The Art of Accessorizing Your Kitchen

When you think about accessorising, your mind probably goes straight to a great pair of sunglasses, a statement necklace, or a handbag. But guess what? The same ideas you use to complete an outfit can totally apply to the most important room in your home: the kitchen. Accessorising your kitchen isn't just about filling empty spots; it's about pouring personality, usefulness, and style into the heart of your home. It's that final touch that turns a room full of appliances and cabinets into a space that truly feels like yours. Accessorising Beyond Your Wardrobe Just like a simple black dress gets a whole new vibe with the right accessories, a basic kitchen can be jazzed up with carefully chosen details. The trick is to think of your kitchen's permanent stuff – the cabinets, countertops, and flooring – as your main pieces. The accessories are what add character and flair. These finishing touches are easy to swap out when your tastes change or the seasons shift. It's a ......

Read more »

How to Make Your Kitchen Feel Warm This Winter

In the middle of winter, everyone wants to return to warm kitchen after being outside. There’s nothing quite like taking off your boots, sitting at the table and taking that first sip of hot tea after a chilly walk. Whether you’re decorating your first home or planning a renovation, it’s worth putting time and effort into the kitchen and it's an area of the home I have priortised myself. There has been a lot of learning curves and I've learnt a lot along the way so I thought. Below, we’ve shared some of the most practical and stylish ideas for a cosy kitchen this winter. Introduce warm colour palettes Rich, warm hues make for an inviting kitchen atmosphere, especially during the colder months. From deep terracotta to mustard yellow and forest green, earthy tones can be paired or used as statement walls to evoke a snug, characterful ambience. Whether applied through ornaments, fixtures or textiles, green kitchens are versatile, refreshing spaces . Why not change your kitchen cup......

Read more »

5 ways to declutter & refresh your kitchen

If you keep up with current trends you may have already heard about the fantastic positive effects of minimalising our clutter and getting rid of anything we don't need or use while at the same time creating more space and a calmer living environment, I've written a post about how it can improve your life. The kitchen is a room that all of the family use and because of this can attract a lot of clutter and mess which adds to the chaos, especially at meals times. I am still in process of getting my kitchen to exactly how I want it but it's not far off and I thought I would a few tips on keeping your kitchen feel more spacious, organised and a place to enjoy good food or have a quiet moment rather than chaos.  1. Firstly reduce what you have It's so easy to hold onto things we don't use or accumulate gadgets that never see the light of day, so it's worth having a really good sort out as that alone could free up a lot of storage and surface space. You......

Read more »

How to take a white kitchen from cold to gold

As you may already know when we are not traveling or exploring somewhere new outdoors I am usually indulging in my love of interiors. At the moment we are just doing a few finishing touches to our house before we sell and I have been focusing on the kitchen this past week. White kitchens have been on trend for over a decade or so, and with good reason. The cool clean look is perfect for hygienic kitchen areas, white goes with everything and just doesn’t date if done right and can be a good investment for your home. However, there’s one obvious flaw in the logic that kitchen designers up and down the land are spending a lot of their creative time addressing. How do you inject some warmth and personality into a space consisting predominantly of hard white surfaces? How do you take the edge off a stark white kitchen ? Is it possible to achieve a cosy, comfortable and welcoming vibe in a modern white kitchen to create the beating heart of the home? Here are 6 tricks to show you ......

Read more »

Turn Your House into an Oasis

Being able to have a beautiful house that you love coming home to is important. In order to have a home you love, you may want to customize it so that it feels warm and welcoming to you. The guide that follows provides a few ways you can make a house feel more like your home. Create Curb Appeal The first thing you’ll see each day when you pull up to your house is the exterior. Take the time to create a lawn that is well-manicured and looks great. Keeping the grass and the bushes trimmed can make a home look great. Add a flower bed to create a bit of colour to the exterior of the house. A walkway can add visual appeal and also provide you with a place to walk when entering and leaving your home. Perhaps you also want to show some personal flair and fly a rainbow flag or country flag to really grab attention. Of course, you will need to make sure you have the right flagpole mounting hardware in order to do this! Add Flowers to the Interior of Your Home Seeing and sm......

Read more »

Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Review

On our recent trip to London's West End as part of Kids Week we stayed at the beautiful Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel in Leicester Square, even though I briefly mentioned it in my post about our weekend, I wanted to do a separate review as this place really warrants that.  We love visiting London as a family but the one thing I have learned is if you have planned an action-packed day then staying somewhere which is well-located is key in reducing the stress that comes with carting kids from one side of a city to another. Also having somewhere comfortable, welcoming and family-friendly to rest your head at the end of a busy day makes for a happy family in the morning and luckily The Radisson Blu Hampshire is all these things. Located on Leicester Square and only a stones throw away from all the theatres of the West End, the National Portrait Gallery and Trafalgar Square plus plenty of places to eat you really have everything you need. We arrived e......

Read more »

Kitchen inspiration - finding the perfect fridge

When you think of your kitchen the first thing that probably comes to mind is worktops and lighting but what about the one appliance you use daily? Ours is built in but when we move later this year we don't plan to take it with us but rather opt for the Smeg fridge we have been craving for for years, even if it's not the most practical. Putting aesthetics aside it can actually be quite a hard decision finding one that fits both the needs of you and your family as well as the style of your kitchen and is often something that is overlooked. Being a really important purchase and an essential to your home it's a really good idea to know what to consider before you make the purchase. Here are a few tips to make the process as easy and as stress-free as possible.  Size and capacity The first thing you need to consider is how much food you need to store in your fridge/freezer. The storage capacity is usually managed in cubic feet, and generally co......

Read more »

Simple Dining - Interior inspiration

Wether you have a separate dining room or a small kitchen diner it should be a place that is versatile and can be used for casual gatherings with friends and family but also be dressed up for dinner parties and special occasions. We are currently decluttering our house in a major way and trying to simplify all our living spaces including where we eat and relax each evening. The most important aspect of comfortable dining, whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner, is having a dining room you enjoy spending time in and is welcoming and warm. This ensures that meals eaten there are eagerly anticipated in a space that is as perfect as you can make it. Here are some ideas on creating the perfect dining space The Table Getting the size of your dining table right requires careful consideration of the size of your dining room and how many people will use it. For a family of four, you can use a round or square table to help you save space. However, if you entertain regularly ......

Read more »

Homemade Cypriot Potato and Leek pasties

As I've said before I find cooking and making wholesome family meals very therapeutic and I love to try new things. In general our meals have a healthy focus and I have never been a big fan of shop bought pasties and pies but I did like the idea of making my own and cramming them filled with lovely veggies and creating a portable snack when we are outdoors on our adventures. So when I was set a challenge to create something tasty and would hopefully be a hit with the family, using in season Cypriot New Potatoes from Tesco's, I thought it was the perfect time to try out some cheesy leek and potato pasties - the perfect vegetarian family friendly snack. Of course you can use any potatoes in this recipe but I have to say the Cypriot ones are very tasty and versatile as you can bake, roast, boil or steam them and they are only available in stores until March. I also used Tesco's lighter shortcrust pastry, I have in the past made my own pastry for a variety of differe......

Read more »

The Big Home Improvements that add value

If you are looking at selling up and moving on and want to get the most out of your property then perhaps it would be a good idea to look at amore drastic change than just newly painted walls, fresh flowers and a clutter-free interior to attract those buyers who will fight to get your property. ECL Roofing recently brought out this very interesting infographic that highlights the top improvements that you can make to your home that really will add value. 1. A loft Conversion and extra bedroom - we are currently viewing houses at the moment as we will be moving later this year and I have to say we naturally veer towards those that have a converted attic simply because both John and I are self-employed and therefore could really do with a proper study or office space. 2. Conservatory - if you don't mind losing some garden space then adding a conservatory can be a very smart move and is a very attractive bonus to potential buyers. 3. En-suite - for most having an......

Read more »

Kitchen Cool

Liking this clean and light kitchen from Harvey Jones So we are slowly making our way through each room and ticking off our snagging list, we have finally set ourselves a goal with getting the house on the market by September and our next room to work on is the kitchen. Our kitchen is probably the best room in the house, it's light and airy and has an island as well as space for a dining table but I just feel it needs a bit of an update in terms of style. As you may already know I am quiet taken with the white and copper trend this season and want to incorporate that into the kitchen.  First of all the walls which are Apple white (not our choice) need to be repainted and this time with clean and crisp white which will work well for all the art work I plan to hang up. We also need to replace our well worn stools and I am loving these white ones below from George. I have also been wanting to replace our wall clock with a piece I know I will keep forever such as this ic......

Read more »

A little kitchen list

Loving this simple kitchen styling by H&M We are hoping to list our house on the market within the next month and I really want to bring a sense of simplicity to our kitchen and their are a few keys pieces I want to have to dress the space up as well as take with us to our next property. The one thing I learnt from my mother is to never leave things to chance - you need to show each space off to it's full potential and picking up a few key pieces can really do that. I have been eyeing up a classic flip clock for a while as well as this honeycomb style wine rack . I also plan to do a little bit of upcycling and these dipped painted stalls have given me some good ideas for our kitchen island seating area. Other small kitchen accessories I am loving at the moment and all cost under £10 is this simple ceramic mug , slate heart coasters and simple fabric storage box. What is on your wishlist for your home? ...

Read more »

Interior Sale Picks

Who doesn't love a Sale? If there was ever a time of the year to grab a bargain its now in the January sales and those who managed to think ahead and not spend before Christmas could be in for a real treat if the item you were eyeing up is now hugely discounted.  A few things have caught my eye this past week and thought I would share some of my top Sale picks for 2016 1. Ampersand Print from Habitat was £40 now £28 2. Chou Sofa Bed from Made.com  was £329 now £299 3. Sagaform heart bowl   Red Candy was £32 now £24.50 4. Jerry white chair from Habitat was £80 now £70 5. Pom Pom cushion from Joules was £36.95 now £16.95 Have you managed to grab any bargains this year so far? ...

Read more »

Final Christmas touches for the home

With it being the most wonderful time of the year, here are some Christmas must haves to get your home looking, feeling and smelling festive! A tree Whether you like a pine-coned sweet-smelling fir, or a non-dropping vacuum-friendly artificial tree, you can make it look extra special by choosing a colour theme . Red, gold, silver and green are traditional colours, but blue and purple are popular modern alternatives. Choose two colours and stick with them throughout the house. It’s a good idea to pick up decorations in the January sales and pack them away for next year, but for now you can make it special with your children’s decorations or family baubles that your granny treasured. However you choose to decorate your tree, it should be special to you. Shedding pine needles are a never-ending Christmas battle! To keep real trees alive buy a stand that holds water. You wouldn’t put cut flowers in a dry vase and expect them to live, so extend your tree’s life by positionin......

Read more »

Last Minute must-have Christmas kitchen items

Christmas is the time of the year that everyone in the family looks forward to. It’s a season of happiness, indulging in treats that we usually wouldn’t allow ourselves to and giving presents to those we care about the most. Certain things cause the Christmas cheer to rise in people, and quickly the whole area becomes covered in decorations, as if Santa did them all overnight himself. Here’s some seasonal-themed items that will look fantastic in your kitchen this Christmas, and be worth keeping all year round. Christmas cookie cutters Not the most technological item on this list, but everyone will love it when you make cookies in the shape of Santa Claus, snowmen and Christmas trees this season. The Good cook shop has lots of offers on cookie cutters , meaning that you can replace the delicate cutting with stencils, which do all the work but take none of the reward. Vintage inspired kitchen scales Despite all the food having multiple pinches of love......

Read more »