What sort of condition did you buy the house in? 

The house was fine structurally when we moved in. We did a kitchen/diner knock through after three years to create a larger room that functions for the whole family; sitting room, playroom, dining room and kitchen. We remodelled our third floor to create space for a bathroom in the eaves and the extra top floor bedroom that became an office for me, as I sometimes work from home. Most recently we remodelled our family bathroom.

Where do you start when you’re pulling a new room scheme together? 

On the whole, I figure it out as I go along, although I’ve often got a lot of inspiration saved on Pinterest to guide me. I’m very visual when creating a room so I often cannot decide how it will look until I can “see” the final paint colour, for example.

You have such a unique style – where do you get your inspiration from?

All over. I love collecting vintage items. I use Pinterest and Instagram a lot. Magazines. I usually have an image in my head, in my “mind’s eye” and getting it translated is often the tricky part. I often have several iterations of a room until I am happy with it.

Have you made any decorating mistakes over the years which others could learn from?

Colour-I once painted my old kitchen a terracotta colour, or at least that was what it said on the tin. It was quite a lurid orange colour and I really should have used a tester pot first. Colour changes so much room from room, you really should try it before you go to all the effort of painting to discover you don’t like it. I lived with that kitchen for 3 years until we started the building work!

What’s your best piece of advice for styling/curating a colourful and bold home?

Take your time. Find something you love, be it a bold pattern, a cushion, a piece of art and pick colours from that item to use in a room. Start slowly and get the main elements right. You can always add to a room but if you rush it, you will inevitably make mistakes. Most of my rooms have been created over time. I move things, sometimes several times until I am happy.

What’s your favourite room in your home and why do you think it works so well?

My bathroom. It was the first room that I renovated completely from scratch- a blank canvas. I love the copper bath, the muted colours which allow me to be bolder with the floor tiles. It just has a lovely feeling to the room when you walk in. My kids are always using it which is a result when you have two mucky boys and even my husband comments on it.

A stunning vintage inspired home with the most delicious wallpapers – I now have wallpaper envy. And a home made with love and attention to detail. No mean feat, when you consider that Nicola is an Investment Director by day, and the The Girl with The Green Sofa by night. Phew, how does she fit it all in? Not by sitting on said green sofa for too long! If you love Nicola’s home as much as we do, do go and take a look at her instagram, @the_girl_with_the_green_sofa for more inspiration.

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Judith Miller, a renowned antiques expert with many books and TV shows to her credit, leads us through the tastemakers of the past century with three main chapters, Deco World, New Look and New Moderns, which have been divided into subchapters to cover every possible design style. As my home is eclectic and individual I was intrigued to see the sumptuous interiors shots of how others have combined eras to create their own individual look.

A traditional book lined Paris apartment room with panelled walls, stripped floorboards and a slate fireplace has been turned into a Modernist dream with chairs and a coffee table by Mies van der Rohe. The juxtaposition of the traditional architecture with modernist furniture makes for a characterful and inviting room.

Another striking combination! I love this room with its Mies van der Rohe chair against a black wall and the colourful abstract painting and rug. The Wiggle chair, designed by Frank Gehry in 1972, is made from laminated cardboard and looks like it might actually be quite comfortable.

Wow! Phillipe Starck Ghost chairs with a rustic wooden table below an antique chandelier – stark and contemporary but with added depth from the traditional elements.

Pop Art for a visual feast of colour. Not for the faint hearted but stunning in its pure simplicity with a sky blue RAR rocker chair designed in 1948-50 by Charles and Ray Eames. I love the addition of the crochet granny throw which adds a touch of homeliness.

If you want to know more about the evolution of the design movements in furniture and accessories through the last century from antiques to mass produced kitsch then this is the book for you.   The homes featured are an inspiration.

Jacqui x

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Images from ‘Vintage Home: 20^th-Century Design for Contemporary Living’, by Judith Miller.

Image 1: Simon Upton. Image 2: Miguel Flores Vianna / The Interior Archive / Architect: Juan Ignacio Ramos. Image 3: Nat Rea / The Interior Archive / Designer: Donna Elle / Architect: BPC Architecture. Image 4: Andrew Boyd.

Today I’d like to share with you a post Jacqui wrote for Period Living magazine as the first in her new 3 part series:  Unusual Uses for Everyday Items.  Which, you may have guessed, is all about reinventing and repurposing things which we all have in the home and giving them a new lease of life in a completely different way.   I’ve shared a teaser below, but do click through to Period Living see the full post.

Most objects have several uses if you think outside the box a little and it makes your home just that little bit different and quirkier, as well as making great presents.   We all use calendars and teacups so I thought let’s start with a couple of ideas for their alternative uses.

Teacups

Teacups have endless uses apart from that magical brew. I filled a hanky sized piece of calico with children’s play sand and tied it in a knot and then covered it with pretty fabric. Sitting in a teacup it makes a perfect and unusual pincushion. A teacup is also a great way to display small garden flowers tied in a little posy- or plant a small succulent for a really cute potted house plant.   Read more…

We’d love to hear if you have any unusual uses for things in the comments below!

Do also check out our full ‘How To Make a Tea Cup Pin Cushion’ post.

Hollie x

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‘Unusual Uses for Everyday Items’ by Jacqui Brooks

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

Jacqui has contributed to the Period Living Magazine blog again and this month is the final instalment in the 3 part series on styling current interiors trends using vintage pieces.  This one is my favourite so far- I love the images and both trends are very big at the moment- Jacqui looks at how to style animal inspired pieces and arguably THE biggest trend of the season- house plants.

First up- Animal Inspired Interiors:

Animals and birds are everywhere – from vases to lamps to statues to bookends, and they are such fun and bring a touch of whimsy to your home. This collection is a mixture of vintage and new, mainly birds, but Fred the dog gets a look in as he is hard to resist, and is always popping up in my vignettes.

Tips for styling animal inspired pieces:

1. Pick a colour theme to help unify the display.   Warm greens and yellows are given just a dash of spice with a hit of red in the lampshade and tapestry picture.
2. One of the golden rules is to vary the heights of your objects so the eye moves about to explore. Vintage books with their subdued colours are perfect props for adding height, and easily obtainable from charity shops.
3. Handmade items add a quirky and individual touch such as this bird lamp by ceramicist Ami Derbyshire inspired by vintage china but given a modern twist.   The little yellow bird is hand made by textile artist Abigail Brown, often using vintage fabrics. She does a magnificent pink flamingo which is top of my wish list of covetable items – a real conversation piece!

Head over to the Period Living blog to read Jacqui’s tips for styling house plants.

If you didn’t see the previous two posts, you can read them here: Styling Dark Walls and Sunburst Pieces and Styling Copper and Indigo.  I’d love to know what you think- have you found the series helpful?  Is there anything you’d like us to cover in a future series?

Have a lovely weekend all.  I hope the weather is better with you than it is with us at the moment!

Hollie x

How to Style House Plants and Animal Inspired Interiors by Jacqui Brooks

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

Here’s a little taster:

Indigo interiors

This wall colour is Basalt by Little Greene and it makes a fabulous backdrop for a collection of vintage china and accessories. These plates belonged to my grandmother and I love to display them but I don’t want my sitting room looking like granny’s front room so a backdrop of inky blue gives them a contemporary look and perfectly combines vintage and new for a personal and unique home.

Tips for styling indigo pieces:

Hollie x

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How to Style Warm Metals and Indigo Using Vintage Pieces

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

A belated happy New Year!  Hope you all had a lovely break for Christmas, ours was hectic… to say the least, but once we’d made sure all of your lovely gifts were on their merry way we did manage to take some much needed time off to recharge.

To start the year off I’d like to share with you a post which Jacqui contributed to the Period Living blog.  Last year, I had a meeting with a couple of the lovely ladies from Period Living to discuss upcoming ranges and they asked if we’d like to become a contributor to their blog.  We, of course said yes!  We settled upon the theme of how to style vintage pieces in a contemporary home, so each month we’ll be sharing our tips for two different trends.   Our first post looks at dark walls with a pop of colour and also sunburst clocks and mirrors.  Here’s an excerpt to give you a taster:

Dark walls with a pop of colour

Dark walls, from grey through to blues and aubergine colours, have been on trend for a while now and are set to continue. Dark grey is a good neutral base for adding pops of colour.

Tips for integrating vintage:

1. Unify old and new by picking a colour theme and limiting the colour palette: this example shows dark grey walls with a pop of mustard yellow.
2. Eliminate pattern from walls and furniture to instantly make a room look fresh and contemporary.
3. Base the scheme on a special vintage piece: the starting point here is the vintage mustard yellow velvet framed print with the addition of a contemporary chair in the same colour.
4. Add black accessories and furniture for a sharper more structured look.

Head over to read the full post: Styling Vintage Pieces and do come back to let us know below what you think!

Hollie x

How to Style a Contemporary Home with Vintage Pieces by Jacqui Brooks

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

Amelia bought these vintage brass scales from Kibworth Antiques Centre with some birthday money from her Grandma but we are still waiting for a cake! In the meantime I thought I might attempt to make chutney with my vast quantities of unripe tomatoes – it can’t be too difficult can it?

Jacqui x

Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui Brooks

‘Styling with Vintage Brass Scales’ written by Jacqui Brooks

Here is an excerpt from mine:

“The Voice of a Vignette is very meaningful to me and evokes powerful memories of family and friends.  It is the very essence of my home to be surrounded with objects that remind me of loved ones, past and present, and every vignette I create is based not only on style decisions but on the thoughts that swirl in my head as I view the pieces.

My Scottish grandmother Amelia was, and is, the guiding force in my life as I spent every summer holiday in my childhood staying with her, and her love of gardens, books and textiles has informed my every waking moment.  The books are part of her collection of bibles and scripture writings that were of great solace to her in surmounting the tragedies that engulfed her life, and her strength of character never ceases to amaze me.  It also makes me appreciate my life and how wonderful it is to be surrounded by loved ones.  The photograph is of my grandfather (whom I never met as he died at the age of 36) during the First World War, where he served with the Lovat Scouts.   I think we all need to be reminded sometimes of the sacrifices and hardships that generation endured – only to go through it all over again 20 years on.”

You can read the full Voice of a Vignette here.

Jacqui x

The Voice of a Vignette by Jacqui Brooks

But what we were was most impressed with was the quantity of garden accessories from chimney pots to cast iron garden tables and chairs.

Unfortunately we didn’t have room in the car to purchase any of these but we did manage to fall in love with a few bits. No visit to an antique centre can be complete without a purchase, even if it’s only a small memento of the day. I bought this gorgeous green vase specifically for tulips and here it is filled with green and white parrot tulips, viburnum opulus and alstroemeria – quite delicious!

Hollie bought a lovely pale green jug and she is very honoured to have the first of my bright garden tulips in her bouquet.

An added bonus was lunch in the cafe/bistro attached which is called Christian’s and we were very impressed with the food.  There was a good choice on the menu and my beetroot salad was lovely, with chips, of course.   I can recommend the chips as I am a chip expert – I have chips with everything, if possible.   There is also a lovely outside decking with tables and chairs but it was a bit too chilly for that, despite the sun, we were up north after all!

Jacqui x

Harrogate Antiques Centre by Jacqui Brooks

Image Source: Audenza

Flowers are such a quick way to give your home styling that instant hit, that we all need sometimes, to refresh the senses.  And this book shows you how every conceivable container can be used from simple vintage glass bottles like this vintage style bottle vase, to the most magnificent urn.

Image Source: Audenza

I particularly love the green wooden steps with bird bud vases, perched precariously:

Image Source: Audenza

If you like these quirky bird vases, you will love these zebra vases.

Image Source: Audenza

Swan vases also feature in the book and are Amelia’s favourite- she has a burgeoning collection of them:

Image Source: Audenza

Hence why we sourced and now stock a stunning swan vase in two different colour ways, which are made in Stoke on Trent and are a modern take on a mid-century classic design.  They are just perfect for easily creating a striking floral arrangement.

Image Source: Audenza

I don’t feel so bad now about my large collection of vintage bottles, vases, jugs, urns etc.  They are home accessories, but with a purpose.  And, perhaps I need to be more adventurous and group my flower arrangements together to give more impact.  I will certainly experiment this winter with amaryllis bulbs planted in big glass containers (as shown in the book) as I always have a problem with them flopping over with the weight of the flower heads.  I have just purchase some amaryllis bulbs from Sarah Raven, so I will let you know how I get on!

Jacqui x