While I really loathe the trend for crushed velvet in varying shades of grey and taupe, I do love old faded velvet in jewel tones and the beautiful velvets below are all hand dyed with natural dyes by the very talented Kirsten Hecktermann.  Kirsten brings out new collections with different shades regularly and all fabrics are dyed in small batches.  The cushions she makes from these fabrics are linen backed and the shades all work well together, I’d love to see a pile of these on a neutral sofa.

Last weekend I took this picture on a glorious sunny Saturday outside a mews workspace.  I love how resourceful Londoner’s are about limited outside space and how everyone creatively maximises the little patches of land or pavement they have. There really is nowhere like London in the sun.  Enjoy your weekends!

Fermoie is a fantastic British fabric company specialising in cotton hand blocked prints with a new linen collection due imminently.  They’ve recently opened up a beautiful showroom off the Fulham Road on Pond Place and it’s well worth a visit for inspiration.  Their colour palette is a unique combination of subtle yet vibrant and as colour is being used more and more in interiors (thank goodness), Fermoie is filling a welcome gap.  Founded by the creators of Farrow & Ball you know you’re dealing with something special.  I snapped a couple of quick pics on my recent visit (excuse the poor image quality) but they should give you a small taster of just how fabulous Fermoie is.

If I were to compile my dream team in terms of curating a group of creative advisors for a project, the first architecture company I would approach would be De Rosee Sa.  I love everything they do, they even designed my favourite book shop Lutyens & Rubinstein which is not only a magical independent bookshop but a beautifully designed space complete with sliding bookshelves which reveal a secret hidden office.  I first heard about them when driving down a road I grew up on, saw their sign on the hoarding and was intrigued enough to google them and this started my fangirl status for what is a truly innovative, clever and inspiring architecture practice.

While they create gorgeous, aspirational spaces what I really appreciate about their designs is how uniquely ‘liveable’ they are, you can see a lot of thought has gone into the use of the space, the details are all carefully considered and unlike some architecture practices, they excel at storage and the practicalities of the client needing to live normally in a professionally designed home.  This is a quality that truly sets them apart in my eyes.  On their website they also have short films detailing their projects which I think give fantastic insights into their process as well as the finished design.  Watch the Dalling Road film for an inspirational family home with bespoke joinery perfection.

In general the interiors industry can be pretty blah and when something becomes de rigeur it is copied again and again.  Open any UK interiors magazine and you will see a slew of mushroom and crushed velvet, oh and grey walls. Everywhere.  Est, an Australian online publication is different, maybe it’s all that good weather that makes Aussie design more innovative, brighter and happier?  I’m loving the design ideas from down under and would highly recommend you click over and register so you can view all their back issues.

On a recent trip to Hampstead I was determined to visit the tiny shop Maud & Mabel.  Tucked away in the antiques emporium is this little gem of a shop full of the finds of  Karen Whiteley.  Karen has an excellent eye and has gathered a collection of home wares and accessories that all go together perfectly, a limited colour palette of natural hues combined with the occasional blue all conspire to give a lovely, calm and serene atmosphere.  Perfect pottery sits alongside vintage treasures and hand carved wooden chopping boards and spoons.  If you’re in the area it’s well worth a visit.

Every home needs an organised landing point on entry, a place for the bags to go, the coats to get hung and shoes to be shelved.  This one is one of my favourites, by the genius Kathryn Tyler.  I love the inclusion of a chalkboard, perfect to remind yourself of things as you walk out of the door.

Things have been a bit quiet on the blogging front because I’ve been away, luxuriating in the delights of Abu Dhabi. What an incredible, diverse and inspiring place, from the skyscrapers to the white sand beaches, at once opulent and minimalist, glamourous and refined.

Kitchens can be a big investment, but as they are so often the heart of the home and a place where we spend so much of our time, it’s a good place to invest.  One of my favourite suppliers is Plain English their kitchens are bespoke, elegant and just the right side of minimal, a considered and measured approach to design.  I love how calm these kitchens feel, the muted tones, neutral palettes and  simple details feel at once contemporary and timeless.

Here is a picture of my fantasy bath in a fantasy location, California via Rip + Tan.  Loving the marble floor tile and full length curtains, not to mention those huge windows.  Teleport me there please.