Inspirational Work Space

We have a traditional 2 up, 2 down Victorian terrace which is not big enough for an office so we have encorporated one into the spare bedroom. The spare bedroom is just another room which requires work before it is 'perfect' so for now we are making do with what we have! However, the decoration of the bedroom always made me feel uneasy. I think the problem was that we had a very modern feature wall and modern furniture and I was going against my heart, my style! I am more of a homespun girl, shabby chic, you know what I mean!

Over the past couple of weeks I have been locked up in my spare bedroom working on a design for the National Design Awards Competition 2011 (This will explain my lack of blogging recently which I am really missing!) And I found I could not work with such a  busy feature wall opposite my desk - I needed something inspiring....... So, I got out my paintbrush!

I painted my wall and shelving white and have started building a mood board on the wall, it is filled with all my ideas, drawings, things that inspire me - I love it! The bedroom is not quite complete but this is a big step forward and I can finally work in a space which inspires me! When I have some time, I'll get some photos!

These are a collection of some work spaces which I love - They have inspired me and I hope they inspire you too.

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Decorex Loves Bloggers

Friends, I need your help again!

Decorex are supporting us design bloggers and looking for someone to become their official blogger for Decorex International 2011

I am thrilled to announce that I have a chance to win the amazing opportunity to report live from this magnificent show from 25 - 28 September but I need your help.

All you need to do is follow this link (all voting is through facebook) and click 'vote' for Dream Box. That is it, one click! (OK, 2 clicks if you count clicking this link!)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=question&id=208345902543481

Every vote counts and I thank you all for your help & support!



Abigail Edwards

Another day, another magazine for me to swoon over beautiful interiors, have a sneaky peek into other peoples homes....... I am afraid to admit that I love looking at other peoples homes. I sometimes find myself looking through open windows when I'm out and about walking! Please don't tell me I am alone in that!

As I was looking through my magazine today I came across the above wallpaper which is super cute and birds are everywhere at the moment, the designer was Abigail Edwards and I couldn't resist looking into her a little more so Googled Abigail.

Can you believe that all her wallpaper designs are hand drawn and then printed at one of the few remaining traditional wallpaper printers in the UK. They use a very smooth style of printing which keeps the details of the original illustration. Absolutely amazing, I think you'll agree.

Abigail Edwards offers interior styling, design and consultancy. Her website is filled with images from her favourite shoots and her illustrations among other things. I have featured some of her illustrations from her website, they seem 'magical' don't you think? To see more to go:  http://www.abigailedwards.com/pages/

All images from http://www.abigailedwards.com/pages/

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Project: Chest of Drawers

Evening friends!

Tonight I have been doing some tidying around the house, I really need to sit down and finish my bathroom drawings and start drawing the floor plan and furniture plan for the mood board I created recently, French inspired bedroom as we are going ahead with the project - Yay! But I am a little organise freak and I cannot relax knowing my home is not tidy enough! So I am trying to create some order at home before I start drawing tonight!

As I was tidying our bedroom I kept thinking "I really must start renovating my last pieces of furniture" Our bedroom is a french shabby chic inspired room and for a long time I have wanted to paint my wardrobe, we have also been donated an old chest of drawers which I am planning to paint too but I keep putting it off.  So I thought, I'll start a new blog feature called projects!

Projects will be a feature about my home and the 'projects' I undertake to complete my home! Not only do I hope to give you some inspiration but it will also mean I have to be true to my word, I will actually complete some of the tasks I have set myself! It is a win win situation.
So, to start I will give my chest of drawers a fabulous make over. The picture above is before...... look out for the after pictures! Coming soon :0)

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Wall Stencils

Following on from my previous blog last night I have collected some of my favourite rooms with wall stencils! Hope you find some inspiration!

Take a look at the following links to purchase your stencils:

The Stencil Library
Abode Wall Art
Your Deco Shop
Stencil Studio
Etsy

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How To..... Make A Wall Stencil

I realise it has been a while since my last 'How To.....' so I am back with another fabulous design trick!

Wall stencils are becoming increasingly popular. They are a great way to create a feature wall and an interest point in a room but they are also very inexpensive.

Here are some easy steps on how to make a wall stencil....... OK, you caught me out! We are not making the actual stencil, we are using a cheats guide!

1. Buy your stencils. The Stencil Library has over 3,500 designs to choose from, plus brushes, paints and accessories online. Check if the stencil is cut or uncut. Cut stencils are ready to use, but more expensive. Uncut ones will require cutting with a craft knife first.

2. Paint the wall in your base colour and leave it to dry, ideally overnight. Work out if you are using one large pattern as a focal point or if you will repeat across the room. If repeating calculate how many times you'll need to repeat the stencil across the wall and use a spirit level and tape measure if you're going for a straight-line design. Mark the final positions with a dot at each corner of the stencil. Use spray stencil mount or masking tape to attach the stencil to the first marked position on the wall before you start painting.

3. Pour a small amount of paint into a saucer, Use a small roller for large designs, and a stencil brush for more intricate ones. Don't overload the roller or brush with too much paint as it could seep under the edges of the stencil. Work from the outside, painting inwards until you've filled the design. Remove the stencil immediately (but gently) and leave the paint to dry.

I have to say, I am a fan of one large pattern. It looks stunning!

Illustrator Angie Lewin

This evening I was browsing through one of my magazines looking for some new inspiration and stumbled across the work of Angie Lewin.

This is the 2nd time in a matter of weeks that I have seen her work but do you think I can remember where I saw her first time round? I have looked through all my favourite blogs and websites to no avail. I thought it would be rude not to feature Angie this time round!

Illustrator Angie's signature style is inspired by the North Norfolk Coast and the patterns and shapes she finds in nature. I think the tones she uses throughout her work are absolutely beautiful and the style and patterns are bang on trend with a retro feel!

I hope you like looking at some of Angie's illustrations as much as I do! You can see her work featured on her website: http://www.angielewin.co.uk/

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