Before I get into today’s post I want to talk about what’s going on in the world right now because it’s pretty scary. Here in the UK we have confirmed cases of Covid-19 but we’re yet to go into lockdown yet but we are seeing the ripple effect of the virus…
-this is a paid partnership with Local Heroes-
As a certified homebody if there is one time of year that I thrive in at home its winter. When the weather is less than desirable outside, it naturally means that we’re all more likely to spend more time wrapped in our favourite blanket…
After renovating our lounge I decided it was finally time to pick up some new houseplants. Before we sorted the room out it was very cluttered and there wasn’t much room for anything else but now we’ve got rid of the majority of things and cleared some space it was time to introduce some more greenery to the space as nothing makes me happier than a room filled with different plants. As well as my new additions there has been one plant that's finally come into its own after a near-death experience earlier in the year and these are the details on all of them as well as some very lovely planters that don’t cost a small fortune.
We’re about 85% done with our lounge renovations, we’ve still got some finishing touches to do but we’re pretty much at the end of our to-do list and I can’t believe how much of a difference it’s made to the entire house. It’s a room that we’d put off doing anything to as we felt a little lost with what we wanted to achieve. So we took everything back to basics and the finished result is exactly what I wanted for this space as we’re pretty limited to what we can do with the area but I think the things we have done have had a huge impact and they look a little something like this...
We’re currently in the process of renovating our lounge and whilst I was surrounded by paint and dust I got the idea for this post. There are so many blogs, Instagram profiles and YouTube channels dedicated to renovating houses and rooms but so often they skim over all the nitty-gritty. And when it came to making changes in our home I was not prepared for everything that goes into it and there are so many things I wish people would talk about more when it comes to the whole renovation process.
As my boyfriend and I have shelved the conversation of moving for a little while we’re ready to make some more changes to our home. We’re not doing anything crazy or too expensive because we know we’re going to be moving in the next couple of years and have to be realistic with what adds value to the house and what is just to our taste as house renovations add up real fast. Our bathroom renovation was undoubtedly the biggest thing we took on and 8 months on we’re still so happy with the finished result and we’re hoping we’ll be just as happy with the results of all our other plans.
Houseplants are seriously popular at the moment and it’s wonderful. Having greenery in your home is unbelievably good for our living environments and I think it’s really fun to have something that you need to tend to and subsequently get to see thrive. All that being said, some are easier than others to look after and these are my top 5 houseplants for beginners and no, there’s not a succulent in sight...
After watching Jenna Marble’s video all about her houseplants it inspired me to write this as without a doubt one of the most loved things in my home is my plants and I shared her excitement for them all and their upkeep (apart from maybe the dusting). I’ve been collecting houseplants for around 5ish years now and whilst I’ve certainly had my fair share of casualties seeing them grow and thrive is something that I often wonder brings me far too much joy. Anyway, I thought I’d share some of my most loved plants in my collection, as well as the ones that I’ve found, are easiest to take care of.
The idea of rearranging and redecorating my office had been on my mind for a while, the room was painted white years ago and apart from buying furniture nothing else had been touched in the room. But, the conversation of buying a new house was one we were having a lot so I put off doing anything for a while just in case we did seriously decide to move as obviously, there was no point in redecorating only to leave it a few months later. After we came to the conclusion a couple of months ago we weren’t quite ready to move (I wasn’t ready to leave the beautiful bathroom we’d only just had fitted either). The urge for change got stronger and stronger, and after lots of scouring Pinterest and scrolling through Instagram, I finally settled on what I wanted and here is how I’ve refreshed my office just in time for Spring.
Homeware is something that I got really into purchasing a few years ago, as I was still living at home with my dad I started off small so things like cushions, bedding and an unreasonable amount of houseplants. I knew I was getting older when I started to get more excited about new sheets than I did a new dress from Topshop. Now I live with my boyfriend there are lots of bigger pieces that we’ve had to buy and there are some pieces that have been so worth the investment that I thought I’d share them with you today just incase you’re in the market for some new homeware pieces.
Part of me wondered if this day would ever come, but today I finally get to share my finished bathroom renovation with you. Although I took you along over on my Instagram I wanted to do a full round-up over here divulging all the details. As well as sharing the finished result I wanted to share about the costs, the materials, the builders and the general stress of a renovation as there is far more that goes into a project like this than I ever thought.
- post in collaboration with Juniqe -
I’ve been meaning to rejig our bedroom for months and I’ve made little changes here and there but last week with the push of having some new prints to hang I finally set aside an evening to switch things up. Whilst the current set up worked for us and didn’t look terrible I knew it could look better and I’m so pleased with how it looks now and I’ve managed to tackle all the clutter that was hanging around which is a relief. It’s quite a large space but something I struggle to work around is the boarded up fireplace which I so desperately wish hadn’t been boxed up as it could have made a wonderful feature. Anyway, here are the small changes that I’ve made and the difference that it’s made.
Ok, so when writing this post I found out that our builder decided he wasn't able to complete our bathroom when work was due to begin on Tuesday. So now we've taken a huge step back in our renovation process and have a spare room full of everything we that we need for said bathroom and I wasn't sure what to do about this post. As obviously I was writing it in anticipation with the finished result being posted a couple of weeks later. But I suppose this is more of an honest portrayal of what a renovation can be like. And our bathroom will still be hopefully done this year and this is everything that has inspired us for our first proper renovation.
- this post is in collaberation with House of Fraser -
There are plenty of things that make summer one of the best seasons in the UK. The sun hitting your skin, everything in full bloom, the long evenings, everyone being just a smidgen happier and the hope of not needing to take a jacket with you, you know, just incase. However, there is one thing about a British summer that is far from enjoyable and that is trying to get a good night's sleep. There is nothing worse than trying to settle down and relax in bed when it's too warm in your bedroom. During the last few weeks, with the help of the House of Fraser homeware collection, tThe last few weeks I've pulled out all the stops to try and make our bedroom feel like the haven it usually is in order to and make sure I can be as rested as possible even when it's +25℃. degrees + as well as making our bedroom feel like the haven it usually is.
It was Summer 2014 when I really started to get excited about buying homewares. And like most, I started off small as I was still living with my dad so it was items like a new duvet cover and cushions but still the excitement was there. Fast forward four years I have now bought a fair few pieces of furniture and chopped and changed what we have in our home. And right now I feel really confident in the pieces we have as they look nice and are functional which is what I need in my homewares. There is no point in filling your environment with things that just look nice but don't serve any purpose in your home. So here are the best homeware pieces that I've ever purchased and were well worth the money!
Having now lived with my boyfriend for over a year and him having our house for now two and a half years we've certainly learned a thing or two about what it's like to have a fixer-upper. I can't deny the world of Pinterest and Instagram has certainly given me some unrealistic expectations about having a house. I think those perfect images get in everyone's head whether we like to admit it or not. We've got some really big plans of what we'd like to do with our house but those plans involve a lot of money which obviously takes some serious saving for as well as a lot of planning. So here is everything that we've learned from having a fixer upper and not having the funds to have it exactly how we'd like it to be anytime soon.
- this is a paid advertorial from Tesco -
Last week I whizzed down to London on the train into the heart of Soho to check out Tesco's A/W Homeware ranges that are set to be released in August for the upcoming season. There were previews of the new releases from Fox & Ivy, Go Cook and Tesco's own homeware range and boy were they beautiful. We're due to redecorate a lot of our house later on this year as it's been painted white for nearly 3 years and it's starting to fade and look a little worn out. And now we've lived together for a year and had our house for a while we really know what we want. Which I think is something that is so important when it comes to decorating as you might think that you want something desperately but when it actually goes on the walls it's a whole different story. So now we're really settled in and especially with the addition of the dogs we know what is practical as well as what looks nice too. I left leaving the press day feeling so inspired with all of the possibilities of what we could do for our home and I'm excited to share with you the new releases for you as I think you'll love them as much as I do.
Being able to work from home is such an incredible thing. Having the freedom to tailor my day exactly how I'd like it to pan out and be in [mostly] complete control of my work day goes is something that I thrive from. And now I'm able to work in a room that is completely dedicated to getting things done, after working cramped in my bedroom for years it's such a big change. But just like any area in the home my office had become a little bit of a mess and was in need of a refresh and as we've just entered a new year it was the perfect time to make some changes. So here are the little adjustments I've made to my workspace that have made me want to sit at my desk for hours on end again. Because when you love the environment that you work in it makes all the difference in the world.
For months our bedroom was a place that I just couldn't bring myself to love. I'm sure we've all had that feeling with a space where no matter what you do it just doesn't seem to work or look the way that you'd imagined. So at the end of 2017 and beginning of this year, I've been on a mission to work out a way to switch things up and here are some of the things that have only been small changes but made a big difference as well as what we're working up to doing in the long run.
You know you're officially an adult when you really care how your environment smells and spend your time perusing reed diffusers and candles. I think it was during my university years that I really delved into the world of candles and then in recent years I've looked into other avenues of making my space smell as delicious as possible. There is just something so lovely about stepping inside and smelling that sweet scent of home. And there are so many options out there but these 4 methods are my fail-safes.
Something that my boyfriend and I are currently working towards is renovating our house. And it's something that I'm sure will take many, many years as let's face it renovations aren't cheap and take a lot of time but we've got to start somewhere. Over the next year or so I want to delve more into the world of interiors as well as sharing our progress on this blog as who doesn't love a good before and after shot of a room? So here are all the things that we're trying to do with our first house.
In May I finally moved out to live with my boyfriend and I've been finding it a little tough to really make where I live to really feel like home. Living with my parents and then in rented accommodation throughout university meant that I wasn't allowed to do exactly as I pleased with my living space. My boyfriend and I have got completely free reign to do exactly as we please with our house which we both know is such a luxury and there are endless possibilities of what we're able to do with the space. However, the house we have is a fixer upper and whilst we have got to save to big jobs like replaster walls, install a new bathroom and put in new floors we've also wanted to invest in the areas that we are able to and add in pieces that are high quality, long-lasting and most importantly a reflection of who we are as a couple as this is the first home that we've had together.
Something that my boyfriend and I didn't add to our home for a really long time was a dining table. You know what it's like when you've just moved and you're trying to get everything in at all once and a table just wasn't a priority to us. But now it's been a little while and the festive season is upon us we want to get ourselves off the sofa and create a real dining area for us and here is how we're making a start with the help of Murmur*.
Something that I've really started to love over the years is interiors, it's probably because I'm a little older and see more worth in spending money on where I live rather than a million and one things from Topshop. Over the past couple of months, I've completely changed around my office, because even though I loved my old set up it wasn't really functional as I didn't have a lot of room. I knew I wanted to update it but I didn't have the budget to spend a lot on new furniture pieces. So here are the things that I found really worked for upgrading and updating my space without a huge budget.
After what felt like the worlds longest search for a dressing table I finally found one. For two years I scoured everything from charity shops to Gumtree to IKEA and well everywhere and anywhere I could think of. But nothing took my fancy and it's something that I'm very fussy about. I didn't have the space for anything huge nor did I want to something gigantic and nothing in terms of design was really jumping out at me until I wandered past a little vintage shop in a local village and fell in love with this piece. So here's a little tour and the details of my new dressing table because I love a good snoop in where others beauty stash their products away.
From the moment my parents would let me I've always loved putting things up on the wall. When I was a teenager my bedroom was covered in pictures of Orlando Bloom and Lord Of The Rings movie posters. And at university, I would always put something up on the walls [even though we weren't supposed to] to make it feel like my own. So it's naturally something that I've carried on throughout my adult life. Now I'm a long way away from the days where I had Orlando Bloom all over my room but adding art that I love to my surroundings is something I know will make any place feel like my own. And as I've recently moved making somewhere really feel like home has been a big priority for me and here are some new art additions to our home, some beautiful posters from Desenio.
I've been wanting to give you a look into my office for a long time but never knew when the right time to do it was and never wanted to feel like I was bragging. I am aware of how much of a privilege it is to not only work from home but have an entire space to work in. For so long I worked at a tiny desk next to my bed at my Dad's house and whilst I loved that little space it made it very hard to have any separation from work and relaxing. Obviously working in your room isn't ideal but it's something that we all have to do at some point I'm sure. Now I have an entire room all to myself to work and store my clothes it has made such a big difference in my workday as I have a dedicated space that my brain knows is for productivity not for sleeping. Anyway, enough rambling here is a little look around my office...
Ever since I started to slowly move in with my boyfriend I've wanted some tall ladder shelves. I think they look absolutely beautiful and are such a lovely way to store things but they're quite pricey so I've had to wait a while before picking some up. As we have a funny little alcove in our bedroom as it's an old terrace with fireplaces in every room [sadly boxed up] it can make the space a little odd to work with. So ladder shelves seemed to be the perfect solution for this little nook and here is how I've styled them.
Homeware and interiors aren't something I've written about for almost a year? Which is surprising because they are by far one of my favourite things to talk about, browse and generally gaze it. If you've moved you will know not only how expensive it is but how hard it can be to put your stamp on somewhere so it feels like home. So here are some of my favourite ways to make a place feel like yours and none of them feel too bad on the purse strings.
As my office has had a fresh lick of paint and someone on Instagram suggested I share the details of what's inside it seemed like the perfect time to write this post. Having my own little office to call my own is such a luxury, for such a long time I was working from a tiny little desk in my bedroom…