which means the coverage obtained isn't uniform. The paint itself tends to be quite thin and over time can easily rub off. For a much more solid finish with better general coverage I would suggest chalk paint as an alternative.

It was at this point I had to make my choice between my two main contenders; Nutshell Natural Paints and Earthborn Paints. Both are fantastic natural eco paints that have won awards and have the highest of eco-friendly credentials. I spoke with both companies about the suitability of their paints on lime plastered walls and got all the gen about each of the brands.

So how did I make my choice? I love the mellow Earthborn claypaint colours as they perfectly suit this project, the paint itself is free from vinyl and oil but is still thick and creamy, hard wearing and breathable and the guy on the end of the phone was so helpful. He was totally clued up and forthcoming with technical information plus he was a genuinely nice seeming chap, all chatty with time to spend telling me all about the Earthborn brand and paints. I still like the Nutshell range and the colour matching service they offer and I have no doubt I will use them on future projects, however yesterday my thumbs up went to Earthborn and it will be their White clay paint and possibly Smidgen that will be covering some 16th century cottage walls in Devon very soon!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Beautiful period style homeware with a dash of English nostalgia

Every so often a request hits the right spot and inspires me to blog about it and share the love. So today I'd very much like to let you into a secret. Ok, so not exactly a secret, because this fab online boutique has been building it reputation since it launched in late 2010, but it's just had a complete overhaul and relaunch and is crammed to the brim with a range of new products. So if you're looking for period style homeware and accessories for your modern period home this is where it's at.

Victorian style cast iron rim lock

Grace & Glory harks back to the past, with a feeling of English nostalgia but is constantly evolving to encompass new trends and materials. As such this beautiful online boutique offers products for classic period properties and more contemporary homes alike.  The collection includes a select range of indoor and outdoor lighting, kitchen and utility ware, ceramics and other beautiful home accessories.

colourful ceramic hat & coat hooks

What stands Grace & Glory out from the crowd is it's impressive range of period hardware. Whether you're looking for brass door knockers, nickel finger plates or rim locks and latches, you'll be sure to find them. What's more Grace & Glory offer a period homeware sourcing service, so if they don't stock what you're searching for, just ask, I'm sure they'll be able to track it down for you.

raw oak towel ladder

Brompton table lamp

Psst... if you find something you like on their website, click onto their newsletter here and you'll get 10% off your order. You can't say I never give you anything *wink*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

The trials of being a (self-employed) interior stylist.

Following a conversation with a client yesterday that felt like a personal attack, I felt taken for granted, taken advantage of and to top if off I got officially dumped by them. Like all of my projects, I had invested a lot of time, energy and emotion in it and felt totally destroyed by the words I was hearing from the other end of the phone line. So today I'm taking stock, reconsidering a few things and want to make a point. 

The Home Restyler ethos is all about affordable interior styling. I do everything I can to help clients create beautiful homes that work for them, that reflect their personalities and their lifestyles. I search tirelessly to source the perfect items for them and am always striving to find the best price I can. Whilst I am passionate about interiors and styling and live and breathe my work, I also need to earn a living and would very much appreciate it if that were respected. I'm not in it to make my millions, far from it, I just need to earn my crust. 

So today, in support of my fellow peers, friends who are freelance and run their own businesses and anyone else that would like to join in my cause, this is the point I would like to make:

via http://sweepmeup.tumblr.com

I hope that for any of you reading this, you will agree with the point I'm trying to communicate. We as individuals have our worth and we should all respect one another.

Thank you x

www.homerestyler.co.uk 

Inspiring ways to display your art & photographs

Sitting here ordering tiles for a client and eating a somewhat tasteless yogurt (well it is fat free, what's the point, next time it's full fat - full flavour baby!) got me in the summer mood. Why you might wonder, because the yogurt is coconut flavoured, you know that smell that whisks you off to the land of hot sun, white sandy beaches, fresh fruit juices, ice-creams and tropically warm seawater...mmm. Feeling all smiley and summery I thought I'd open the suitcase I shoved last years summer clothes in and get a load of washing going...and you know what happened? It started to hail. Yes hail. And don't let me forget to mention the gale force wind that is currently blowing out there. Heating on - check. Big hoodie on - check. Cup of tea - check. What the?!?

I digress. Someone recently asked me for some suggestions for displaying art around the home. None of this hang three frames on the same level in a row malarkey, no way... so to give ideas and inspiration I created a Pinterest board to accumulate fab ideas that can be shared with one and all. Hopefully it will turn the way we think about hanging art on its head. Loads of people have such unique and quirky ways of showing off photos and artwork so why not get creative too and see which of the ideas you'd love to try out in your own home. 

Uniform. Black frames. Colourful.

Trouser hanger hung prints.

All sorts of wonderful

Have you already got your own groovy gallery you're proud of and would like to share? Is so, we'd love to see it so send me a photo to katey@homerestyler.co.uk and I'll post them on the blog.

For loads more inspiration check out the Home Restyler 'Framing Art' board. Happy hanging!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

About time. The border is back. Hurrah!

Roundabout three and a half years ago, when we were in the midst of doing up our last house, I searched high and low for a funky, bright, statement border to add zing to my hall, stairs and landing. To give you the full story, it wasn't only because I yearned for something totally different to liven up this part of the house but also because I wanted to disguise an irreparably damaged wall surface thanks to a grotesque old dado, which we removed but couldn't afford to have the whole area replastered.

Well, you guessed it, I had no luck. I looked everywhere for something affordably modern and funky but all I found were hideous outmoded, cheap looking floral borders that formed unsightly rows in front of wallpapers in the likes of B&Q among other hardware stores. Instead I opted to leave all of the walls bare, except for the 4m high wall half way up the stairs, which I made a feature of with various sized fabric covered and embellished embroidery hoops.

Imagine my delight all this time later, when not only did I find one but only a couple of weeks later, two different new ranges of borders. Woo hoo. Ok, so it's not entirely helpful that I currently live in a rented cottage but I will definitely be using one if not more of these fab finds....

Jane Cumberbatch's Pure Style quince border

my kind of mustard

rose petal border

love hot pink

Jane Cumberbatch has brought back the border much to my delight and boy has she got the colour and style right. I just love them. The range consists of eight different colours and cost £30 per 10m roll. Boom!

I heard whispers that Earth Inke might launch a border or two as well, fingers crossed *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Some Spring interiors inspiration - Devon stylee

So it seems a fair few of us Devon based interiors-y folk are thinking along the same wavelength this Spring...

...pale wood, yellow + grey, geometrics & pastels... only difference is my slight obsession with a splash of fluoro *wink* 

If you want to know more, you can read all about it in Exeter Living magazine issue 138.

Don't forget, Home Restyler is all for  and about affordable interior design ;)

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Easy to make decorative Easter displays

This time last year my home was awash with bright spring colours, the living room filled with pretty paper decorations and all sorts of Easter decorations. This year however, my decorations are buried deep in a cellar, stowed away with the majority of my belongings, until we once again own our home, which will hopefully be larger than the current little 2 bed cottage we are so lucky to live in (lucky to have such a great view, not so lucky when it comes to parking / storage space / insulation!) To celebrate the beauty and joy of spring and to stick two fingers up to the rubbishy freezing temperatures that we are continuing to endure at the moment, here are some of my favourite ideas and photos of inspiring Easter decorations.

Source: sweetpaul.typepad.com viaHome on Pinterest

Source: frenchlarkspur.blogspot.com viaHome on Pinterest

Source: leukelintjes.blogspot.com viaHome on Pinterest

Source: lillelykke.blogspot.com viaHome on Pinterest

Source: livingathome.de viaHome on Pinterest

Source: yankeemagazine.com viaHome on Pinterest

Source: mittlivplandet.blogspot.sk viaHome on Pinterest

And I couldn't resists this ickle one...

Source: Home on Pinterest

for more inspiring images why not take a peek at my Easter Pinterest board.

Happy Easter, may the next few weeks be filled with gorgeous little egg-inspired decorative displays and delicious chocolatey treats *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk