A MODERN WEDDING DECORATION IDEA

After a bit of radio silence on the blog, I'm excited to share this post with you! I haven't talked too much about our wedding, mostly because we haven't actually had to put too much thought into it...! The reception is in a pretty pub which doesn't need much decorating, but I always knew I wanted to find a way to show some of our favourite photos from our childhood and the 10 years we've been together. With bunting and chalkboards already on the agenda, I was a little worried about things looking too 'rustic', so when I found Lalalab online, I knew their big photo posters would be perfect for keeping things looking a little more clean and modern.

Lalalab kindly offered to gift me one of their framed posters and I'm so pleased with the result. I picked a 35-picture poster (you can also have 24 pictures, but the poster size is the same, so the photos just come out bigger) in a plain black frame. The 'glass' is actually plastic, which is better in some ways as it's super lightweight and doesn't create as much of a glare either. The process is also really easy - you can either download the app or use the desktop version to upload pictures straight from your phone/computer/social media and then reorder them to get your poster looking exactly the way you want it. I think it would look really cool to just pick pictures that are all one tone or create a graduated colour effect. We're going to display it on one of the mantlepieces in the pub; it's been so nice going through all the old photos together and getting our parents involved - I also think it's fun for family and friends who don't necessarily know both of us to get to see a bit more of us on the day!

Lalalab also offer a few other services, including Instagram prints, calendars and books; if you're interested, my referral code  - PGBSYXPG - will get you €5 off your order.

REFRESH FOR SUMMER

Summer always has me thinking about refreshing my interiors. We have a long list of home improvements to make, but now they are on hold while Baki is still small (especially as it's looking like we'll have to replace the carpets now - toilet training is no joke!). Since going to ABC Home & Carpet in New York, I'm still obsessed with that shabby chic/industrial vibe, with a hint of New England summers thrown in for good measure. Seeing as we'll now be likely getting new carpets, there won't be much cash for other improvements, so I'm seeing a few upcyling projects and a bit of car-booting in our future! Here's what I've got my eye on at the moment:

{clockwise from top left: sofa, cushion, sideboard, plant bag, candle, vase, bookcase}
{top image: source}
Thank you to Fishpools for sponsoring this post :)

101 USES FOR TINY JARS

I am a container hoarder of epic proportions. Pickle jars, tupperware, glass bottles all get recycled in this house for all manner of things. The most perfect little vessels I've found are those that belong to the Glenilen Farm yoghurts. Apart from the fact these yoghurts are a bit dreamy, they're not any more expensive than your average individual yoghurt pot and you get the little glass jars to keep. I cleared out my desk at work and found more jars than I care to explain lurking in my drawers, so here are a few recycling ideas, should you find yourself in the same predicament.

From top to bottom: Bud jars for tiny flowers, jars for salts and spices - this is my homemade furikake - transportable chia pudding pots for breakfast at work, tea light holders, make-up holders. Not quite 101 ideas, but you get the gist. Any tricks I'm missing?

IN LOVE WITH A RUG

Our home is - and most likely always will be - a bit of a work in progress. After having to get rid of our old rug (RIP Flokati), I've been deliberating about a new living room rug for only about 3 years! After noticing our carpet was starting to get a bit tired, I knew I had to hurry up and choose something. I wanted something fairly neutral, but with a bit of texture to lift the rest of our slightly flat IKEA decor, but I also didn't want to spend too much money at this point: enter French Connection Home. 

If it's possible, I think I've fallen in love with a rug. I started looking at jute rugs as they're super inexpensive and versatile. The rugs can look a bit yellow, though, so this one (in the sale!), which is woven through with beautiful strands of soft grey leather, perfectly balances the equation. I'm thinking of getting a shaggy sheepskin rug to layer over it - I was thinking grey, but then I found this one, which is the same colour as our rabbit Scampi!

Other updates in the living room include Darren's carpentry sign - I made it for his birthday last year but he kept forgetting to take it out on jobs with him, and I sort of love how it looks here now! - and a bunch of new cushions; this Habitat one is a particular favourite.

5 IDEAS TO STEAL FROM THE SHOPKEEPER'S HOME

Caroline, the editor behind 91 Magazine - a lovely online publication I've had the pleasure of contributing to - took a break from the magazine to work on her amazing new book, The Shopkeeper's Home. The book is a beautiful ode to independent shops, and the shopkeeper's behind them, delving into both their shop interiors and the places they live to glean decorating ideas for real homes. Here are my 5 decorating ideas to steal:

1. Lift a room with a statement light. Light fixtures are sometimes seen as an afterthought, but picking something to specifically fit your home aesthetic makes a striking difference. It doesn't have to be as big as the IKEA PS MASKROS light pictured above - although I do have it in my own home and it definitely makes an impact. Think about the proportions of the room and what you want to achieve with the light; sometimes spotlights are the most practical choice, and then you can have fun with a few interesting lamps.

2. Go big with a gallery wall. I always think of gallery walls as having lots of small pieces, but I love how this example from the home of The Hambledon owner, Victoria Suffield, shows that a small collection of larger pictures can have the same effect. We have a huge chimney breast with a vintage movie poster (on loan from my Dad!) hung on it. The framed poster is huge, but it still seems to be a bit lost on the wall, so this is an idea I'm definitely stealing for myself.

3. Don't forget the bathroom! Art in the bathroom? Why not! I wouldn't have thought to hang pictures by the bath, but I love the effect they have on the plain wall above. It's a nice reminder not to be too precious with the things you own, and to put them in a place where you can enjoy them every day.

4. Charcoal + colour = best friends. I've always thought that white is the best backdrop for showing off colour, but as these charcoal painted shelves show, they're perfect for setting off both warm and cool tones. We're re-decorating our living room in January and I've left this out for Darren to see.

5. Make use of vertical space. I've always loved the look of cosy blankets hung on a vintage ladder, but I think the picture above demonstrates how important it is to remember to think about negative, vertical space. See how the ladder fills the blank between the bed and the high ceilings, while the bunting creates width to the arrangement? It's an especially good idea if you live in a rental and can't put nails in the wall. Who needs art when you have blankets?

INTERIORS INSPO: coloured doors

I love pops of colour around the house so the painted door trend really grabs my attention. At some point we are going to have to replace about half the doors in our flat - and we have quite a few due to lots of funny cupboards, separate loo and bathroom, etc. - so why not make some of them coloured! I've seen so many yellow ones on Pinterest which makes me think that really, people just want something in their house to make them smile...though black doors are definitely a chic alternative.

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HOTEL HENRIETTE

Last year I did some freelance work for Secret Escapes and wrote about a gorgeous little boutique hotel in Paris that I promptly forgot about, until I was ogling tiled floors on Pinterest for an Interiors Inspo post and happened upon the hotel again. I'm completely charmed by everything - the two-tone macaron walls, the frilly lampshades, the exposed grey beams - but the one thing I can't stop looking at is the pretty little courtyard. I'm bookmarking this blog post if I should ever be so lucky to have a little terrace one day.

(more pictures here)

INTERIORS INSPO: patterned tiles

I came back from visiting my friend's new place at the weekend and knew I had to get something down on the blog, stat! Her bathroom had the most lovely tiled floor and after spending a few hours down the rabbit hole on Pinterest, it's something I wish I'd thought of when we did our bathroom. See, the thing about patterned tiles is that they seem bold and brash but they can slot so easily into any decor theme; mismatched with furniture and fixtures they can be rustic and eclectic, bolstered with navy and white they can be calming and whether they're used as a statement or served in a small dose as an eye-catching accent, they command attention without overpowering everything else.

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INTERIORS INSPO: kilim cushions

The one thing I regret about my trip to Marrakech is that I didn't take a big suitcase to stock up on rich tapestry rugs and piles of kilim cushions. The popularity for these colourful woven pillows has really grown and I feel like I'm constantly being taunted by them on design blogs, instagram and home shops that sell them for x5387472 the price. I'm not sure they'd go with my current interiors anyway - except for the all-white styled image below - but if I had an outdoor space it would be strewn with pillows and blankets. I guess I'll just have to go back!

{images 1,2,3,4,5}

STYLING THE SEASONS JUNE: the red shelf

May completely ran away with me so I wanted to make sure I got something up for Styling The Seasons before June disappeared too! This month started off a bit higgledy piggledy. Our kitchen is in a bit of a mess; Darren started some tiling and had to stop halfway through ...such is life when you live with a builder! With clutter on the work surfaces and everything everywhere it shouldn't be, I took a few minutes to arrange an indulgent red shelf that's the first thing I see when I walk in, which helps to avert my eyes for at least a few seconds!

The West Elm plate and Anthropologie deer vase are oldies but goodies, the Chinese tray was a souvenir from Malaysia and the tulips were a present to myself to celebrate the sunshine.

This weekend I hope the tiling will get done! We're heading to IKEA to get a few bits and bobs like a new sofa cover (essential) and a fiddle leaf fig (less so) and I think there'll be some baking on the cards too! How about you?

CALDER & BYRNE

Remember that post about making friends in your twenties where I mentioned an inspiring bunch of blogger friends? Well, Siobhan is one of those good eggs who has come into my life over the past year (or two?) who is inspiring, entrepreneurial and a real 'do-er', which makes me extra excited to introduce her just-launched online store, Calder & Byrne. Stocked with beautiful handmade goodies from around the UK, Calder & Byrne connects makers with people across the world who are committed to seeking out unique products beyond the usual high street offering. From ceramics and beautiful jewellery to prints, cosmetics and Siobhan's very own Bless The Weather knits, there's a little something to inspire the 'shop local' mantra in everyone.

Siobhan's shop has a back-to-basics approach that makes me yearn for the simple things in life. In this modern age, where we hardly do anything with our own bare hands, Calder & Byrne bridges the gap between being and doing and has inspired me to take that long-talked-about jewellery course. Who knows, maybe I'll be part of the Calder & Byrne family in 2016!

Have a browse, fill your shopping basket and support local makers!

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