Snuggle up

Ah the turn of season. Despite my love of summer sunshine, days on the beach and late evening al fresco dining, there is something so comforting about the days getting shorter and the air becoming colder. I love the fact that come late evening I now need to turn on a few lights around the house, draw some curtains shut and put my snug and cosy new bootie slippers on. My flip-flops and summer dresses have been packed away and my wardrobe is now full of woollen jumpers, warm coats and winter boots. I love the newness of wrapping a scarf around my neck each day and the feeling of cooler, fresher air blow across my cheeks when out for a beach walk or apple picking.

Now that summer has ended my thoughts turn to cosying up the house and making it a a truly comfortable, snuggleable and cosy place to retreat and be warm and cosy. It's time to replace the summer cushions and light linens and bring in all things knitted, sheepskin, cashmere, velvet, tweed and natural wood.

If ever it were possible to fall in love with a beanbag, let this be the moment. These beanbags have to be the most covetable I have ever seen!

If I had these in my living room along with this shaggy rug and wood burner, I honestly don't know how I would manage to do anything except lounge on them. Small sheared sheepskin beanbag £300, sheepskin cushion £60 and sheepskin rug £500 - The White Company.
Hmm, I'm thinking a hot chocolate may be the perfect drink right now...


And if those aren't enough to keep the chill off you, how about this adorably cute Ruth Cross Hottie how ater bottle in Misty Cliffs (a new colour for Winter 2011) £48. The handmade cover is knitted with lambs wool with lurex sparkle and has a satin ribbon drawstring and is sure to give you an instantly supersoft burst of warmth.

Candles. One of the BEST bits about Autumn / Winter. My friends all know how much I love candles and that I will light them at any opportunity. On a bleak, grey, dismal day a lit candle, especially a scented one can bring such warmth, light and joy to a house. Here are a few of my favourites that I have seen so far...no doubt there will be many more to follow!

True Grace As It Should Be Fig candle - Earthy-sweet aroma of Mediterranean fig trees, fruity and oozing with Autumnal warmth. £19.95 from the Scented Candle Store

On-trend scandinavian light wood heart shaped votives - set of 2 £8 from John Lewis

These fragranced candles from French perfumier Geodesis are delicious, they use the highest quality wax and unique blends of perfume and candles burn for up to 60 hours. My favourite scent is Cinnamon but it also comes in nine other fragrances; Orange Tree; Lavender; Blackcurrant; Massoia Tree Bark;  Fig Tree, Rose, Clove, Verbena or Agar Wood. Divine!
Priced at £22 each they are available from Velvet Bown at NotOnTheHighStreet.com

Over the next few months I will have a whole host of posts full of ideas and inspiration to help you make your home cosy for the coming colder months. Snuggle up and keep warm!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Lightbulb moment

When putting a room scheme together, sometimes you just want to have a co-ordinating lampshade to complete the look. So today I share with you some of the latest looks, suppliers and ideas to help you have your lightbulb moment.

These beautiful hand-printed lampshades can be made up in any size and and in any Rapture & Wright fabric. The burnt orange lining cunningly helps transform the dreary glow of low energy bulbs into a more appealing light. Prices start from £150.  www.raptureandwright.co.uk

Printed on 100% silks and linens, textile designer Jen Rowland handprints her designs and creates stunning shades suitable for table lamps, standard lamps and pendants. She has just launched a new collection using the frozen treescapes of Scandinavia as her inspiration. You can also buy cushions and even tea towels to match, oh how perfectly co-ordinated! Prices start from around £45. www.jenrowland.co.uk

Wallpaperlampshades offers a bespoke service making handmade lampshades with any wallpaper. With 8" shades starting from £19.99 this really is a cheap way to make sure your shades are perfectly matched with the rest of your decor.

Get creative and have a bespoke lampshade made just for you. Now the Autumn nights are drawing in you'll be sure to get plenty use out of it over the coming months. Now all you need is a cosy blanket to snuggle up with on the sofa, a good book and time for yourself - heaven!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Achica we love you!

There are many things that excite me; bright coloured anything, the turn of season, Haribo, receiving an unexpected parcel...the list goes on and on... but today what is exciting me the most is Achica. I've been a member for a long time and I recommended it back on 6th September but until today I've never really explored it in enough detail. Suffice to say, it really is brilliant!

You may have heard the name before, you may not have but believe me I recommend you read on to find out what it is all about...

Achica is an online members-only luxury lifestyle store that is free to join. Members benefit from exclusive savings on home and lifestyle brands with new, limited time promotions, which are added every day. The discounts are generous and can save you serious money.  Achica's carefully select each item to ensure that only the most stylish products appear in their promotions.

You have to register, but registration is free and once you've signed up you get a daily email letting you know which offers are available on that day. I know Christmas may seem a long way in the future but if you're like me and you love a bargain, get satisfaction from being organised and want to get your mitts on some of the most stylish products currently on the market then you'll LOVE this website.

Today I have ordered this cushion from ferm LIVING and saved £25.95!

And I'm also considering buying these super-funky bowls for my princess-obsessed daughter's 3rd birthday. They are by Jackie Shapiro for French Bull and are part of a range of simply the coolest melamine tableware out there. If I do buy, I'd be saving £10.05 on a set of 4 bowls.

Also on offer today are a selection of products from:

Normann Copenhagen

Garden Trading

Moleskine

Go and register, this is something not to be missed. But don't blame me if you end up logging in everyday and buying too many lovely things ;)

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Home Restyler gets published

I am very excited and pleased to share with you that Home Restyler is now officially an Exeter Express & Echo columnist.
From today onwards I will be writing a bi-weekly column to share with readers all sorts of hints, tips and advice about everything to do with improving your home and most importantly how to do so affordably and creatively.
My launch article is part one of a plan to help you create your own interior style in six steps.

Part two will be printed on Thursday 22nd September and I'll include the whole article on this blog the week after. It really is a useful plan to guide you through the interior styling process for any room in your house and will help you focus on one element at a time with the end result being a room that is perfectly styled for you and the way you live your life.

Happy reading and any feedback would be most appreciated. Also if there is anything you would like me to write about in the future, please get in touch contact@homerestyler.co.uk

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Money-saving websites for buying furniture

I'm currently looking for a unique, beautiful side-board as a feature item for a client. I know roughly what I'm looking for and really want to find something stunning but for a really good price. I have been looking all about and have come across some incredible pieces, which made me decide to write today's blog post all about places to find furniture at really good prices.Here are three great sources to start with...

www.ex-display.co.uk
If you're looking for design-led furniture and lighting this is a great website to check out. Type in the item you are looking for and this site will list readily available ex-display and end of line items from over 100 genuine showrooms. You then contact the showroom directly save up to 60% off the original retail price. Ooh designer goodies at a fraction of the price and no one would ever guess hee hee!

www.achcia.com
A 'members only luxury lifestyle store'. This website runs promotions that offer members home, garden and lifestyle brands at up to 70% off. Each promotion is open for just a few days. Recent promotions have included homeware from Tefal, Anglepoise and Elle Interiors. The table above is the Twist Table in graphite grey from Design House Stockholm, normally priced at £412.00, during the promotion you can buy it for £275. Definitely a website to keep an eye on.

www.homesandbargains.co.uk
Homes & Bargains is a money-saving guide for aspirational homeowners with a keen sense of style and an eye for a bargain. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter with the latest updates on competitions, freebies, offers and discounts. Latest offers inlcude 60% off the basam besign iron lantern from Lombok, up to 50% discount off a selection of Brissi vases and 15% discount on first orders at  Trendy Products.

There are a huge selection of websites out there offering discounts and offers so if you come across some good ones why not share them with Home Restyler blog readers here, at the end of the day everyone loves a bargain!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Before & After furniture restyle: 3 for 1

Ah, the satisfaction when a furniture restyle is complete is a wonderful feeling and today I have it threefold.
My lastest endeavours include a 50's gentleman's wardrobe, handed down to me by my Granny, a round curved leg occasional table and a long mahogany coffee table.

I loved this wardrobe in its natural state and have used it for many years without changing a thing about it. However I decided at the weekend that we really must tackle the last room in our house to be completely ripped out and redone - the master ensuite, which got me thinking about our bedroom layout and storage. So rather than go out and spend any money (hey, it's all about making the most of what you've already got!), I decided to re-jig the layout of the room and paint the warrobe off-white so that it could stand next to my bed but blend it, rather than looking huge and clunky in its natural wood finish. I am really pleased with the finish and although I'm yet to buy the proper doorknobs (I temporarily borrowed the ones in the photo from a chest of drawers) I think it works well in it's new place by my side of the bed.

This sweet round table was a local charity shop find. The poor thing was somewhat wonky, wobbly and generally uncared for but with a little bit of love, a tighten with a screwdriver and a few coats of paint (Annie Sloan Versailles green, undercoated with Old White) I think it is rather adorable. This will soon be for sale at the Contemporary Homemade Fair at the Victory Hall, Exminster on 29th October from 10am along with various other pieces of my painted furniture and random handmade artefacts. (More info about the fair to come soon...)

This old mahogany slimline coffee table came from a house clearance and was in a good condition but looked tired and unappealing. Originally bought for a client, this will also be on sale at the fair. It has come up really well and would look great in a living room. It has been painted, waxed and distressed for a loved, shabby chic look.

I hope you like the latest pieces of furniture that I have restyled. I am currently working on a very exciting project for a client involving revamping some French Louis chairs. More info and photos to follow soon.

If you are interested in buying any pieces I have blogged about or would like to commission work to be custom made for you please do get in touch.

Is it time for a glass of wine yet, the weather here is divine...my garden is calling and well, it has been a busy day ;)

What do do with...tree stumps

For those of you who know me, you know that my latest creative obsession is 'what to do with a tree stump'! I used them to style a wedding photo shoot a while back and am now thinking about how to use them to create some beautiful pieces to sell at the Contemporary Handmade Craft Fair at the Victory Hall,  Exminster on Saturday 29th october 2011 from 10am - 4pm.

So today I share with you some beautiful and inspirational ideas for what to do with tree stumps.

Painted side-tables

Decorative centre-piece

Beautiful cup-cake stand

Woodland cake platter

Simple display stack of tree rings

Tree trivet

Who would have thought you could do so much with tree stumps, apart from using them as logs to burn on the fire of course!

I'd love to hear about your creative uses for tree stumps so why not drop me a line and share your ideas, any photos you send me could be added to this blogpost.

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Credits: Vicki Bartel Photography, Martha Stewart, The Spotted Fox