Marks & Spencer Are Killing It At the Moment and I’m Thrilled
After living in this country for the last 15 years, I have come to appreciate Marks & Spencer for the national institution that it is. I can't think readily of a comparison in the US. Perhaps I can compare it to Target or other department stores which sell food,...
Affordable Art: Desenio Art Prints
Choosing art for your home can be a bit of a minefield, especially if you don't have a huge budget to spend on original pieces. Of course, as someone who is passionate about interior design, I'll tell you to buy what you love and if you can support an artist in the...
#FearlessHome – My Favourites from Instagram – November 2016
Ooooh it's time for #fearlesshome again this month! Okay, so let's just start by saying if you haven't yet checked out this hashtag on Instagram yet, you are seriously missing out. There are just so many great designs and so much inspiration (more than 4000 images now...
The Natural World of The Curious Department
I adore bringing the outside in when decorating my home. From botanical prints to plants to animal prints and motifs, I'm a big fan of designs inspired by Mother Nature. So when I was contacted by The Curious Department who take these motifs and create gorgeous glam...
Shop in the Spotlight: Oliver Bonas, Manchester Piccadilly
New interior shops seem to be popping up left right and centre in the Manchester area recently and as someone who complained just earlier this year about the lack of great interior shops, I'm absolutely thrilled at their sudden proliferation. The latest shop to grace...
The Big Pink: Blush Pink Interior Inspiration
There have been a few big trends in colour recently (hello grey, hello navy blue) but one that I am still pretty enamoured with is blush pink. I kind of want to put it everywhere in my home - despite my other half's protestations - and cover every wall with it. I kind...
#FearlessHome – My Favourites from Instagram – October 2016
Ahh it's that time of the month for one of my favourite monthly features - it's time for #fearlesshome! Have you checked out the hashtag on Instagram yet? Honestly, it's freaking amazing. I am totally addicted to the feed and there is just a crazy amount of beauty on...
The Best Source For Gold, Copper and Black Taps in the UK!
If there's one thing that most people have commented on in our kitchen remodel so far, it's my gold sinks and tap. And for good reason, I suppose, as it's certainly not your usual chrome look and it actually creates quite a statement against my marble-effect worktops....
Shop in the Spotlight: A Visit to OBJECT, Chorlton
As I mentioned over the summer, there are times when I feel - considering how great a city Manchester is - it sometimes comes up lacking when trying to find interesting independent interior design shops. Well, it appears the universe has heard my complaining because...
2017 Interior Design Trends – My Predictions!
Trends are funny things, aren't they? They can excite us or annoy us, make us impulsively part with our hard-earned cash or they can inspire us to try something new. As someone who is deeply invested in the interior design world, I like to keep a watchful eye on...
#FearlessHome – My Favourites from Instagram – Sept 2016
It's that time of the month that I get to share YOUR fearless style with the hashtag #fearlesshome. Can I just say how much I am absolutely LOVING this hashtag? My goodness, the amount of beautiful homes that are appearing in my feed are just amazing and so inspiring....
Review: How to Look After Your House Plants
So a confession: I absolutely LOVE having plants around the house but I do admit, that I'm sometimes terrible about looking after them. I tend to concentrate on varieties that are little more hardy just in case I have neglected to water them and there are times when...
Eclectic Boho Glam Table Setting with Halsted Design
What do you get when you combine animal prints, mixing patterns, bold colour combos, boho accents, a dollop of glam, a bit of vintage and gold accents? You'd get quintessential Swoon Worthy, of course. But what do you get when you pull all that together into a...
Pretty Utility: New Bits for the Kitchen!
So I was hoping to share the final worktops this week on the blog but alas, we didn't get quite as far on them as we'd hoped. All the pieces are now cut to size and sort of just 'resting' on the cupboards but we still need to do all the joining work so that'll be next...
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep in Summer
I've spoken previously about my problems with getting a good night's sleep. I am an extremely light sleeper and I have a sleep disorder and so anything and everything will keep me awake. You can read more about that here and what I've done design-wise to assist me...
#FearlessHome – My Favourites from Instagram – August 2016
As you may recall from my post last month, I've teamed up with some incredibly talented bloggers for a brand new Instagram series using the hashtag #fearlesshome. We wanted you to share with us different ways that you've exercised a bit of fearlessness in your...
Shop In the Spotlight: 17 Patterns Wallpaper
It's been a while since the last time I was absolutely blown away by a wallpaper collection. I love the odd pattern here and there from lots of different places and as a bit of a pattern obsessive, I'm surprisingly choosy with what I end up putting in my own home. But...
Two Beautiful Green Kitchens You HAVE to See
So first off, this isn't a post about my own kitchen. As much as I'd love to rethink the entire mini-makeover we're doing to incorporate my latest obsession, it's unlikely to happen at this point. We've got the new worktops, new sinks and taps going in next week which...
6 UK Interior Design Blogs You Should Probably Be Reading
Today, I thought I'd give a little shout out to some of my favourite bloggers that I share a home with. Not literally (that would get awkward as well as cramped) but who also live on this big ol' fair island I call home. As a American with decidedly bold, glam...
Pretty Utility: Gold Bamboo Cutlery
So if you've been following me blog for the last few years - okay, let's be honest, for the last few DAYS - you'll know that I have a love of all things gold. Kinda like a less flashy (and less 'flakey') version of this guy. And that love extends to even every day...
Introducing #FearlessHome – Meet Your ‘Fearless’ Hosts!
Decorating without fear is something that's near and dear to my heart. In 2014, I actually wrote a two part series on How to Decorate Fearlessly because I was always hearing how 'brave' I was in terms of the choices I made for my home. And of course, it's not really...
Shop in the Spotlight: A Visit to Rose & Grey, Altrincham
Let me first start by saying that while I may often complain about our weather, Manchester is still a pretty great place to live. I love that I live 10 minutes from a bustling city with amazing theatre, music, restaurants and bars. That we have some top notch...
A Day of Flowers with OKA
As a blogger, I'm very lucky to be invited to lots of different events but the truth is, I rarely go to them. I know that sounds crazy because what could be better than swanning around with your fellow blogger mates, enjoying free booze and being treated like VIPs?...
My Favourites on Instagram: #Colorshare May 2016
I honestly feel like I blink and another month has gone by! Oh my goodness, we're already steaming to the middle of the year when it feels like we only just had Christmas. Perhaps it's a sign of getting older! Nooooo! Anyway, I do have to say that I love these posts...