So now that bonfire night has exploded all around the country last weekend, I think I can safely move on to Christmas. That’s the rule, is it? Halloween? Check! Bonfire night? Check! Christmas? Ohhh yeaaah! Here it comes! Which is precisely why I’ve waited until now to show you my
Refitting or redesigning your bathroom can be quite an exciting process and is something that can add a great deal of value to your property. However, bathroom fitting and design mistakes can be costly – and tricky to rectify. I’ve researched a list of the most common bathroom design mistakes so I’ve had a
Today’s blog post is a super-fast DIY project to add a little personality to an off-the-peg high street top. Yes, I’m doing a Primark hack, and I don’t care who knows it! It’s such a quick project that I did it just half an hour before heading out to a
Whenever September rolls around I get that ‘new-term’ feeling. Even though I’m no longer a student, when you add up all the years that I have been studying in one way or another (yes, I’m even counting primary school), we’re looking at upwards of 20 years in education. So it’s
Today’s blog post is rather photo-heavy, but I wanted to share some snaps I took while touring Norman Foster’s famous Willis Building. My husband and I went into Ipswich as part of the Heritage Open Weekend and visited half-a-dozen or so historical buildings that are not usually open to the
Hurrah I’m finally taking some time off! Don’t worry I’ll be popping back from time to time to share some updates on what I’ve been getting up to during my summer break but in the meantime I’m going to be sharing some fantastic guest posts from my lovely blogging buddies. I dropped
Over the years I’ve come realise that I’m quite a clumsy person. I trip over on flat pavements and I bruise myself almost daily by bumping into things. I’m a bit of a calamity but thankfully I’ve never seriously hurt myself or anyone around me. The worrying thing is when
He popped the question, she said yes, and then she popped the question to you – will you be my bridesmaid?! Weddings are a wonderful time of celebration, and it is an honour to be asked to be the bride’s right-hand lady during such a joyous occasion. However, before you
I was SO chuffed when I heard that I’d been nominated as best DIY & Craft Blog in the Amara Interior Blog Awards 2016! I can’t believe that my lovely readers took the time to nominate me for one of the most prestigious awards in the country – I hope that this means
It’s that time of year again. Whether it’s the weather, having more time during longer days, or the summer break you’ve booked off work. Whatever the reason, July and August seem to be the months of the year that we spend the most amount of time in our gardens. So today I’m sharing a quick
I’ve spotted a new trend in interior design for Summer 2016 and it’s one that really pleases me; bright bold colour. We all have a favourite colour – a shade that we seem to choose time and again – for our clothing, our décor and even our cars. It can therefore be
So I went away last weekend. I didn’t go far, just on our yearly jaunt to the Essex coast, but boy was it nice to be beside the seaside. The cool sea breeze was really needed after that heatwave the week before. Even stepping off the promenade and making my
Did you know that there are countless options when it comes to buying a house? There’s not only freehold, but leasehold properties, commonhold and shared ownership too. So what’s the difference? Today I’m sharing what I’ve learnt, so read on!
With more sunny days than not in recent weeks, my thoughts have turned to summer holidays. While I’m not actually planning to jet off anywhere luxurious for a beach holiday, I DO want to inject a little holiday fun into my life. But how can I do it when I’m having
Whether you’re planning a wedding or like the idea of having a fancy birthday party, I think that a vintage theme is perfect for summer events. When I visited the Glemham Hall vintage wedding fair I was struck by how many of the decorating ideas would work perfectly well for
You may have already done the big spring clean in your own home, but what about your relatives? In particular, I’m thinking about your grandparents, parents, uncles and great aunts who may be less able to give their own home a thorough clean this year. When I heard about the
Does your living room look exactly the same from one year to the next? Or could you tell what year a photo was taken just by sussing out the décor in the background? Some of us like to make changes to our décor every year; we like to mix things
It’s finally arrived! After months of waiting for the latest interior design book by Will Taylor to hit the shelves (and putting my name down for a copy really early) I was already too excited when the delivery finally dropped onto the doormat. Unwrapping the parcel felt like Christmas and, having avoided reading any other reviews
When renovating or updating our homes, many of us tend to focus mainly on the interiors. Interior design is very important, as your home needs to be welcoming, homely and suited to you. One aspect of the home that is often overlooked however, is the part that people see every
For romantic couples all over the world, the Amalfi coast has always been a favourite destination; not only because this region attracts the crème-de-la-creme of high society and offers a glamorous opportunity to mingle with the rich and famous (experience a chic and luxurious holiday even if you are on
With the England game about to kick off in the Euros this afternoon (and almost everyone I know bunking off work to watch it!) I knew I couldn’t let today pass me by without at least a mention of the big game. I think this year’s tournament has been the
A new campaign by Oxfam has just launched today and I’ve already been rummaging around in my wardrobe this morning in order to help raise money for Oxfam. The ask is so simple and I hope you can join me in supporting such a great cause. From 6th June Oxfam is
After my visit to Grand Designs Live last weekend, I’ve been spending time researching the new interior trends, building materials and home design ideas that I spotted at the event. With sections on building, interiors, tech, gardens, kitchens, bathrooms and life-in-general, the exhibition was packed full of inspiration and I’d
If you’re like me, anything and everything that has to do with decoration is fascinating regardless of the price (a girl can dream, right?). As you might have read by now, I’ve recently moved into a new home which is always the chance to start off fresh and combine existing
Classic interior trends have longevity because they embrace the basic form and function needed in a home, whereas some modern interior design trends tend to fade away as they reflect a current mood in society. Here are some trends that will stand the test of time…
You may have spotted that I’ve recently developed more of an interest in the beauty industry. It’s not that I wasn’t interested at all in the past, I just hadn’t spent that long thinking about it or researching it. Since deciding to go cruelty-free (read my blog post about what
With wet weather comes muddy boots and just having tidemarks from tiptoeing through puddles is enough to make you feel like a right mess, even though the rest of your outfit is perfectly clean. So if you find yourself caught in an April shower, just take a moment to give
It’s a common misconception that fruit can only be grown in ‘warmer’ climates. Okay for some fruits this is true but there are so many fruits that you can actually grow yourself in your own garden, even in the British weather!
In case you didn’t already hear me bleating on about it on Twitter – I’m going to the UK Blog Awards! So basically, you’ll be treated to lots of preparation posts on the blog this week, showing you exactly what dress and accessories I’m going to wear, the make-up and skincare I’m
We’re all hoping for a sunny bank holiday weekend right? And what better way to spend the long lazy weekend than with a spot of al fresco dining, eh? I’ve got the ideal recipe for you to try out this weekend; it’s really fast, super-easy and uses just a handful
We could all do with a bit more room, couldn’t we? I know I personally need much more room – or perhaps far fewer things! Okay, okay, I could have a clear out, minimise my stuff and move onto a narrowboat, but even then I think I’d find a few important things that
A luxury kitchen equals expensive, right? And there’s no way that you’re going to spend all your hard-earned cash on a kitchen when you’ve got other rooms in your new home to decorate, yes? Well that’s what I always thought, and when you’re working to a strict budget it can
I’m always on the look out for ways to save money and cut day-to-day living costs. Until now, the only thrifty cooking advice I’ve been able to give you is to make your own meals from scratch (rather than buying pricey takeaways or ready-meals) and to buy food when it’s in
We all have a style uniform, don’t we? A particular style of outfit that you pull on day-in-day-out without really thinking about it. For me, it’s comfy jeans combined with a jumper in winter and the same jeans rolled up with a t-shirt in the summer. I reach for my skinny jeans
Want to inject a bit of colour into your room but don’t want to commit to a complete wall-to-wall makeover? Can I suggest painting the inside of your cupboards instead? It’s interior design on a very ‘interior’ scale – the inner walls of your storage to be exact! It allows
While daydreaming about my future home, I come up with all kinds of ideas in my head. They’re mostly about nifty storage solutions (I have a whole garage full of stuff that needs to be stored somewhere when I move house) but sometimes they’re about the way that I actually want to live
It must be the slighter sunnier weather, or perhaps the impending Easter holidays, that has got me thinking about days out, picnics and flasks full of tea. In fact, I went on my first picnic of the year yesterday lunchtime and, after all these dark winter months of eating lunch
Whenever I get that spring cleaning feeling, it always turns into a bigger job than I imagined. What starts out as a wipe-down-the-skirting-boards and dust-the-curtain-rail kind spring clean, always seems to turn into a complete room makeover. And this year is no exception. That urge to decorate has arrived and
January feels really long this year, why is that? Even though it’s not been particularly cold or especially dark this year, I’ve still felt like January has been a bit ‘meh’. Nothing bad has happened, I’ve not had a tough month, it’s just a bit… hmm. It’s at this time
Remember my little vintage caravan? It tends to be more of a focus of my blog posts during the summer, because I seem to spend most of my time out there when the weather is good. When it’s chilly and windy, like it has been this week, I’ve been rather
Today’s recipe is a great one for adding a little bit of excitement to your party. If you’re planning a wedding, hen party, birthday or are even gathering together to celebrate the Queen’s 90th at a street party, this little fruity recipe would be a great addition to a glass
If you can cast your mind back to the last few times that I’ve been to a blog awards event, you might remember that I have a bit of a post-ceremony tradition. I love to share photos of the bloggers’ shoes in a Tuesday Shoesday post. Not only do I
It’s a well-known fact that everybody looks for ways to save money at the start of the year, especially straight after the ‘excessive’ festive period. It’s also well known that once winter is over, we start to look around our homes with fresh eyes and start to notice little jobs
Whether you’re working in an office environment or you’ve got your own personal space at home, keeping your work area neat can sometimes be a tricky task. I know I struggle to keep that stack of paperwork under control! Throw in numerous cups of tea and lunch at my desk
Refurbishing your kitchen does not always have to be a costly venture. By picking your finishes wisely and by planning and doing certain things yourself, you can really cut your expenses right down.
With the big Easter holiday looming at the end of the month (and a bit of time off, phew!) I’ve been busy making plans for Easter fun with the family. We all love to get together at some point over the four-day holiday and enjoy a meal together, as well as organising an
If, like many homeowners, you have been looking for great new ways that you can make the most of your property and expand it rather than moving to a larger home, you might want to take a look in your loft space. If it is still only used as a
It’s the age-old question: knee-high or ankle? Which type of boots do you prefer? If you only had the money to buy one pair of boots to last you forever, which would you choose? Come on, no sitting on the fence: these boots were made for walking, so which pair
When you’re a thrifty kinda gal who doesn’t really want to splash out her hard-earned cash on pricey pumps where do you shop for shoes? I’ve made no secret of the fact that I want to spend less this year, (so that I’ve got more to save for the house
While everyone else was putting up their decorations and baking mince pies, I was researching S/S16 interiors trends. While humming along to Christmas carols and lighting my advent candle, I was flicking through pastel colour swatches and picking out brightly patterned cushions. And only days before finally putting my feet up
Since being glued to The Great Interior Design Challenge each evening on BBC2, I’ve become much more interested in seeking out interior design inspiration online. It turns out that researching a new style and finding a way of creating the look for less is super-easy when you’re browsing Pinterest. Honestly,
January can be a particularly stressful time of year and I often find that I get a little over-whelmed. I think it’s a combination of being back at work after a long Christmas break, dull weather and shorter days, and it makes me feel like I’m running out of time
When your home is stylish and comfortable it’s great to come back from a hard day at the office, kick your shoes off and relax. You can chill on the sofa and feel a sense of harmony when you look around. But what happens if you have dogs, cats, or
I’m sharing money-saving tips for eating well and healthily this new year. Hopefully, these ideas will inspire you to make a change to the way you approach meal times AND treat yourself with the care that your body deserves.
If you’re anything like me, the chances are you want your home to look as perfect as possible but you also have to be mindful of your budget. If you’ve been reading my blog recently, you’ll have seen that I’ve shared a couple of very low-budget room makeovers in my
One of my worst nightmares is being cold in the winter, alongside any kind of home maintenance disasters. Christmas is precisely the wrong time for a boiler to break down, for drains to get blocked or the heating system to fail, yet it always seems that problems occur at this time
It’s easy to swoon over the beautiful rooms in interior design magazines, dribble over perfectly styled images by designers on Instagram, and fall in love with professional decorating projects on Pinterest. However, recreating even the most simple interior design project can be difficult to achieve in your own home…
What are your plans for the weekend? Not all that busy? Well I’ve just found out about something that I’d love you to get involved with. A series of special events is taking place in and around London this weekend and, if you’re anything like me, I think you’d love to go to
One of the things I love about old houses are the little nooks and crannies you can use for extra storage. The cupboard under the stairs is always a winning spot and some old kitchens have a pantry cupboard. Our home didn’t have a pantry but we desperately needed one!
I love dogs. Even though I’m currently a cat-mummy and have filled my Instagram feed with photos of my furr-babies, I’m also a big fan of dogs. I think people usually describe themselves as being a ‘cat person’ or a ‘dog person’ but I am most definitely both. I can’t
As one of my favourite interior designers, I was delighted when Celia Sawyer offered to write a guest post for my wonderful readers. The ‘Four Rooms’ dealer and celebrity designer tells us why lighting should be the first item on your to-do list when curating a new home, and I
No, it’s not too late to show someone you care about them this Valentine’s Day. You’ve still got time to post a card to that special person, you just need to get hold of a card. No time to run out to the shops? No problem! I’ve come up with
It wasn’t too long ago that I was starting university. I packed up a car with all my worldly goods and moved myself to the other side of the country to start a new life 5 hours away from home. I remember those first few weeks when all I worried about
This week my husband and I have been working hard to decorate our hallway. It’s one of the only spaces in the house that has remained untouched since we moved in more than three years ago, so it was looking pretty tired and desperately needed updating. You may remember that
I’ve finally found it. The finishing touch to my Mid-Century Modern living room. It’s been on my radar for years and I’ve lusted after similar designs for months. From past experience, I know that just waiting long enough and not rushing into a purchase will ultimately bring the item to
I really couldn’t believe it when an email dropped into my inbox telling me that I’d been shortlisted in the Amara Interior Blog Awards 2015! Yes, my little thrifty blog has been shortlisted in the DIY & Craft Category and I am chuffed to bits! I know I’ve been sharing
And I mean ‘mini’ in both senses – it’s a mini room and I’m on a budget so it’ll be a mini makeover. I’ve actually lived in my home for over three years now and am yet to tackle the kitchen. The trouble with this room is that it is
MacDonald Gill, known as Max, was a major figure in the graphic art world in the first half of the 20th century. Back in November I visited an exhibition of his work at The Lettering Arts Centre completely by accident and I was fascinated by the maps on display. The
The summer holidays have arrived! And with them come the opportunity to spend some time at home and get started on a couple of decorating projects that I’ve been bursting to do. You may remember that I shared some inspirational images for my ideal kitchen a couple of weeks ago
Yay for summer and whoop for BBQ season! It’s finally time to drag out the barbecue, scrub down the grill and fire up the coals. Or so I thought… It turns out that my barbecue required a makeover, and quick!Last year we invested in a kettle barbecue. Ok, it wasn’t
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