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Dreamy Pink Décor Ideas

Audenza — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 10:10:53 +0000

Blush, hot, peachy, soft, dazzling or pastel – whichever pink takes your fancy they are all delicious in their own way, and I think every home needs a touch of pink in celebration of such a glorious, dreamy colour. But not everyone is as taken with the hue as we are, so we’ve collated some of our favourite pink décor ideas from Instagram to get your creative juices flowing.

So, how do you play it? Do you go for the hot pinks or the pastel pinks? I can be drawn either way depending on the look I want to achieve – subtle or out there! I have a soft dreamy blush wallpaper in my pink and gold bedroom, which I find calming and zen like, but I did have a hot pink front door for a few years which was always a talking point. To get you in the vibe we have drawn together some stunning images of pink décor ideas in all its many guises, (be it interior or exterior) to help you visualize how to rock this fabulous hue.

Image: Melanie Lissack Interiors

Pink is perfect for outdoors. See how fabulous it is on this balcony where it echoes the planting and gives a harmonious mix with the green. Pastel pink and green is just the perfect combo.

Image: Inside Edit

Or how about an ice cream pink house with the startling blue shutters? To get inspired to paint your house pink have a look at images of the Italian island of Burano – such mouth-watering colours!

Image: Luck Dip Club

This is a similar colour to my previous front door and it makes a real statement that’s certainly not to be forgotten.

Image: La Rosa de los Vientos

A fabulous courtyard with two tone walls, contrasting green railings and masses of green foliage, which gives a wonderful continental feeling to this outside space. There’s just something about green plants against a pink wall, which really works. Try searching for #plantsonpink on Instagram and you’ll see what we mean…

Image: Goldalamode

This front door, painted the softest of shades looks so grown up and chic that it’s hard to resist. And of course, the combination with metallic touches just lifts the look even further. You can shop pastel pink and gold homewares here.

Image: French for Pineapple

This bedroom is an explosion of pink, but tone it down with some black and it instantly becomes more cutting edge and slightly racy. FYI there’s also a tutorial on Bianca’s blog for how to make THAT headboard, so if you’re feeling like a new project, then do check it out: DIY headboard.

Image: Margate Location House

If you are not sure about going bright but want to experiment, then the perfect place is the bathroom or cloakroom. This is a real show stopper of a bathroom, but needless to say, you have to be pretty keen on hot pink!

Image: Pernille Teisbaek

For a subtle and stylish bathroom, soft pink and black has echoes of the jazz age and makes a relaxing and calming space.

Get the Look with Pink Home Accessories

So that’s just a taster of dreamy pink décor ideas to whet the appetite. Do you think you will be moving over to the pink side any time soon? Or like me, is it already one of your favourite colours? Let us know what you think to these ideas below!

Jacqui x

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House Tour: A Masterclass in Moody Interior Design

Audenza — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 08:00:25 +0000

We have a very special treat for you today, a masterclass in moody interior design, in the form of a house tour and interview with one of our favourite Instagrammers, Pati Robins. We’ve been following Pati on Insta for some time now, and her design and styling ability never fails to amaze us. Clearly it’s not just us wowed by her moody and eclectic home though, she has an ever growing following count and craaazy amounts of likes on her posts. So we wanted to bring her home to you, and share a full house tour, as well as hear more about the lady behind this stunning abode.

Entrance & Living Room

Entrance

HB: Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

PR: Hi my name is Pati – always impatient, slightly crazy, always on the go, owned by 2 dogs, mum, wife and a carer to an army veteran husband. I was born in Poland – I met my husband while on holiday here, so in 2006 I moved to the UK and I love it here – the views the greenery and the people – you guys are awesome x

Living Room Reading Nook. HB: A major bug bear of ours is a beautifully painted room, and then the radiator left white. Here Pati has painted the radiator the same shade as the walls – now doesn’t that do a nice job of hiding a functional, ugly object?

HB: How long have you lived in this house and who lives there with you?

PR: Moved in in 2006. I live with my hubby, daughter and 2 dogs, ohh and not to forget the fish 😉 Home is 78 square meters.

Living Room Table

HB: What sort of condition did you buy the house in and what sort of work have you done on it? I imagine you have had to make quite a few changes to adapt it for your husband?

PR: I do not own my home, but when we moved in all the walls were painted in magnolia, complete with nicotine stain patches, not a good look! A lot of blood sweat and tears has gone into this home, since my budget has been very limited for the past 11 years. I have been working on making this house a perfect home for us, on a small budget – making, up cycling and finding cheap or free things takes a lot of time and patience , but the feeling you get when you made something or find an absolute bargain is priceless x

With regards to disability adaptations, one thing is for sure- they are so darn ugly! With simple tricks, like covering our bed with mountains of cushions to hide a bed lift, or swapping an extra long shower curtain with a standard size curtain but with added extra trim, to provide some interest (because XL shower curtains only come in white and….white). I am yet to re cover a stair lift seat 😉

Living Room. HB: Pati uses empty picture frames to great effect by framing other objects on the wall, and has styled our cactus vase beautifully.

HB: What’s your favourite room in the house?

PR: Living /dining room, as we spend most of our time in it.

Bathroom

Kitchen Bar

HB: How would you describe your style in 3 words?

PR: Dark, eclectic and whacky

Main Bedroom

Main Bedroom Fireplace. HB: It’s all in the detail – here Pati uses washi tape over the top of the statue. This is an ingenious and super cheap way to add interest and make an ornament your own.

HB: Pulling off such an eclectic look can be tricky, but you manage to nail it! What’s your best piece of advice for styling/curating an eclectic home?

PR: I use my dark walls as a backdrop for the things I have on the walls – my favourite things are the brightly coloured pieces, they make me smile. As an amateur I say go for it – pick your favourite things and just throw it into the room, you might be surprised when all those random things work. Don’t follow trends or what everyone else does- it’s as boring as magnolia walls. If you have an item you cherish, decorate around it, or place it in your room – let the “unexpected ” piece stand out . And if you smile when you come home you know you’ve done a great job! At the end of the day homes should reflect our personalities, and most importantly make us feel relaxed.

Landing Hallway

Daughter’s Bedroom

HB: Can you tell us a little bit about your photography work?

PR: I take photos as a form of a therapy to keep me sane 😉 I love gritty portraits and love working with military charities by providing them with photos, while at the same time spreading PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) awareness. Not all wounds are visible and when a person, be it veteran or a civilian, is affected by PTSD, his close family are also going through a very hard time – often spouses are forgotten and expected to ” stay strong”, but how can you be strong while your whole world is turned upside down and the person you love and care about crumbles apart?

Garden

HB: It’s been absolute pleasure to share your home, Pati and to help you spread PTSD awareness. So thank you very much for sharing your home and story with us. You can find out more about Pati’s photography via her website: Pati Robins, and don’t forget to follow her on Instagram: @Patirobins, you will not regret it!

Get the Look

So that’s a wrap, folks. What do you think? The trick when you’re looking at inspiring homes like this is to really analyse each picture to see what ideas you can take inspiration from. Such as the way Pati uses blank frames on the wall, and how she layers a mantelpiece with at least 2 or even 3 different items to really create depth of interest. Once you start analysing why it works, you can start to recreate things in your own home. So, tell me… will you be ‘stealing’ any of these ideas for your own home?

Hollie x

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Image Credit: Pati Robins

7 Times Tiles were Totally Terrific

Audenza — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:14:05 +0000

Tiles are a practical solution in a home that many people tend to view as merely a bland backdrop to the overall scheme in a room because they are expensive to purchase and expensive to put up (or time consuming if you are a DIY’er), so they often get relegated to the boring spectrum in the hope they can remain there, unobtrusively, for many years! But oh, you are missing a trick, in terms of the drama they can bring to your décor tiles are unequalled, and to prove it we’re showcasing ‘7 Times tiles were totally terrific’ to get your creative juices flowing.

Image: The Jungalow

Simple rectangular shaped tiles, but what a glorious colour, with so much depth and texture to them they give a real zing to the walls. Whether you play down the rest of the décor and go for simple country boho (as they are here), or go full tilt into flamboyant, these tiles will add drama for years. They have used coloured grout so you don’t get the white lines breaking up the design, which is a really good idea and gives a wall of colour.

Image: Homepolish

I absolutely love the fish scale tiles on the floor. I’ve never seen them used on the floor before but they are stunning and, with their muted colour way, will always make a strong design statement that will fit with many styles of décor.

Image & Tiles: Mandarin Stone

Simple tiles are a good backdrop to any scheme, but in a herring bone pattern they really shout different. Change your room décor as often as you want but these tiles will always look good.

Image: The Professional Cinderella

You can’t beat tiled steps for adding some glamour to your home. These steps immediately conjure up thoughts of Mediterranean sunshine and that laid-back holiday vibe but they also remind me of Victorian villas and their tiled paths and hallways. And so much more impressive than normal concrete or painted steps.

Image: of Gazelli House, taken by Vestiaire Collective

Now these tiles are truly wondrous and a joy to behold – well certainly for a flower obsessed person like me – not sure what my sons would think being in a bathroom like this though! So possibly not for everybody, certainly not the faint hearted amongst you, but a dream space for flower lovers wanting some drama in their décor. Not sure on the longevity though – would I get bored of it as it’s very limited in terms of what else you can do to the overall space – or would it be a case of a long-lasting love affair?

Image & Tiles: Fired Earth

Fabulous floor tiles that would give any room instant drama no matter the rest of the décor. Play it down and go for monochrome, as they are here, or jazz them up and add any colour or style you want and these tiles will still look the biz in years to come.

Image & Tiles: Domus Tiles

So what do you think? Do these bold tile statement make you want to rip out boring beige and white? I know I’ve played safe with tiles so that I can change the rest of the room more easily but it does make me want to splash out on some drama and pizzaz!

Jacqui x

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‘Into the Wild’: How to Style Animal Interiors

Audenza — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:56:19 +0000

‘Into the Wild’ is a trend we can all take bits from to give our homes a touch of exuberant nature. Animals in our interiors, whether they be our own home grown variety such as badgers or the more exotic zebra’s, are all the rage this season for bringing quirkiness to your décor and a smile to your face. It can be as simple as adding a jug or two to fill with flowers and foliage, or rampant animal mania with some of the latest wallpapers which are extremely exotic and dashing. We all want our homes to be different, and a little bit of the curious and unexpected is the way to achieve this.

Image credit: Audenza

For those of you who want to just add a touch of pattern and glam to your décor these zebra vases are perfect. Understated, but a great way to include animals to your décor without redoing the whole look. Whether you are a pastel lover or prefer the dark side these zebras work. Even empty they make a quirky addition to an eclectic home but fill with colourful flowers and they are dazzling.

1. Framed Flamingo Print / 2. Zebra Vase / 3. Floral Romance Four Drawer Cabinet / 4. Flamingo Salt & Pepper Shakers / 5. Zebra Jug / 6. Faux Wall Mounted Skull

Shop the full trend >>

Into the wild comes into its own with our new ‘Floral Romance’ furniture. The combination of dark floral and exotic animal prints is a veritable extravaganza of pattern and colour that gives an imaginative and surreal twist to interior décor that brims with whimsy and playfulness. Add as little or as much as you like depending on how joyful you want to be.

Image credit: A Shade Wilder

This wallpaper is from a A Shade Wilder and is not for the faint hearted but what a statement it makes. The black is called ‘Flamingo Beach After Dark’ and the orange is called ‘Flamingo Beach Calypso’ – even the names are exotic! Fabulous aren’t they but definitely only for the brazen.

Tips for styling animal interiors:

– Take inspiration from the patterns/markings of animals – and remember, it doesn’t have to be literal.

– Don’t be afraid to mix different patterns, like the floral cabinet above with zebra stripes. Mixing different patterns is key to an eclectic look; it helps to lift any scheme and give it some oomph!

– Leopard print is quite a hard one to get right, so if you’re not sure, go for non-traditional colourways, which takes the look from potentially tacky to totally trendy.

– Florals are a great contrast against animal interiors; for up to date florals, try using oversized or impressionistic prints in dark colourways, rather than traditional patterns.

– As we mentioned in our ‘Nailing the Tropical Rainforest Vibe’ post, monkeys are having a real moment in interiors – they’re the new pineapple! Shop monkey décor.

– As with any décor scheme, bringing in elements of texture will be key to make the look work. For this, think feathers, fur, wool and of course, velvet (always velvet!).

Us ladies at Audenza love the eclectic look, so ‘into the wild’ is the perfect combination of wild pattern and colour that we love. What do you think? Are you ready to join the wild side?

Jacqui x

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We Love: The Best Dark & Moody Paint Colours

Audenza — Sun, 01 May 2016 12:58:11 +0000

At Audenza we are always repainting backdrops for photographing our products, and in fact I’m pretty sure one of the rooms in the house is decreasing in size due to the successive layers of paint it’s acquiring, which makes us extremely fussy about quality! So fussy we don’t use cheaper brands because they just don’t work hard enough. The coverage isn’t as good (and time is of the essence) and the colours never seem to come out right. You know how when you look at a paint colour card and find the one you like and then when it’s on the wall it really isn’t what you thought it would be? Well that’s what always happens to me when I use a cheaper paint brand – the depth of colour isn’t right, the nuances of colour aren’t there, the finish isn’t right – so I always go straight for my favourite brands now. They being Little Greene, Farrow & Ball and Paint by Conran. I am sure there are more out there but time being critical I stick to the known and tested ones. Kimberly at Swoonworthy recently reviewed whether Farrow & Ball was worth the money and she too has been converted to the merits of up market paint brands!

Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball

The science of colour is not something I’m going to go into here as that’s a whole book’s worth that I do not have the credentials for, but I know what I like! And I very much like the new ‘Inchyra Blue’ from Farrow & Ball for its subtlety and moodiness. If you like the current trend for grey walls but want something with that added touch of excitement and a bit different then this is the colour for you.

Basalt by Little Greene

Mirrored Drinks Stand/ Dining Accessories

‘Basalt’ by Little Greene is a stunner of a colour and changes from black to deepest blue depending on the light, and if you’ve a mind to go over the blue side (so to speak) then read Kate Watson Smyth’s blog post on the blue shade card from Little Greene.

Dark Lovage by Paint by Conran

And while we are on the subject of the dark side then consider green, another hot trend that’s gaining popularity, with good reason for its ability to make everything around it glow. My two favourite greens (at the moment!) are ‘Dark Lovage’ by Paint by Conran and ‘Studio Green’ by Farrow & Ball and we have used both as back drops for photography. ‘Dark Lovage’ is an intense, jewel like colour that positively hums with excitement whereas ‘Studio Green’ is a sedate and calming influence. ‘Yeabridge Green’ by Farrow & Ball is a colour I am desperate to have on the walls and ceiling of my garden room to create the feeling of a tropical conservatory – but that is for another blog post!

Studio Green by Farrow & Ball

Esmeralda Chair/ Artificial Areca Palm/ Crochet Table Mat

Little Greene and Farrow & Ball’s websites are full of inspiration and advice on colour schemes that helps to minimize the mistakes – and inspire – of course, and the Paint by Conran shade card, which is inspired by the colour of the British landscape, is curated into complementary colour collections that makes it easier to partner colours.

When choosing colours for the photography it has to be one that enhances furniture and accessories, but doesn’t shout (which is what most of you are also looking for in a paint for your home) , and all the paint colours I’ve mentioned here have that quality. Next time I will go over to the light side and tell you about some of my favourite pale (but definitely not boring) colours.

I’d love to know your favourite moody hues and brands, do let me know in the comments below.

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui & Amelia Brooks

We Love: Mandarin Stone Tiles

Audenza — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:03:52 +0000

Now, I’m sure we have all heard of Mandarin Stone, but looking at their website recently I was blown away by the choices and the images. I didn’t know they did outdoor products either. I played safe with tiles (far too safe), particularly for someone who loves colour and pattern, and I do regret it and wished I had been more adventurous, but at the time I had far too many decisions to make regarding interior décor and the bathroom man wanted answers – urgent like! So metro tiles it was – in both bathrooms – and in neutral colours. How much safer can you get than that?! And yes they do look nice, but do they wow me? A resounding no to that one! For someone who says be brave and go for it I am a disappointment and I need to rectify this in the near future. Well maybe in the spring, when thoughts of rejuvenation and inspiration flow through me again, after struggling through the dark and cold months.

Carrara Polished Marble laid in herringbone- £76.80 per sqm. Black Emperador Honed Marble flooring- £95.98 per sqm.

I love this kitchen so much – the colours, the simplicity, the mix of materials, and the fabulous way the tiles have been laid to achieve the zigzag edge. Definitely something to think about here! The tiles are simple, the colour neutral, but the edge gives it a vibrancy that doesn’t date – always a worry with patterned tiles.

Vintage Décor White/Blue hexagon– £42.00 per sqm. Bluestone Stellar Basin– £118.80 each.

Country rustic at its best with these gorgeous patchwork effect tiles, perfect for a cloakroom, and don’t you just love the shape?

Delicato Mer Decorative & Glazed– £119.70 per sqm

Deliciously delicate floral and geometric patterns for a more vintage vibe. There are nine designs in a set to give a patchwork effect of almost lace like quality and eight soft muted shades to choose from. Again, a patchwork effect. I’m obviously drawn to patchwork.

So many choices it’s quite mind boggling really. You need to have some idea of the look you are after and that’s my problem, I like lots of different styles, but tiles are a big investment – you can’t change them easily like a fresh coat of paint, so leave yourself plenty of time to research the options. Wish I had taken my own advice!

Jacqui x

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Images from Mandarin Stone

3 Ways to Use Marble in your Home for all Budgets

Audenza — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 15:03:20 +0000

Marble has always been with us and, as its part of my family heritage (my family are from Carrara), I have quite a few small decorative pieces but it’s now resurfacing as the hot new interiors trend to be used on all surfaces, and in any room in the house from beautiful, but austere, bathrooms clad entirely in marble, to lighting and accessories. Whatever your budget there is plenty of scope for joining the trend. Here’s 3 ways to use marble in your home, with 3 different budgets in mind:

Real Deal

Kitchen designed by Elizabeth Roberts

If you really want to splash out this has to be the ultimate in marble envy for lesser mortals – a sink, worktop and splash back in…..marble. En masse it can be quite cold but the addition of a wooden shelf helps to soften the look but I would prefer brass taps to add even more warmth.

Ideal

A beautifully simple marble and brass side table to bring urban glamour into your life. The simplicity of the round marble top is enhanced and warmed by the addition of brass spoked legs which give it a timeless appearance suited to any décor. For me marble always needs softening, either by colour or texture, to counteract its hard lines and a pink velvet chair is the perfect way to do this this, as it enhances the clean lines of the table and adds warmth.

Steal

And now the easy, and cheap way, to bring the trend into your décor – accessories. With increased technology marble effects can be applied to any surface realistically and cheaply. A melamine marble effect tray, not only for carrying your cuppa to the armchair but to use for styling vignettes. We love this tray for its simplicity and practicality.

Here’s my top 6 picks of how to get the look with accessories and furniture:

Shop marble home accessories and furniture >>

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

Spring Shelfies

Audenza — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:28:26 +0000

In honour of spring I re-styled the black shelves in my hallway recently. I find spring so exciting with all the lovely shoots bursting forth in the garden that it makes me want to blow away the cobwebs inside and celebrate by creating a new look.

All the paintwork in my hallway is black so these shelves make a striking backdrop for some of my vintage china collection.

I particularly love combinations of red and green, probably because it reminds me of the garden, add some off white (the colour of my gravel paths) and a few houseplants, and I feel I have brought the outdoors in. Ah warmth and sunshine indoors and out – what bliss!

Which way do you like best?

Jacqui x

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‘Spring Shelfies’ written by Jacqui Brooks

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui Brooks

We Love: Surface View- Interior Decoration

Audenza — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:24:12 +0000

We visited the 100% Design show in London last Saturday and had a great time looking round the stands. One in particular, Surface View, has got me thinking and planning. They have a large collection of images (or you can even use your own images) sourced from museums, artists, and photographers that can be applied to many different surfaces. I know this has been around for a while but to see the large images on the stand, and the different surfaces they can be applied to, really got me thinking about several stubborn areas of my own home. By stubborn I mean I can’t make up my mind what to do about them, therefore nothing happens, and every time a certain friend comes round she says ‘Oh, you haven’t done that yet, what are you going to do’? And I change the subject quickly because until inspiration has struck nothing is going to happen!

Product – Surface View Ceramic Tiles, Image – Tulips, Collection – Natural History Museum.

So inspiration struck on Saturday night after perusing Surface View’s website. What a simply stunning collection of images and so many different applications, I was simply blown away by them, from canvas wall art to murals to lampshades to windows – so many possibilities. I love the tiled bathroom above, but sadly I’ve just re done my bathroom, so I’m too late for that one. However, I now have a clearer idea of what I want to do with my front door and the blinds for my garden room.

The front door and windows either side have been a puzzle for quite a while as I thought I wanted etched glass but didn’t know what design or how I wanted it to look. Well now I do! I am going to go for one of the lace images from Surface View – perfect for a textile lover. Which one though? I’m thinking probably the ‘Irish Flounce’, which is a detail of Irish needle lace, circa 1886, from the V & A collection. The front door and windows are being painted as I speak so hopefully when that’s finished I will have a clearer vision in my head of how it will look and can make my decision. The sample pieces I ordered have just arrived (very speedily, I might add) so I can decide whether to go for a clear or frosted image. The image below shows how this looks, with a view of Amsterdam as the image.

Product – Surface View Window Film, Image – View Of Amsterdam – Grey , Collection – National Maritime Museum

I know that for the garden room window blinds I want something quite stunning but at the same time there is a lot going on in that room so it needs to be subtle but stunning – tall order eh? I will keep flicking through the images and squinting at the garden room windows and eventually something will stand out and grab me. I have a feeling it might be lace again as I want something quite light and unobtrusive, but beautiful in its own right. It’s really just to filter the sunlight to protect the furnishings rather than any need for privacy. I am quite taken by the map blind below, though they wouldn’t actually go in my house, but a lovely idea don’t you think?

Product – Surface View Blind, Image – County of London, Collection – Vintage Maps

And I also fell in love with the canvases. Could just see ‘Fruit and Flowers in a Terracotta Vase’ from The National gallery collection as a large canvas on my sitting room wall – or maybe ‘A Basket of Roses’, from the same collection. Goodness me, how stunning would that be? Lots of food for thought so take a look for yourself and be inspired. Surface View also launched some new collections last week, which includes The British Library, Trunk Archive, P & O Heritage Collection, The Royal Opera House and Texprint. So do head over to their website to have a look.

Audenza x

By Jacqui Brooks

Inspirational Bathrooms- Black is the New White

Audenza — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:00:52 +0000

I do like black accents in a room, I feel it can sharpen up a scheme but I have been pondering recently on going the whole hog and having a completely black bathroom – the worst that can happen is I hate it and have to repaint. Worth the risk I think for a bit of drama. Have any of you gone for this look, I’d love to know what your thoughts are on actually living with it?

Black bathroom inspiration that I’ve been lusting over!

Image sources from left to right: 1/ 2/ 3

My bathroom has just been refitted with a plain white traditional suite and plain oak flooring which I have limed to lighten it. I’ve painted a corner cupboard in turquoise to give some impact and chosen some ‘stuff’ from my stash to accessorize it so all it needs now is the black, dare I? I spend quite a lot of time standing in the doorway squinting and trying to visualize the look I want and then looking through Pinterest and blogs to see images that appeal to me.

Black & Turquoise Inspiration

Image sources from left to right: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5

Image source: 1

Love these black metro tiles, they make a very striking feature, but as tiling is not one of my skills I’ve decided to stick with white and then I can change the look of my bathroom easily with a lick of paint and without the expense. What do you think then, shall I go for it…?

Jacqui x

Inspirational Bathrooms- Black is the New White -by Jacqui Brooks