How do you rock leopard print in your home? Any which way that suits you has to be my answer to that! And probably the same way you would in your clothing. My friend has the most amazing oversized fake fur leopard print coat, and she really rocks it, whereas I am more sedate and have a fab pair of leopard print boots. I would like to be more dramatic with it, but I’m still waiting for a piece to call to me! So, as with most interior decisions it’s all about you and your personal preferences. But to get a more balanced view on the subject we asked 4 interior experts their thoughts on leopard print in the home, all with differing views. Let’s start with the more sedate, as I would call it. For those of you who believe a little goes a long way.
Leopard Print as an Accent
Leopard print as an accent pattern works well because of its contrast value. You’re not asking it to tone in, you’re asking it to be bold and vibrant. It’s a pattern, but a ritzy pattern that will also be that bit different and stand out, so even used minimally it will always have impact.
1 Gold Ginkgo Leaf Side Table, Styled 5 Ways
30 Aug 2019
The gold ginkgo leaf side table is a beautifully curvaceous table that can be styled in so many ways depending on your vibe. The distinctive fan shaped leaves of the ancient ginkgo tree twirl round the base in gold, for a glamorous art nouveau inspired design. Also, a symbol of longevity used widely in Japanese decorative arts. With its open work base and mirrored glass top, the ginkgo side table gives a feeling of space and lightness to a room. And is quite rightly one of our best sellers. To see how fabulous it looks in different settings we thought we would share with you some stunning images of the gold ginkgo leaf side table styled 5 ways.
Anyone who knows me personally will know that I’m hugely passionate about nutrition. If you catch me after a few wines (the irony is not lost!), then it’s all too easy to get caught in one of my rants about childhood obesity, misleading packaging and poor education about nutrition. So our latest ‘Fabulous and Fearless Women’ interview is a brand I’m really excited to share with you.
Founded by Alicia Porter and Lucy Sinclair in 2014, Fruity Beauties has evolved from festival trading to becoming stocked in the UK’s largest online retailer Ocado, amongst other smaller independent retailers with their Five Fruit, Organic and Fairtrade bars. As well as being delicious, they are a wholly socially conscious brand aiming to tackle issues they feel passionately about, including the growing problem of childhood obesity in the UK. I’m lucky enough to call both Alicia and Lucy very good friends of mine, and I’m so happy to be able to share their incredible journey with you all.
Who doesn’t love rugs? We love them for their ability to add colour, texture, pattern, warmth, and layers. All these things together add up to a must have in interior decoration. You need to choose the right rug for the right place though, don’t just be swayed by falling in love with a rug – make sure it’s the right one for you. To help you make your choice we have put together a little rug buying guide. Included is the essential ‘how to care for rugs’ and ‘rug stain removal tips’, to help you make the most of your special rug. This is not a definitive guide, but will help you make choices based on the most widely used rug materials.
How durable are different rug materials?
The most common materials used for rug production are wool and various synthetic fibres. Wool has the advantage of being warm in winter and cool in summer, and is naturally flame retardant. It is durable and shampoos well, but will shed fibres to start with. Acrylic is a super soft fibre that takes colour well, but is not as stain resistant as other synthetic fibres, so will not be so durable in high traffic areas. Viscose is another fibre that gives a super soft look, also with a shine, but again not as hard wearing in high traffic areas. Polyester and polypropylene are soft shiny fibres that are highly stain and moisture resistant so, along with wool, are the ideal fibres for high traffic areas.
We all love a before and after, right? Well now it’s my turn with my Victorian terrace colourful and maximalist living room. If you are a lover of calm, neutral schemes, this might not be your thing, but I make no apologies, because this is my room and I absolutely love it!
This is my first house (well mine and the boyfriends), so it’s been amazing to finally decorate it exactly as I like. I should point out, when I say ‘I’ and ‘me’, what I really mean is ‘we’, but since all he actually cares about is the size of the TV, I have free reign with the decorating. Which is just as well!
It’s a two bed Victorian terrace, so small, or should I say compact – a much nicer word. But small rooms have their challenges, in particular trying to fit in all the many things I love! So, I started with a mood board of ideas to get the creative juices flowing, which I shared in the teal living room scheme reveal, so you can see where I’m coming from with my scheme.
Crazy, colourful, and totally inspiring sums up our house tour this week. Rachael’s vibrant home is a wonderland of striking colour combinations and fun décor. So much so it may not be to everybody’s taste, but we Audenza ladies think it’s fab. And it embodies what we always say ‘decorate for you and nobody else’. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the zany picture show.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, who you live with and what city/country you live in?
My name is Rachael. I’m a mother to two beautiful girls, Gabriella – 8, and Florence – 4. We live together in a semi-detached, rented house in Sheffield, England. Most of my friends and family will call me crazy – but all the best people are right?
How to Choose Your Interior Décor Colour Palette
13 Jun 2019
‘How to choose your interior decor colour palette’ sounds like we have all the answers – oh if only it were that simple! Just write out a prescription and off you go to the paint store, interiors store etc. Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you look at it, colour is a complex subject. It’s very much ruled by your personal, emotional reaction to colour. I dislike blue, blue toned colours such as teal yes, but blue, is a no no, something my mother (a blue lover) can’t get her head round. But apparently blue is the favourite colour globally, so obviously I am in a minority here. So really, we are talking about how to analyse your reaction to colour, and decide what it is you like.
So, in this post we’ll guide you through our top tips on choosing an interior décor colour palette.
Jacqui’s Garden Room Refresh – New Amtico Floor
31 May 2019
Finally, a new floor in my garden room retreat! Since I moved in 8 years ago I’ve despised the hard ceramic floor in a shade of beige, but couldn’t decide what to have instead, so I left it. Until the green oasis revamp that is, then I knew it had to be a variation of black and white tiles, similar to an old-fashioned glass conservatory. But, as is usual for me, I didn’t get around to it for a while, until researching for the rest of the downstairs hard flooring, I came across these amazing tiles from Amtico. I love everything about Amtico, its ability to disguise itself as anything you can think of, from slate, to wood, to ceramic, and on and on, the range of patterns and designs you can create with them, and then, its durability – my 5 kids roller skated and skateboarded on my previous Amtico hall and kitchen floors and they still looked good when we left 25 years later! So, what’s not to love?
1 Gold Round Drinks Trolley, Styled 6 Ways
17 May 2019
So, in this post not only do you get to see our gold luxe round drinks trolley styled 6 ways, it’s also a chance to see how our customers style our fabulous gold round drinks trolley in their own homes. And, for one lucky person, there is also a chance to win said fab gold drinks trolley, plus a whole load of gorgeous cocktail inspired goodies – full details at the end when you’ve finished drooling. What more could you wish for to jazz up your cocktail nights? To get in the cocktail mood we have given each image a cocktail inspired name that we think suits the styling.
I’m a maximalist through and through. So, you can imagine how hard it is for me, surrounded by all the lovely Audenza products, to pin down what I actually want in my new home. It’s a small Victorian terrace so I’m limited by the size of the rooms, but it has good bones. I wanted to start with the front living room so we have somewhere welcoming and cosy to come home to that feels like us (I should, possibly, say me, as all my boyfriend really cares about is the size of the TV, but that’s good as I have very strong opinions on what I like!)
