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I’m going to start by saying, we went over budget on our bathroom. Our bathroom wasn’t even on our early renovation roadmap. Possibly not instilling confidence with that start am I? We were in the final stages of completing our extension and all of a sudden our bathroom looked like something out of a crack den in comparison with the rest of the house. The carpets had seen all that two virus-incubating, toilet-training children could throw at it. Or throw up on it. And yes, you read that right, it was carpeted. The reason we couldn’t stay on budget was that the walls had seen better days and in the end we decided to pull the plasterboard off and start again. So we had all good intentions of a bathroom on a budget, things just conspired against us. It has taught me a few things and working with plumbers and tilers over the years has made me understand more about what causes that dreaded sharp intake of breath and ultimately add extra costs to bathroom remodels. In a bid to help others save money and have a bathroom you want to wash in, not hide away from, here's my top tips. Materials This may be the easy one. Ask to use your tradesperson’s trade discount. Be upfront and ask them where they get their discount and shop for your tiles or sanitary ware there to get some money off. This can be substantial when you’re completely renovating a bathroom and I’ve never found a tradesperson who has objected to this. Plan, plan, plan If you plan well in advance you can take advantage of sales or take time scouring for a vintage piece. This is particularly handy if you have a specific bath or basin in mind for instance, and you can’t take advantage of your tradesperson’s discount for it. There are always bathroom sales, so bookmark your favourite items, sign up for newsletters and notifications so that you can pick up what you are after for a lot less. This worked well for us, we had around 3 months of waiting before we could begin and in that time there were plenty of offers and then we stored the items in our garage until we were ready. Consider an upcycle There are so many beautiful second hand and vintage washstands and furniture on eBay or in charity shops that can easily be tidied up. If you convert a set of drawers or sideboard for example, look for local stonemasons and companies selling worktops to grab an offcut of marble or stone for the top. Check local reclamation yards for sinks. Whether you’re more of a mid-century modern type of homeowner or a Victorian lover at heart this is such a great way to add character and style as well as being more sustainable and allowing you to keep within your budget. Re-use what you have A big difference can be made by just changing tiles or adding a new/second-hand vanity unit or even just adding decorative touches. Think critically, do you really need to change the toilet, could it just need a new seat? Could you repaint/restore the bath? Do you have a mirror in another room that would look great above your basin? We saved money by keeping the bath but restoring it and painting it. You could feel very differently about a bathroom by just completing a couple of jobs rather than replacing everything. Layout One of the biggest costs when renovating a bathroom is a change to the plumbing. If you want to move the bath or the toilet, more often than not, this can add serious costs to your project. Lifting a floor up, running new pipework, it starts to increase labour and complexity and where possible avoid this if you have a tight budget. A soil stack being moved just a few inches could end up costing hundreds of pounds. It can depend massively in terms of the flooring you have – concrete or wood, or whether it’s an external or internal wall but if you keep the toilet, basin, shower, bath where they are this will keep the costs down. Tiling The more complex your tiling pattern, the more it will cost. Tiling a wall with square or rectangular tiles in a straightforward pattern costs far less than a herringbone design for instance. It simply comes down to the time it takes the tiler to complete the job. Tiles are also expensive and form a large part of a bathroom cost so keep it to a minimum, avoid going floor to ceiling all around and keep to the areas you actually need them – the shower area and behind your bath. Save or splurge? Always splurge on items such as taps. The things you use everyday, that get turned, pushed or pulled. Its a false economy buying something cheap that cannot withstand everyday use and only needs replacing a short time later. You can then save on everything else! Trades Goes without saying really, but find a good plumber preferably recommended by someone you know. Life is so much easier if you have a knowledgeable and trustworthy plumber. Personally this has been the most challenging aspect for me, I seem to be a magnet for cowboys who leave me with leaks, incorrectly laid tiles or damage of some sort. Which again can cost more money to rectify. A good reliable plumber will be able to advise you on how to keep costs down and the best way to plan your space. Choose something that will last and that you love Don’t be too trend led. There’s 2 issues with being swept up in the latest trend. Firstly, suppliers know what is the latest fad and these options tend to be more expensive. Secondly, if you fall out of love with your bathroom within a year, it will cost so much to replace it and so you either end up living with it and feeling miserable about it or spend more money re-doing it. Instead, add interest and fashion through accessories like your towels, pictures, shelves – things you can change around. Keep a pinterest board or Instagram collection of the bathrooms and styles you love, you’ll start to see a pattern emerging of images/colours/styles that you prefer – this is your basis or foundation to work from. When I look at mine, its most definitely modern country, I like colour but muted and not too dominating, I like pops of pattern but not too overwhelming, I like classic but not frilly. Be sure of your style, and this will avoid costly mistakes. Trust your design instincts When you’ve worked out what you want, don’t be deterred by a plumber. Good plumbers are practical, know how to plan a bathroom effectively and can create an amazing space for you. They do not however always know what’s best in terms of colours and design. The amount of times a plumber has questioned my choice of tile or the way I would like tiles laid, or the colour; it gets right on my wick. Don’t compromise; similar to the last point, you don’t want to regret a choice having been influenced incorrectly by someone else resulting in costly mistakes.

A utility room is one of the most desired rooms in all the land, lets face it, we all want one. It creates extra storage for those hard to store items that don't seem to fit anywhere else like light bulbs, candles, pet food and vases. But it is way more than that, it allows the hardworking kitchen and now a well-used entertaining space to be just that, without laundry piled high and the hoover slumped in the corner. All this enables the kitchen to be a clean and more live-able area of the home to relax. Here are some tips and tricks on how to ensure your utility room is planned to perfection and if you already have a utility room, there’s a couple of ideas here to make it work better! 1. Roles and responsibilities Not only do you need to think about what this room needs to do but also what role do you want your kitchen to play in this so that you are clear on their individual responsibilities. Think of them as two different people with two different jobs but they have to work as a team! Questions you need to answer are, is the utility room just for laundry? Does it need to allow space for storage and if so what? Is it acting as a boot room too? Are you going to be washing dirty pets or cleaning off muddy wellies in here? Once you’ve answered these questions think about how that corresponds with the space you have and whether its viable to do all those tasks within that space. If not, you have to prioritise and move elements out somewhere else in the home that would be suitable (often the kitchen but could be places like under the stairs so think more broadly). 2. Planning Once you know what the room is to be used for, it’s a good idea to look at the plans and diagrams and label where everything will go so you are comfortable you have enough storage for your needs. What is vital though is to ensure the items fit in the cupboards intended, so as silly as it may sound measure the hoover and the ironing board and make sure that the cupboard is tall enough for all of these types of home appliances. Don't forget to make the storage flexible, ensuring shelves in cupboards can be moved to adapt as your needs change. 3. Lighting Once you know the role of your utility room and you’ve planned roughly where everything will be you can plan your lighting. Whilst downlighters can be a bit much in some rooms, and thrown around with no real thought process, in a utility room I think they can be a real asset. By installing downlighters, you can utilise the full height of your walls without worrying if a cupboard door is going to smash your light fitting. They can provide loads of light in what may be a small room squeezed into the house. You may want to add some task lights though too such as wall lights to highlight your shelves or a coat rack, or lighting under shelves to illuminate the worktop. 4. Ergonomics If you have the space it is such a great idea from an ergonomic perspective to have both the washing machine and tumble dryer side by side and preferably at a height that means you are not stretching or bending over all the time. It also means that you can move from the washing machine to the tumble dryer in a swift movement. Which way are your doors hinged? So simple and yet it is more important than you might think. If you have your washing machine and tumble dryer side by side, you would ruin the benefit of that by having a door that is impeding the movement between the two. This applies to whether the appliances are integrated or not – if they are behind a cupboard door ensure the doors are hinged to allow movement between the appliances. You can also change the direction of most washing machine and tumble dryer appliance doors too – it’s a simple trick but can avoid stretching and causing a hernia! 5. Flow You take the laundry out of the tumble dryer, and then what? An integrated hidden shelf that pulls out from below is a great use of space and can be so functional, allowing you to fold the clothes up and be on your way. These shelves are also available to be retro fitted. An alternative and simple solution is to ensure you have a worktop space next to your washing machine or dryer, that you can fold clothing on or a large pull out basket which you can put laundry into and then detach and take with you when putting the clothes away. 6. Storage Solutions Utility rooms can come in all shapes and sizes, but many of us have to shoehorn them into our homes. You may need to spend a little more on fittings to ensure the room works hard in the limited space you have. Dual use storage such as skinny benches which include shoe storage within can be a good idea and allows you to sit and remove shoes too. Think about whether cupboard doors could get in the way – may be drawers and pullouts would be easier to open and close. Make use of baskets which can go in cupboards and on top of cupboards making use of every inch of space you have and can always be repurposed easily. Think about how you can use all the space you have; you can use walls and ceilings for drying racks, peg rails, shelving, hooks and hangers to hang freshly ironed clothing. Think through how you will move in this space and the frequency you will require items. The simple rule is that the higher the item is stored, the less often is should be needed, and so this will be specific to you – you may not need lightbulbs and batteries very often but vases and candles are in constant demand, so organise accordingly. 7. Pampered pets If your utility room is close to the back door as they often are and perhaps it is doubling up as a boot room, a sink can provide a place to wash down muddy paws and boots before entering the house and leaving a trail of destruction! A deep butler sink is a good option to allow for those mucky jobs along with a flexible tap with spray function. You could also use the utility room to encompass a built in pet bed and a place for all their accessories too. 8. Noise and Mess If you can, always have a door to the utility room to hide the piles of laundry out of sight, but also to provide a little more soundproofing. No-one wants to see dirty pants or hear a washing machine on full spin as they’re tucking into a romantic meal. If you need to steal light from other rooms (perhaps the utility room doesn’t have a window) then choose a door with frosted glass which combines privacy but allows light in, or you could opt for a glass panel above the door. 9. Power This again depends upon your answers to my initial question – what is the room going to be used for? A sensible idea is to have sockets within a cupboard so you can charge the handheld hoover or may be even the drill while it is neatly stored away. Are you going to do the ironing in your utility room? If so a plug socket for your iron would be necessary above a worktop but what about the luxury of a radio or even a small TV to entertain the hours away while you’re ironing those shirts? A utility room doesn’t have to be a boring space, it needs to feel like a happy place so you’re not completely dreading using the room! 10. Heating It can be a worthwhile idea to ditch the standard radiator and opt for an alternative. Underfloor heating is no longer a painfully expensive option and can leave you with more wall space for storage if space is tight. It also helps to dry clothing when combined with a pulley drying rack hung from the ceiling. If you do have a standard radiator, add a drying rack directly above it to make the most of the heat output. If you are embarking on a utility room project, I hope you have found those tips useful!

I look on Instagram and see the love and attention we go to, to style our shelves. We even have a ‘shelfie’ hashtag. But what about the poor old side table languishing in the corner feeling unloved? Many of us have them in our living rooms or we use them as a bedside table in a small or minimalist space. Now I’m pretty sure that ‘side-y’ or ‘tabl-ie’ is not going to become the new hashtag, in fact I’ve probably stumbled across some rude and obnoxious word instead in the urban dictionary, but in support of our 4-legged or even 3-legged friends, and with the help of the LOU stool by TIPTOE I’ve pulled together some ideas to style that little side table. Firstly, the rules. Well I don’t actually like rules, so see these as just guidance to help you along the way. 1. As with any shelving and displays, odd numbers of objects are always more pleasing to the eye. When you see an odd number of things, your eye is forced to move around more, which makes for a more interesting visual experience. This may not just be what is on the table but the table in relation to other objects. 2. Try to create interest through different heights – it makes your eyes look at each object individually and can provide a more pleasing balance, if you’ve ever looked at your display and couldn’t work out why it didn’t feel right – this is usually the culprit. 3. Think through texture – smoothness of a book against ruffles of a plant and roughness of an aged pot again help to provide interest and give a tactile quality to a display. Books A neat stack of books don’t need to be confined to the coffee table or the console table. If small enough, this can be effective and add height and interest to your side table. Pop a plant on top or a candle or even your lamp. Remember the rule guidance of odd numbers and heights and faff around until it feels right. Flowers Flowers and plants always work. A dried flower display will give longevity, fresh flowers a pick-me-up and a plant gives ever-changing interest. I like to swap between all 3, providing plenty of faffing opportunities. Give thought to the vase or pot – sometimes it is really worth investing in a beautiful statement piece that is well made especially when it will be on display so much. However, it doesn’t have to be expensive, just something you love. Think about how the flowers interact with your decor, are you going for a minimal vibe, perhaps a cottage feel or even a contrasting pop of colour. Lamp A stylish lamp can not only look great on a side table but is also super useful for lighting up a corner or providing some reading light in the evening. Generally I would advise to always ensure the shade provides a diffused light rather than a clear glass lamp or exposed bulb. This way you get a softer, warmer light that is still enough for reading – aim for a warm white bulb between 2000-2700k. Again, look at what it highlights below and/or above it – a well placed candle and even your glasses or handcream can give an effortless style, and yet still be useful – who doesn’t need somewhere to put these things? Underneath Underneath a side table can be forgotten and yet it’s a great little place to style and store. It can also hide pesky trailing wires from a lamp up above or if you’re like us a whole extension lead with chargers and all sorts of gubbins! Stacks of books or magazines or a basket of blankets can add interest and texture to your side table’s underbelly and keeps them all in one place. Pictures A picture highlighted by a lamp is such a classic and timeless way of styling a side table, don’t underestimate how much that can lift your spirits when you sit down in an evening next to it. Another trick is to add a picture above if your side table is placed next to a wall, this can be a great way of bringing your eye over to a corner and adding interest especially illuminated by a lamp. Mix and match any of these 5 ideas to create your perfect side table. Oh and one last thing! Always remember to leave some space for your favourite beverage, whether that be a cup of coffee or a glass of gin. It’s no good having a beautifully styled side table but no where to put that well deserved drink at the end of a hard day now is it? AD: PR product Tiptoe LOU Stool

When the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming outside, its hard to resist the temptation of bringing all of that floral goodness indoors too. So whilst I've been busily filling every vase with flowers, I'm not sure that it's going to be enough to curb my enthusiasm for the beautiful floral wallpapers around at the moment. There's no getting away from it, it comes at a cost. A high quality estate emulsion will cost around £1-2 per square metre in comparison to wall paper equating to around £12-£24 per square metre and can easily amount to more. Standard wallpaper rolls in Europe are usually 10.05 m x 0.53 m, which amounts to 5 square metres. To give you a rough estimate, if the height of your walls is between 2.70 and 2.80 m, a roll of wallpaper sized 10.05 x 0.53 m will result in 3 strips (159 cm wide). But remember when you're calculating how much you need, ensure you add at least 10% extra for pattern matching and trimming.There are lots of wallpaper calculators online to help you get this right before pressing that 'purchase' button. So without further ado, here is my top ten favourite floral wallpapers that I have been obsessing over, all are £60 or less per roll (£12 or less per square metre). If you've got the spring/summer vibes and thinking of taking the plunge, then these may make it a little easier on your purse. 1. Graham & Brown | Bouquet | £60 for 10m These big blousy blooms remind me of a renaissance painting. The coral touches with that deep forest green are perfect and make it feel rich and luxurious. An elegant pattern, this would work so well with dark woodwork. 2. Boråstapeter Dahlia Garden Green & Blush | £47.20 for 10m (On sale at Jane Clayton & Co at time of publishing) This isn't too dissimilar to the William Morris prints I love so much. Delicate detailed flowers and leaves with a wonderful blend of pinks and greens. This really feels like an English cottage garden on the walls. 3. Wallpaper Direct Galerie Apelviken | Anemone in Mustard | £58.45 for 10m (Use discount code SV6569 at checkout) This is perhaps my favourite if I was forced to choose, so much so, the lovely people at Wallpaper Direct have given me a discount code for you to get 10% off, thereby reducing it to less than £60 and allowing me to keep this one in my list! I adore the colourway with the mustard, pink and green combination, I would hang this wallpaper in a little girl's bedroom or nursery paired with vintage furniture. 4. Graham & Brown | Glasshouse Flora | £60 for 10m Now just imagine this on the top half of a wall with dark blue panelling across the lower half to ground it. Whilst many floral wallpapers are often light and breezy, this is far more striking and dramatic. 5. Colibri Inverted Florals by AS Creations | £19.50 for 10m This wallpaper is very reasonably priced, the flowers and foliage are illustrative and fun and this particular colourway includes lilac accents which give a nod to the current trend we're seeing in interiors. 6. Boråstapeter | Herbarium | £47.20 for 10m There is a childlike quality to this wallpaper, so, as much as it would suit a bright and fresh dining room, I think this would make a beautiful backdrop for a child's bedroom or playroom. 7. Wallpaper by Ellos | Tapet Svea | £42.83 for 10m You need a mate in Sweden to get your hands on this wallpaper as it's only available there! The wallpaper had to feature in my top 10 though because it reminds me of vintage botanical prints or an Instagram flatlay. I think it would look beautiful in so many different rooms and settings, a really adaptable option! 8. Boråstapeter Alicia Wallpaper 6705 at Fashion Interiors | £40.00 for 10m My favourite colour; green! This wallpaper is so fresh and encapsulates springtime. As you've guessed by now from this list, Boråstapeter have a winning combination of beautiful detailed floral wallpapers with a price tag that is also affordable. 9. Dunelm | NuWallpaper Groovy Garden Navy Self Adhesive Wallpaper £24 for 5.48m Don't have the paste, brush and wallpaper table? Well don't worry, this one is self adhesive, just peel the backing off and stick it to your wall. It promises not to leave a sticky residue behind so would be a perfect choice for rented homes or if you're prone to changing your scheme regularly. 10. Graham & Brown Stroma Dandelion Wallpaper | £60 for 10m Cheerful yellow mixed with a subtle and delicate floral pattern, perfect to give your home a lift this spring / summer season, great if you're dipping your toe in the wallpaper waters, as its not too bold or overpowering. So that's it, my round up of floral wallpapers on a budget, I hope you've liked them and will be drooling over them as much as me!

Designing your own kitchen sounds pretty daunting. As much as it would be nice to impress people with my kitchen design skills and pretend that it is a dark art, I won’t, I will instead share some of what I learnt from doing it. And just to be clear, I am not throwing shade at anyone who designs kitchens, it is not easy, a lot of effort and thought goes into it, but I just want to show people it’s not quite as scary as you may think. Firstly why did I take this on? The honest answer is; I had such specific ideas about what I wanted, that it didn’t exist in my price bracket. I visited a kitchen showroom and when I gave my budget as £20k including a utility area and fitting, the reaction on the designer’s face made me want to crawl back out of there immediately. £20,000 is A LOT of money in my world and yet I left feeling embarrassed that somehow this was not much. I get it. I was asking for a kitchen above my budget. Being the ultra-nerd that I am, I set to it and began researching everything about kitchens. Materials, planning, flow, storage, inspiration pictures, in no time I was creating libraries of information, considerations, and samples and thought, do you know what? I’ll do it. I was project managing for a corporate company at the time but thought I can take this on too. I’ve tried to summarise all of this information as best I can, picking out what I feel are the key points to remember and where you should spend your time and/or money. Some of this may be super obvious, some you may not have realised, but I hope you take something from this even if it is just confidence and reassurance that it is possible to plan and design your own kitchen. My warning before you read on; this is not primarily about saving money, yes I saved money doing it this way but I also had to make sacrifices. This blog is more about alternative approaches and ways of getting the kitchen you want. Trades and Trade Offs One option is to get yourself a good joiner or cabinet maker. I found a semi-retired joiner who made kitchens all his life and was now only taking on 2 projects each year. Look for recommendations on sites such as Next Door or ask friends and always look at their previous jobs and references so you can check with previous clients what their work was like. Don’t skip this step, it’s important so it’s worth making this effort. This option ended up being much cheaper for us, but it isn't always the case it can end up as expensive as the high end kitchen companies so get a couple of quotes. Having someone personally work on creating your kitchen brings with it a degree of flexibility and adaptability. If you need to change something, for instance add a plug socket into a cupboard or your measurements are out by a few millimetres, a good tradesperson will get stuck in and work it out with you. This comes with a trade-off; time. Your kitchen cupboards are not rolling off a factory conveyor belt, they are being made in a workshop or garage somewhere and it takes time. So it is likely your kitchen will take months, not a couple of weeks and you need to plan for this. Mine took 6 months and despite becoming naturally impatient towards the end, we had factored it in to our plans. All in the Detail There are details that make a high-end kitchen stand out. Handles and knobs, plinths, clever storage and worktops are the main factors for me. When you’re wondering where to splurge and where to save, I would say that handles and door knobs should not be scrimped on. Not only are you touching them every day, they are constantly being pulled, pushed and even hung on (family life, what can I say!?) so it’s important they look good, feel good and they are robust. It’s obvious when they are not. Alternatively, go handleless, could save money and there are some beautiful scandi and minimal kitchens without handles that look fantastic (an example is further down in this blog post). Next up is worktop, again its worth spending money on the right worktop. Visit local independent businesses that just deal in worktops, they really know what they are talking about, can advise according to your requirements and are usually cheaper than large kitchen companies – they measure up, cut the tap holes, drainer grooves and install it all for you. Plinths, for those unsure these are the ‘skirting board’ of the cabinet world. If you’ve never noticed, go have a look at a brochure for a high end kitchen and compare to a low budget, you’ll see that the plinths add a certain quality to the kitchen which you probably wouldn’t have thought about or considered but it makes a real difference. A good kitchen will generally always have clever storage. Pull out spice racks making use of a tight space, larders with door storage racks, pull out baskets, hidden bins, hidden cutlery drawers. All these things aren’t just gimmicks, they can be amazing ways to use, often redundant or hard to use spaces or can enable you to store so much more within the space you have, so it’s a good investment of your money. Planning and Positioning So most people will have heard now of the working triangle – a method established in the 1940’s where by you have the fridge, the sink and the oven in a triangle to make travelling between more efficient. Times have changed though. We now have more than a fridge, oven and sink. We have coffee machines, slow cookers, dishwashers and so there’s an argument that ‘zones’ are a better way to organise your kitchen – a prep zone, a cook zone, a wash zone, a storage zone and a serving zone. My top tips are to draw your kitchen out roughly, many times over, changing the position of cupboards or appliances each time. ‘Step’ into the plan and work out how you move between zones whilst cooking a family meal for instance, clearing the plates at the end of the day or even opening a bottle of wine and ask yourself is the flow right? Are you walking more than 9 metres to get your grubby mitts on that bottle of wine and then to get hold of the corkscrew and then put the foil in the bin? Consider this a ‘kitchen role-play’ but it’s just you. And a piece of paper. Some of the research into how we use our kitchens may surprise you and it’s a subject during our renovation that caused the most arguments in our marriage (if only I was kidding). People spend around 65% of their time in the kitchen prepping food, not cooking food as you might think. So, if you entertain and want a space where you’re facing people, I would go against popular opinion and position your prep zone on an island or a space where you are facing out into the room. Many people place the hob on the island with a lovely image of stirring the food whilst chatting to their friends or family, but in actual fact only 15% of your time is spent cooking. Which therefore leaves around 20% of your time cleaning and clearing away after mealtimes, and I don’t know about you, but that’s quite a significant amount of time so its worth making it as efficient as possible. One way to make the clearing time efficient is having a line between the prep zone, bin, sink and dishwasher. So, for example I designed our island with a prep zone to the left facing out to the room. Underneath the prep zone is a bin within a pull-out cupboard, in the middle is a sink and to the right a dishwasher. The idea is I prep, then scrape peelings or leftovers etc into the bin below, then I rinse in the sink to the right, and then it gets placed into the dishwasher to the right again. The most used crockery is directly behind the dishwasher to make putting it all away less of a chore. Alternatives and Half Way Houses So for whatever reason, you don’t want to do this from scratch or the joiner is not within your budget. Have you considered buying an Ikea kitchen and pimping it up? If I take on another project (more than likely!), I'd consider going down this route myself. Either go online or in to an Ikea store with your measurements (in mm) and ask one of the lovely kitchen planners to help you. My advice would be to still follow my previous advice (Yeah I know, weird sentence) so get your worktop elsewhere, get the good quality knobs, consider different plinths, but buy the carcasses from Ikea and save yourself some money. Install it yourself if you're feeling brave or enlist some help. There are a number of companies who create custom cupboard and drawer fronts for Ikea kitchens, here Custom Fronts created contemporary clean lines in white European Oak giving it a much more expensive look and feel. In a similar way, if you have your heart set on a DeVol or Humphrey Munson kitchen for instance, pop into a showroom and ask for a quote. Don’t let your budget put you off, be clear though and ask the designers there how you can save money. If they’re a good showroom, they will give you solid advice and help you find a compromise. Again, go find your own worktop and knobs, compare the installation cost with that of a local joiner and that may save you money. You’ll probably have to give up some of that clever storage we spoke about but you may feel that is a small price to pay to get your dream look. And let’s face it – they really are beautiful well made kitchens Order of Events This can be contentious (as much as a kitchen can be contentious). Which comes first, the flooring, the painting or the kitchen installation? So my view on this is, first flooring, second painting, third installation and fourth retouch paint. Flooring needs to go in first to sit under your cupboards. How far under you go is up to you. You can save money and not run the flooring completely under and just have your installer tweak the cupboard feet to level them. Or for completeness, or if you think there’s ever a chance of moving/changing/removing a cupboard, floor the whole area. My second step would be to paint the whole room while the kitchen is not in. Its far easier and quicker to get around the kitchen with your roller that way and it’s also easy to cover the floor from splatters. But don’t be fooled, expect that paint will be scuffed during installation. Then installation. Kitchen goes in, the worktop company can then come out and get final templates drawn up. Ask them for a temporary board or go get yourself some ply while you wait for your worktop to be fitted. And finally, as I referred to before, there is bound to be some scuffs, it’s better to expect them than get mad. So a quick retouch once the silicone has dried and dust has settled. The Downsides and Things to Watch For As well as the time it will take to have a bespoke handmade kitchen, there’s a couple of last points you need to consider. Painting – Our joiner painted our kitchen, and if we were to do it all again, I would have asked a professional decorator to do it. I don’t think it was primed properly, so we have areas of high use where it was looking tired after just one year, there’s also wobbly paint lines on internal drawers which, ok, not visible to anyone else, but I know about them. Project Management – Tag, you’re it! If you project manage your own kitchen, you have to be prepared that you are the co-ordinator, organiser, chaser, moaner, inspector, decision maker and that is A LOT of work. Don’t underestimate this. It is far easier to let a company run the show for you, and that’s what you rightly pay for – they have skills to bring everything together and make your life easier (spoken by a true project manager!). As I remind any client, you can’t have it all (despite what you hear). There are 3 key factors for any project like this – cost, quality and time. You can not have something cheap, to a high standard and in super quick time. So decide where your priorities are and that will open up the path you need to take.

I love tea. And I'm not talking about sweet tea or fruit tea, I'm talking about a proper English brew. When I once went on an extreme diet (yeah, I know, not wise), the thought of cutting out tea (because of the milk) horrified me and depressed me in equal measures. I refused. I couldn't imagine a life without a cuppa in it. We once travelled from Toronto to The Keys and it was AMAZING, but I wouldn't be being honest if I didn't say, it was slightly let down by the lack of tea en route. I found myself longing for my morning tea! So it won't surprise you to find out that I've researched and sourced teapots just for fun. I'm a long-term luster of them, bookmarking several in my phone and in the past I've become overwhelmed with excitement when a new design of teapot is on the market. Don't tell anyone, as some people might talk and say I'm crazy but I've even sketched my own designs! Too much information? This round up of my top ten are more 'modern rustic' in style rather than traditional types and I've considered customer reviews in terms of pourability (I think it's a word) and usability. Are you excited to see them? So excited a little bit of pee came out? No? Erm me neither. Ok, here goes... Theo Teapot by Stelton I was given this one for my birthday, I like the rustic stoneware feel but the beautiful soft scandi curves. I can honestly say it pours perfectly and unlike some it holds a lot of tea - 3 big mugs which is plenty. For the first hour of the day anyway... Edge Teapot by Skagerak This terracotta teapot is inspired by Greek-Egyption tradition but designed with simple Nordic influences. Another teapot that has the right balance between modern and rustic, i really love the oversized handle. Two-Cup Tea-iere by JING tea Is it a teapot? It's described as a tea infuser but I'm still adding it to the list as it's doing the same job, right? I do have a thing for glass tea cups and tea pots so this fits the bill perfectly! Gold Bold & Basic Teapot by HK Living Wow, just wow. The idea behind this range is to have bold colours mixed with basic shapes to give an eclectic feel. I've never seen a teapot in this gold finish before so this ceramic teapot is pretty special. Green Orion Teapot by Kockums Jernverk This I can instantly imagine sitting on a farmhouse table! Its a big 2L pot so will keep you going for quite some time and the enamel rustic finish is a real winner. Grand Teapot by La Creuset It's pink! What more is there to say? La Creuset as we know are a reliable, high quality brand so you can't go wrong with this choice of teapot, the colours add such a nice fun touch. Popalini and Jezando teapot at TOAST These are made to order as part of Toast's New Makers programme. This teapot has a hammered copper handle and is hand thrown in clay with semi-matt iron rich glaze which gives a cast iron look. The designers reference forms of Japanese teaware and what a form it is! Nordic Sea Teapot by Broste I've always liked this teapot, as you can imagine if you follow me on Instagram, the colours call to me! The textured finish and organic shape is also a complete delight. Oiva Teapot by Marimekko Similar to the Theo Teapot but made of porcelein and rubberwood, this short stout teapot is a real looker. Its quite traditional in style but again given a scandinavian modern touch, and hey presto, we have a thing of beauty! Collar Teapot by Stelton The second teapot in my top ten from Stelton. This is more rustic, with a matt black porcelain body and seems very tactile. It holds a little less than many of the others but I think the shape and how it pours feels very different to other teapots on the market. Right, got to go now, kettle has just boiled.... *All the products are linked to where I have found them for the cheapest price, but please check that still holds true if you are thinking of purchasing one.

Without wanting to sound like an interviewer, what's your version of success? It's going to be different for everyone, but hopefully by the end of this blog post I may be able to help you determine what it means for you in playroom planning terms! We haven’t been able to make our playroom work. Our two children, insist that they must drag their toys out of the playroom and into the living room, kitchen… You get the idea, anywhere else but the playroom! My husband and I didn’t want to spend much time in there either and yet we somehow expected our children to love the room? Its been a long journey to get to this point and the end result we have, is not quite what many would expect from a playroom, I'm not sure I'd even call it a playroom now - more an informal family space, but it finally works for us! I thought I’d use this blog post to explain the considerations and thoughts during the recreation of our playroom (or informal family space) to help those of you who have similar disused rooms. 1. Question Why? So when planning our playroom, I went back to basics and did what I would do with any client. Asked ourselves why we weren’t using the room the way it was intended, before even working out what we wanted to use the room for. I sat with my two children and allowed myself to be an analytical nerd for a moment, asking the ‘5 why’s’ – for anyone who hasn’t heard of this, it’s a simple problem solving methodology where you ask why, again and again until you get to the root cause – usually within 5 ‘why’s' you’ll have your answer! The reason they didn’t use the playroom was because we weren’t in there with them enough. That’s it, simple really? They wanted us to be close. So why didn’t we want to be in there? Not because we didn’t want to spend time with them (although the squabbling can be pretty draining let’s be honest!) but because it felt chaotic and uncomfortable, and not a space intended for us. 2. What’s the purpose? Playing right? Well yes, but what play? What sort of play will the children be engaging in over the next few years? Firstly, we had a huge corner sofa bed which we used once a year for guests. We were trying to do too much in this room, and on top of that, our needs were changing but our room functionality wasn’t changing with it. So I started thinking of grand ideas including custom desks, storage as far as the eye can see. And then I sat back and thought through what do we want this room to do now and in the next 3 years? My children are 6 and 7, they do their homework at the kitchen table while I cook so that I can potter back and forth to help, we do jigsaws and board games and crafts as a family at the same table and in the next 3 years I don’t expect or want that to change. So did I need to invest in desks at this stage? Their toys are getting smaller, so is more storage really needed or just better storage? And perhaps the biggest question was, how do we make it a room where my husband and I want to spend time in there too, even if it’s to read a book while the children play so that we are close to them? We decided it needs to function as a playroom and a library. An informal living area. A place where we can store the books that are still in the loft after we moved in 6 years ago, where the children still have enough room to play, with comfortable seating for us all and enough storage for the toys they have now. 3.Flow and Feel As always, its easy to get influenced by Instagram or Pinterest and think a playroom ‘should’ conform to certain standards in terms of decor, functionality and even the toys that need to be there (wooden of course). I would ignore that and work out what works for you in terms of the flow, function and feel of the room. Having the children doing crafts and games at the dining table may not work for you as it does for us; every family is different and have different needs so there is no special formula other than working out exactly what you as a family need from that room. One thing I assumed was that our children wouldn’t want to play in the room if it wasn’t decorated in bright rainbow colours or had murals on the walls as I had seen so many times on social media. The truth was, they didn’t really care! Of course, they are beautiful but not once when discussing what they wanted from the room did they mention colour. Now if I had specifically said 'do you want unicorns and Darth Vader painted on the walls, it would have been met with a resounding yes! However I did know that if the room was to appeal to adults too, and become a space which works for all of us, we would place more importance on it needing to feel warm and inviting – not jarring with the rest of the house. Both of my children are lucky enough to have their own bedrooms which they choose their colours, style and accessories so I'm ok with this room being about more than just them. When I asked about what their perfect playroom would be like, my children talked about cool beanbags, labels on boxes so they know where everything is and room for their kitchen and playmats. Fairly practical requirements for a 6 and 7 year old! Again, your children may have a strong opinion on decor and that's ok too, its always good to work with what they value most if they are going to use this room. 4. Zones Think about the room in terms of zones then create continuity in the decor. Similar to working out the flow of a kitchen (I wrote a blog post about that too), you want to ensure that you have a simple and practical flow and places to store everything. Now this could be different for each family depending upon the requirements you’ve established. For us it was; Floor zone – room to get cars, animals and lego vehicles out, sit and brush doll’s hair, room to move around with a doll’s pushchair Relax zone – a place for adults to sit back comfortably and read as well as watch the ‘shows’ and accept offerings from the make-believe café TV zone – comfortable area to play computer games and watch tv without others walking or playing in front Storage zones – clearly labelled areas to keep toys, crafts, games and books easily accessible and easy to tidy away Imagination zone – an area for our play kitchen, baskets of food, baby cot etc (Favourite playroom staples that show no sign of going away soon) Other zones you may want to consider; a crafting zone, a study area, dressing up corner/stage, reading den – think through the development stage your child is at now and how their interests may develop over the next few years (or however long before you’re happy to rethink and redecorate the room!). The room will and needs to evolve more so than most others. By thinking in these terms, I was able to draw a simple floorplan and begin to ‘place’ the zones and understand what needed to be included within the flow. It looked like this: Playroom Zones and Layout 5. Materials Washable. Wipeable. No surprises there! Curtains should be washable, sofa should be wipeable or have washable loose covers. Blinds may be a better option to stay clear of sticky fingers. Paint should be tough and wipeable – try a diamond matt trade paint or easycare modern emulsion. Other tricks are using a patterned wallpaper to disguise marks or even dividing the wall horizontally and using a gloss on the lower part that sees the most traffic. Don’t underestimate the use of materials such as a clever velvet, corduroy and sheepskin; squishy beanbags for gaming, cosy blankets for movie afternoons – fabrics which are soft and inviting and elevate the room from being a local church hall on playgroup days to a warm living area for everyone. No child will ever ask for these details, but they will make a space usable as well as a safe and inviting room for playing, something that was particularly important for us seeing as our playroom had become disused. Another idea is to create a blackboard wall with chalk paint (doesn’t have to be black!) for the ultimate creative canvas and it’s also a very tactile surface. It could even have the family rules or ethos on there – be kind etc. Or how about using magnetic paint and using the wall to add magnetic numbers and letters, or create a race track on the walls for magnetic cars to speed around! 6. StoragE We moved all our books in from the loft to make this a usable family space for everyone so we needed extra shelving for these and bought the bookcases from Ikea – it kept the costs down but looked in keeping with the modern country feel of our home without any ‘hacks’ required. We realised we also needed better toy storage. We’ve always had large transparent plastic boxes tucked away in cupboards which are in fact practical in many ways – when the children couldn’t read it enabled them to see what was in the boxes and pick which toys they wanted to play with. The issue was they were huge, so as many toys got smaller over the years, they got lost and difficult to find in the cavernous boxes and problematic to organise and sort. So we invested in some smaller storage boxes too which have completed the look and allowed better organisation. There are lots of amazing and beautiful storage ideas for playrooms - think baskets for play food, custom shelving for lego and small clothes rails or peg rails for dress up costumes. 7. Lighting Our playroom is south facing but natural light is blocked by a large tree, so the lighting was not necessarily simple. We changed the ceiling lighting to a Tom Raffield pendant which increased the light in the room as well as changing the bulbs to make it a brighter, but softer and warmer light. We also received a beautiful floor lamp from The Cotswold Company; a perfect task light for when we want to read on the sofa, slim though so it doesn’t dominate, isn’t at risk of being knocked and doesn’t take up too much space. Think through what lighting you will need – desk lamps for study area or creative space? How about a disco mirror ball to reflect light around and create a sensory element to the room? Wall lights to highlight children’s art? I hope that has given you some ideas and a starting point to plan your own playroom that really actually works for you and your family!

I've made no attempt to hide my dislike for autumn. I feel like the reality of dark mornings and and dark evenings weighs heavy and changes my mood completely. But so many of you have tried to convince me otherwise, so to try to overcome my dislike for autumn and instead embrace it, I have been searching for wonderful autumn interior goodness. Some of these items pick up on trends we're seeing at the moment, without being an obvious and determined attempt to be trend led. Themes such as tactility, classic florals and handmade craftmanship are all popular right now and utilising these elements is a perfect way to add layers in terms of soft furnishings and lighting. So without further ado, here is my roundup of interior items you may find useful this season... Acorn Storage from H&M Home I find this time of year, children have gone back to school and we want to have a clean around and get organised ahead of Christmas and the mayhem that ensues. I love this autumnal kids storage basket, perfect for their bedrooms or playrooms to fling little toys into. Teased Wool Blanket from Zara Home Would it even be autumn without a wool blanket, and you'd do well to beat the beautiful range Zara Home have brought out this year. There are so many available, all gorgeous colours and textures you'll find it difficult to choose, but this one caught my eye for its dusky tone and beautiful teased wool. Speckle Tealight Candle Holder by John Lewis and Partners I love this - a nice mixture of materials, making it really tactile, it almost looks like terrazzo and at £12 I think its a bargain. A good way to brighten a side table. Faux Flower Arrangement from Fox Flowers If you're struggling to get some of the fresh flowers you love during this season, it may be a good idea to invest in some flowers of the faux or dried variety to perk you up on a dull day. Faux flowers have evolved massively since the 80's and 90's when I remember them as a child all around our home! They are hugely realistic and a lot of thought goes into the arrangement of them. Whilst it may seem like a large amount of money to spend, and I get it, it is, but they are with you forever and when you spend £30-£40 for a bouquet of fresh flowers it's not long before that adds up. Greyson Table Lamp from Soho Home Its curves, rich wood and subtle brass details makes this an absolute winner for me. The linen shade will give off a lovely soft warm light for cosy evenings by the fire. I like that this has a modern vibe but there's a classic feel to it too, not too fussy so perfect for a modern country home. Tokyo Cushion from Folk Interiors Bringing in new cushions can really change the feel of a space and a change in season is the perfect time to do it. This cushion has all the autumnal colours going on, and what's great is there's a floral pattern on one side and geometric print on the other so you get double the cushion for your money! I'm not sure how I'd choose which side to face forward? What's even better is this is 100% made from recycled material! Cassis & Fig Candle from Orchard Cheshire A small independent business making the most divine smelling candles! My current favourite (and yes I change my mind with every new scent I order) is the cassis and fig which is warm and delicious and makes our home smell so nice and welcoming, just what you need when returning from a soggy walk! English Sycamore Vase by Bruun I have followed this company for a little while now and love all that they design and create. These vases are perfect for autumn with a few dried stems in, to add a finishing touch to your console table or a few grouped on a dining table. Amazing craftmanship, the wood is such a beautiful tactile element to add richness and warmth to your home. Edo Terracotta Large Mugs from Nkuku Autumn equals long walks kicking leaves and then back home for hot chocolates, right? Well these mugs have just the right amount of rusticness (yeah I know, its not a word) and beauty. They are good sizes too, so no need to skimp on the cream and marshmallows! Duo Floor Lamp from Cox & Cox When we want to add a warm and cosy feel to our homes, we often think about blankets and cushions, but there's other layers we need to think about and that's lighting. Whether its table lamps, floor lamps or candlelight, we need to layer our lighting, thinking about the sources, the levels and the feel we want to achieve. So this is great to add an extra layer of warmth and light to brighten a dark corner and a great classic addition to a modern interior.