Feeling Stylish

I love the idea of having the perfect pace in which to entertain. I don’t do a huge amount of interiors posts on here but I thought I’d give you a little insight into my home.

Conservatory

I really love wooden tables and we have a beautiful oak dining table and some grey fabric chairs. It looks great in the space but it’s still lacking something. We need table cloths, runners and beautiful things decorating the table. We also need a lamp, during the day the conservatory is beautifully bright but as soon as the sun goes down the lights in there don’t really cut it.

We have a bookcase that is now full so I’m thinking of getting another one that’s exactly the same. We’ll have them standing side-by-side so it looks like a wall of books. I have a serious book buying habit, I just can’t stop. This downstairs bookcase is dedicated to our mostly-unread collection. I need to stop buying books and actually read the ones I have.

I really love these solid oak tables from Top Furniture and these images are huge inspiration for me. Look at all the books!

Our dining area is more about socialising and eating then just dining. We rarely eat in there unless we have people over.

Living room

One thing people do say when they come to our house is that there are very few places on which to place drinks, especially in the living room. Another thing we are after is a set of nested tables. Our living room is quite modern so I’m torn between some chunky wooden tables or something that’s made of glass and metal.

I quite like kitschy little decorations but the other half isn’t so keen. When we do find art or other little items that we both like, we buy but it’s rare that our tastes cross over.

One thing I do really like in our home is this beer bottle and wooden flower. We loved the shape of the bottle so drank its contents and now use it as a vase. It’s pretty and unusual.

Kitchen

The kitchen is fairly uninspiring but this is definitely where the magic happens. We aren’t really bakers (although we try) but we do love to cook. It still baffles me that a lot of people our age don’t cook everything from scratch. Of course, there’s the odd pasta bake evening but most of the time we can be found in the kitchen cooking curry, making pizza dough or waiting for something to roast.

A few of my favourite things in the kitchen:

This water jug was bought for us at Christmas; I love it a little too much.

This vase was bought for us a few years ago buy the same aunt who bought the jug (she has taste) we filled it with wooden flowers and pretty sticks so it would always be on show.

Our vinyl record flower pot.

Finally, this is a pine shelf we were given by Ben’s mum. It’s home to most of our cook books.

Every culture has a tradition of making things. They might be items used for ceremonial purposes, ways of bonding with family members or just done for fun.

Here are some traditional crafts from countries and continents around the world.

Russia – Dyimkovsky Toys

These pottery toys came about in the 15^th century and got their name from the region of Dyimka. Every spring, the people of this area used to make clay figures and penny whistles.

The Dyimkovsky toys were made of clay and painted white. They were then decorated with simple, yet colourful, patterns that make them quite distinctive.

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I had a pretty busy weekend that once again revolved around a Grand Prix. However, it did start off very swimmingly with a trip to the Ten Bells, some great drinks and amazing soul and rock n roll music.

Friday’s daytime outfit | Friday’s lunch – chorizo and cream cheese roll

Friday’s evening makeup – Feat. Illamasqua Santa lippie | Friday’s evening attire – Feat. Lipsy dress

Cuba Libre | My dancing/drinking partner for the evening, Rosie

The Ten Bells, Norwich | Me and Rosie looking awesome

Me and my Amaretto Sours | Rosie and her Knob Creek and Coke

We happened upon this super stylish chick. Love that dress!

The next morning Ben and I got up super early to watch the qualifying of the Maylasian Grand Prix.

Post-F1 kitten playtimes | Finishing off Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. I have found a new favourite author.

I then went and had a nap with the cat while Ben had a bath.

New Caterham F1 tee | Sky F1 on Sunday morning

Refuelling after the race – sausage and bacon sarnie

New boots

It must be spring, we bought daffodils!

Daffodils meant moving other decorative stuff to a new home. This is a beer bottle we fell for at Beers of the World in Kings Lynn. We drank the beer and kept the bottle for this exact reason!

The reason for our fluffy house

Dressing gown time | Tea!

Sometimes it’s not always practical or financially viable to remodel your entire bathroom. Here are a few easy ways to give your bathroom a new lease of life.

Focus on the Frills

You can keep your bath, sink and shower but focus on the frills. Perhaps install a new towel rail, something as simple as this can really change your outlook on your own bathroom as it adds a touch of luxury.

It’s in the Detail

Bathroom accessories are a great way to add something new to your bathroom. A new shower curtain can change how your bathroom looks and feels, especially if you use a colored one to add brightness.

Browse for soap dispensers and toothbrush-holders that catch your eye. These are things that are easily replaced once you get tired of them.

Leave it to the Professionals

If you want to update your bathroom, then the easiest way is to hire someone to do it. Search for bathroom suites UK then let your chosen installer or interior designer know your ideas.

Furniture

Don’t overlook bathroom furniture; it’s a great way to up the storage space in your bathroom. Of course, you don’t have to go for furniture that specifically says it’s for the bathroom. Vintage nightstands make great storage areas that don’t take up too much space.

If you buy second hand then it doesn’t really matter what the color is, all you need to do is sand down the wood and then repaint to match your bathroom.

New Towels

If you have a bathroom full of mismatched, graying towels, then it’s likely to give your bathroom a drab feel. Invest in plush, new towels in one color and a variety of sizes. Just doing this can bring your whole bathroom together.

Taps and Handles

It’s amazing how much of the look of a bathroom is down to the taps and handles. By changing these, you can instantly update the look of your bathroom. You could go from country chic all the way to minimalist and modern in one swoop.

Clean

This might sound obvious, but thoroughly cleaning your old bathroom can make it look like a new place. It might be tough to get the limescale off a tap or from around a plug hole during a normal clean, but with a bit of elbow grease and the right products this can be done.

If you are adverse to a few hours of scrubbing and descaling, then all you need to do is hire someone to do it for you.

About the Author 
Jess Shanahan is a home décor blogger who recently updated her bathroom with pieces found on BathroomsandBasins.co.uk.