This Home Sweet Home

Kitchen inspiration, Three ways to be rustic.

2013-06-19T16:19:00.000+01:00

Image Cococozy Photographed by J. Ingerstedt

There is nothing that evokes the sense of being in a real homely home then that of the rustic look is there? But as these three looks show rustic doesn't have to be all county cottage and twee.

Nothing says country more than a dresser in the kitchen does it, and if you like the more traditional look, second hand dressers are easy to come by and can be updated quickly with a splash of paint, even the most uninspiring old dresser can be transformed, like the one I did a while back here. Fill it up with a collection of crockery and pots and you're done. Check out Cargo for well priced rustic and country inspired items for the kitchen.
If you prefer a more modern take on rustic how about the industrial rustic look, stainless steel work tops softened with baskets and wooden chopping boards, vintage inspired weigh scales, and rush matting against concrete floors, personally I like this look created for Bloomingville's Autumn/winter catalog, which I mentioned here just the other day.
If you like it bright and bold then how about look number three, its a brave look with those orange tiles and black work surfaces, but the whole look still manages to evoke that rustic homely feel, with those beams, French doors and cottage windows this kitchen could so easy become the twee country style kitchen, but i like the use of strong colour here. The Belfast sink, taps, table and chairs help create the rustic feel, but it also feels slightly glam and dramatic, don't you think? For similar tiles check out Wallsandfloors.

Which is your favourite rustic look?

Easy Like Sunday Morning No.3

2013-06-15T22:02:00.000+01:00

Bedroom inspiration from alvhem

Dream pictures from Alvhem here

weekend wardrobe

2013-06-14T18:03:00.002+01:00

weekend wardrobe by thishomesweethome

Stripes seem to be every where again this summer, but as a gal who tends to be a bit...well top heavy, I wear my stripes on the bottom half of my 5'4 frame to help even me out a little, and as I don't have the best looking legs in the world, (fair skin and freckles that don't tan well even when faking it) when I'm not in my jeans, these long skirts are great for hiding less than perfect summer legs.

I also find that this is styling is great for the strange summer weather we are having, add a scarf flat pumps and little jacket to keep out the chill and when the sun does shine, slip off the jacket and pop on some sandals instead.

Bloomingville Autumn/winter 2013

2013-06-13T20:59:00.000+01:00

I first discovered Bloomigville through other blogs that I read quite a while ago now and since then Bloomingville design styling and products have been a favourite of mine. Its that perfect mix of industrial, rustic, and Nordic that I love about it.

The Autumn/winter catalogue is now available for you to peruse at your leisure, and this season the focus is on copper, wood veneer, fur, and metallics, along with the usual wall art, cushions and rustic must haves.

The on-line catalogue is beautifully presented with Nordic/Sandi styling and tips on how to personalise your purchases such as using your favourite tape to personalize little porcelain tea lights, or create a gallery of wall art also with tape, and of course your choice of art.

I also like the 'Get the Look' pointers for re-creating the styling from the catalogue in your own home, I'm loving the kitchen styling above, the stainless steel units keep the look modern but is softened with the wood and baskets a perfect blend of industrial and county comfort without being twee.

All images Bloomingville

Check out the website too for a glimpse of the home of Betina and Simon Stampe, the founders of Bloomingville and also a video of how the Autumn/Winter catalogue was created.

For a stockiest near you checkout the website here.

Blue Monday,

2013-06-10T20:24:00.002+01:00

images livethemma.ikea.se/

Take inspiration from the things around you such as blue denim jeans, summer skies and pretty flowers.

Easy like Sunday Morning No.2 Croissants and Coffe

2013-06-08T22:44:00.000+01:00

Heltenkelt

Britta Nickel

Liv My Life

Photo and recipe from Weekend Bakery.

Perfect Sunday, lazy mornings, freshly baked Croissants, or pancakes, pots of tea or coffee. Whats your perfect Sunday? Have you ever made Croissants?

Classic French Croissant Recipe

500 g French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour / plain flour (extra for dusting)

140 g cold water

140 g cold whole milk

55 g sugar

40 g soft unsalted butter

11 g instant yeast

12 g salt

Weekend wardrobe.

2013-06-07T18:17:00.001+01:00

Now generally speaking I'm pretty much a jeans and tee-shirt kind of girl, with a pair of converse on my feet, though I have been told on the odd occasion that I scrub up pretty well, and from time to time its nice to look like I have made an effort without making an effort if you know what I mean. Recently I spotted this outfit via pinterest from polyvore which I thought would make a great little weekend making an effort look. I'd maybe add a scarf and some bangles in pink or coral though, what do you think?

Perfect for decorating commitment-phobes

2013-06-07T17:47:00.001+01:00

All images ixxi Design

Now here's a neat idea for sprucing up your walls with out making anything permanent, great for commitment-phobes who like to swap things around on a regular basis. This system is brought to you by Dutch design team, Eric Sloot, Paulien Berendsen and Roel Vaessen, and the system is called ixxi, (I think its pounced ikcy) a flexible decorative wall system that lets you create your own wall art which can be changed and updated as often as you like. Just provide the images you want or choose from the on line collection, clip together and hang. Check out the how to video to see how it works.

This could also work well for renter who are limited on decorating their walls due to landlords not wanting them painted or wallpapered, just remove the sticky bits when you leave and the great thing is you get to take you décor with you!

I'm loving the butterfly collection above, which one do you prefer.

Mid-week, I don't know what to cook supper.

2013-06-05T19:47:00.001+01:00

What do you do when you can't think of anything to eat for supper, and you don't fancy bangers and mash again....reach for the pile of recipe cards on the dresser for some inspiration, and what do you do when you read through the ingredients and find you don't have half of what you need?....wing it that's what!

This supper is lightly based on Chicken Nasi Goreng from Waitrose which you can see here for how its meant to be.

If however you like to live life on the edge and wing it, here's my 'I haven't got all the right ingredients' version.

Pack of Tilda pure Basmati rice

Omelette made with two eggs and a splash of milk.

Sliced red pepper

clove of garlic

couple of spoons of soy sauce

Honey

Asparagus tips sliced

sprouting greens

tiny piece of dried chilli.

Left over chicken breast sliced.

1.Make your Omelette, though I like to call mine a scrambled Omelette, because I can't seem to quite get it right. which doesn't really matter as its going to be shredded any way.

2. Add oil to a wok and cook garlic and chilli, then add peppers greens and asparagus, for a few minutes, add chicken and heat through thoroughly.

3. Throw in rice, and cook until heated through, then add soy sauce and pour over a little honey. Remove the dried chilli at this point, and stir in the shredded omelette, serve with a nice glass of chilled white wine...which I didn't have.....

P.S Waitrose definitely didn't pay me for this post, they only gave me the inspiration ...hahha

You might also like this Waitrose recipe that I made here

Jason Grant, A place Called Home.

2013-06-04T08:59:00.001+01:00

First of all, I have to confess that until recently I hadn't consciously heard of Australian stylist Jason Grant, or that he has just launch a new book called A Place Called Home, but a few weeks back I spotted a couple of reviews by other bloggers and instantly added the book to my wish list on Amazon, so you can imagine my delight when I received one in the post to review myself!

Published by hardie grant with photography by James Geer, this book is perfect for people who are't striving for perfection, but want to create a relaxed home with personality. I love walking into a home where you feel like you are actually getting to know a person just by looking at the things they collect and have around them, don't you? and while I do like to dream of living in a perfectly styled show home and being Mrs glamorous for a day, I'd probably be bored with in the first hour of being there. There is a bullet point in the book 'A HOME IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, EVER CHANGING AND EVOLVING, GROWING WITH YOU AND YOUR STYLE', which I totally get and agree with, life doesn't stand still, so why should our homes.

A Place Called Home is like a scrap book of photos and tips on how to create a relaxed lived in home that is personal to you. In the book, Jason shares his love of the Australian coast line and encourages you to take inspiration from every day things, nature, nostalgia, local shops, flea markets, in fact anything that sparks an idea for styling your home.

Being a person who generally only looks at the pictures in books and magazines, I love the fact that this book is light on words, but is filled with anecdotes and bullet points when needed, decoratively added in a way that only adds to the the photography and feel of the book.

So if you are looking for some direction on how to style your home with personality, grab this little gem of a book and start taking some tips from a top Aussie stylist.

A Place Called Home: Creating Beautiful Spaces to Call Your Own is published by Hardie Grant and is available in the UK from the 3rd of June 2013 and is available at all good book stores nation wide.

Amazon Affiliate linking included in this post.

It looks like summer may be here!

2013-06-03T16:29:00.000+01:00

Photography Samantha Stansbridge

Well summer looks like it has arrived, and we made the most of the weather by having a family get together in the garden, we spent some time on Sunday afternoon helping out Dad/Granddad with the garden, worked up an appetite pulling up weeds and tending to the new potatoes growing, then sat around in the evening sun enjoying a BBQ.
In true out doors rustic style we placed a piece of wood on some trestle legs, threw over a piece of colourful fabric and filled our make shift table with succulent home made (and a few shop bought) burgers, salads and kebabs, drank Pimms punch, and beers, and enjoyed barbecued bananas with chocolate and ice-cream.
Its felt so good to be outside with the family.

Images Ikea

Images Ikea.

Ikea have recently released a new book for outside living, called Step Out, have you seen it yet? Its on my wish list, and from the preview shots it looks promising for making the most of entertaining alfresco, which I intend to take full advantage of this summer!

Do you have any favourite BBQ foods you like to create outside?

Easy like Sunday Morning. No1

2013-06-02T10:00:00.001+01:00

As Sundays are generally for wafting around in your PJ's until lunch time and indulging in cups of Tea/coffee that you actually get to finish, and for doing things that don't take to much thinking about, (at least not until after lunch) I thought it might be nice to introduce a new Column, Easy like Sunday morning.

If like me you like to spend time browsing blogs for some weekend inspiration over your cuppa and croissant of a Sunday, but don't want anything too taxing like reading a whole blog posts, then how about joining me here for my round up of photographic inspiration found during the week, first up some inspiration from Pinterest, have you discovered the joys of Pinning yet? if so leave a link below to your pins, I love checking out new pinners, You can see my pins and my likes here

1. Apartment Therapy 2. Fjeldborg 3. Thefabguide 4. KasparasRainbow

Smoothie anyone?

2013-06-01T16:55:00.000+01:00

If you buy a smoothie in a shop you will know that they cost quite a few quid, but actually for very little effort you can make them in the comfort of your own home, all you need is a blender and a selection of your favourite fruit.

My fail safe recipe is a few spoons of frozen summer fruits which I always have in the freezer, a banana and any fruit juice that I have in the fridge, usually cranberry and raspberry, or an exotic fruit juice.

Once you have this basic mix then just add what ever takes your fancy, to this one today I have added blueberries, which are said to be a wonder fruit, and mint leaves good for the digestion.

If you find this too cold because of the frozen fruit content in it, try either letting the fruit defrost in the fridge over night, or adding a little freshly boil but slightly cooled water to it, just to bring the temperature up slightly.

Its also great to pour some in a jar and have in the fridge for when you need a quick pick me up instead of reaching for a biscuit of chocolate bar. Perfect for getting some goodness into the kids too!

Wishing you a Happy weekend.

2013-05-31T17:59:00.001+01:00

Bold pastels

2013-05-28T19:36:00.001+01:00

All images from Pixers

After my moaning at the weather and needing to go and buy boots (that's my excuse any-ways) instead of flip-flops last week because of it being soooo cold for nearly the end of may, the sun actually did us proud over the bank holiday Monday, which was a relief because we had a house full due to my daughter having her braids maids and sister over for the week for fittings ready for her big day in August, each morning we woke up to find a few more people had stayed over the night, seriously I would have made a killing if I had charged them all!

Back to Tuesday and the weather is still trying to make up its mind, rain or shine, rain or shine? Never mind though, these style shots from pixersize.com are sure to lift your spirits, with bold geometric shapes and soft pastel colours, are your walls brave enough for this kind of treatment? if not you can always settle for a smaller version in the form of a poster or stickers.

Personally I quite like the styling created in photo No. 3 decorating above the dado rail instead of a whole wall, gives it a fresh modern twist, don't you think? What's your favourite?

Styling with Flowers.

2013-05-26T17:39:00.000+01:00

If you are looking for a quick up date for a room in your home, then try adding a pop of colour in the form of plants or flowers, plants make a room come to life, and can change the whole feeling of a home, taking it from unloved to loved.

See how a space can easily be transformed just by adding a colourful plant, such as this beautiful Orchid kindly provided by the Flower council of Holland, and not only do they make a room feel loved, but plants are good for us too. According to the Flower council of Holland, plants can help boost your mood, offer health benefits and provide comfort, they have the power to unleash a wide range of emotions including joy and happiness. They can evoke memories of a loved one or even a special time in your life.

Try adding some plants in various places around the home to soften the area, I hate it when the TV is the centre of attention in a room, so here I have added some extra interest with a plant, picture and a vase. These succulent types are so easy to look after, just water once in a while, and they are happy, do you have a favourite plant or flowers in your home?

Boots, in Summer!

2013-05-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

Can you believe that its nearly the end of May, and I'm buying ankle boots because its too darn cold for little summer shoes!

What's in your summer wardrobe to keep off the chills?

Shop Tour: Les Cabines d'Oscar.

2013-05-21T21:03:00.001+01:00

I'm actually back home now having finished our visit to Family in France, and I'm already planning our next trip to re-visit all the places that I discovered while there. One little place that I came across in the lovely town of Paimpol is this delightful Baby and interiors shop Les Cabines d'Oscar, my step daughter Ella describes it as 'a very you shop' meaning it's right up my street, and she's not wrong, white wash painted walls and floors, filled with various items for home and baby many by Ferm Living, a real delight to come across. From our lost in translation conversation with shop owner Claire Biron Plassard (our French is practically non-existence) we managed to work out that this little shop opened at the end of last year, and that there will be a website coming very soon, but for more info and pictures of Les Cabines d'Oscar visit the Facebook page here

En Vacances

2013-05-14T11:43:00.000+01:00

Hello folks, we are on a bit of a holiday this week, on the spur of the moment we decided to head to France for a little rest and relaxation. An hours boat journey and we reach St. Malo, then on to see family.

As always a trip to France just wouldn't be the same without a quick stop by IKEA, but as it was much the same as my last visit here, I only snapped this shot of this sofa from the new Stockholm collection, which wasn't in store when I visited last time.

we are spending the week wandering around little French towns, stopping off for frites and tea, and popping into little French boutique shops, we make new discoveries each time we visit.

In the pretty little coastal town of Saint-Cast we ambled upon Côté plage, a lovely home and interiors shop beautifully decked out from top to bottom, its one I have ear marked to visit again!

our French voyage continues....

A few more ideas for baby rooms.

2013-05-08T19:04:00.000+01:00

I'm back with a follow on post about baby rooms, this time a few ideas on what to put in it. Babies don't stay babies for very long, so before getting carried away with the decorating and filling it, think short term medium term and long term, kitting out baby can be an expensive exercise, but try to use things that will have a multiple use, for example the fern Living basket above would be a great storage space when baby is new born for items such as baby blankets, nappies, bath towels and the such, but a few months down the line when baby is playing, this basket will be useful for toy storage.

The same is true with hooks, handy for hanging towels on and easy to hand, but as baby gets older, have a few at child height such as the Moose hanging rail to encourage them to hang up their own coats etc.

Wall sticker are a great way to decorate walls with out being permanent, and can be repositioned if needed.

Of course every baby needs an abundant supply of soft toys to help create a cosy area, the pink stripy bunny is my favourite, this one would make a perfect gift for new born's but they come in a variety of sizes.

P'kolino Table and Benches, Individual Hooks & Moose Hanging Rail all available from Little Yellow birds Ferm Living Spear Basket, Black Board Cloud Sticker & Whale Music mobile all available from Made In Design Craft Monkey & Stripy Bunny available from Craftholic

Move your mouse over the picture to take you to shopping.

Let me take you to Trelawney Farm

2013-05-08T11:34:00.000+01:00

Let me whisk you away to Trelawney Farm, a 150 year old colonial farmhouse that has been beautifully restored by owner Kathy Collins, to create a lovely relaxed home from home get away in the heart of the Mudgee wine trail, Australia.

While renovation works were carried out by Urban Splash Sydney, Kathy styled the property with an eclectic mix of old & new pieces, saying that she had the best time putting the look together, "I loved trawling second hand shops, charity stores, and markets, I think I may have even raided my granny's house for a couple of bits & bobs!" The result is a bright and airy space that is full charm and character, but still feels cosy and welcoming. To see more photos of the interior and exterior check out the Trelawney Farm Facebook page where you will be spoilt for choice of which ones to take some décor inspiration form.

Take a tour of Trelawney Farm.

For more information about staying at Trelawney Farm click here

Baby rooms.

2013-05-03T23:32:00.000+01:00

Image here styled by Petra Bindel

Its been a few years since I did any Nursery/baby room decorating myself, but as my step daughter is having a baby, I thought I would indulge in this little pleasure. Not too keen on the whole Nanny/Granny title but the looking for baby room inspiration kind a makes up for it.

When I had my own babies some 20 or so years ago, I guess I was quite traditional in my choice of nursery decor, all matching Laura Ashley pretty pink wallpaper, curtains and bedding, but if I had to do it all again, well I think I might go for something like these rooms, aren't they fab? I love the bunting room above.

If you are expecting but waiting to find out what the sex of your baby is until he or she is born, but still want to get the nursery ready, then take a tip from these rooms, start with white walls, add toys and accessories that will fit the bill for either boy or girl, then when baby comes along inject your desired choice of colour to suit.

Which one is your favorite?

Photos Pinterest via here but please email me if you know the original source, as I would rather credit the stylist and photographers'

Happy weekend.

2013-05-03T14:55:00.000+01:00

Spring Blossom

Its been super busy here at This Home Sweet Home of late, I have been tackling a few DIY jobs around the house that needed doing, the garden is getting a make over, we have a new shed! and the conifer trees are no more, they had to go as they where pushing over the garden wall, so we will have to re-build it, which I plan to have a go at myself (any tips on restoring old granite walls?) I also started painting our bedroom as we bought a brand spanking new bed, base mattress and head board, and now I'm feeling posh and in need of some nice decor to go with the bed, its all go around here, so this bank holiday looks like being p r e t t y busy, how about you anything happening?

Wanting something simple for supper..

2013-04-30T19:39:00.000+01:00

Hello folks, I have a lovely simple tasty recipe for you today. Its been one of those days where my energy levels seem to have bottomed out, and while slumped on the sofa in between just finishing the pile of ironing that has been slowly taking over my bedroom, and about to hoover the living room and give it a general tidy up, I turned my thoughts to what to have for dinner tonight, (while resisting the urge to fall asleep)...something easy to cook yet tasty and healthy, (cause I'm feeling guilty about the two hot dogs I had at lunch) so I give you salmon veg and potatoes steamed in a little tin foil bag and ready to eat in about 23-30 mins with hardly any effort at all!

Simple steam in a bag supper

Piece of salmon

a few salad potatoes with skins left on

a carrot cut into sticks

sprouting broccoli or what ever you fancy

Juice of half a lemon.

drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Optional , a splash of white wine.

Place all the ingredients onto the tin foil then fold the tin foil over to create a bag, crumple up the edges to prevent the liquid from escaping, place on a baking tray and cook for about 20-30 mins. Then enjoy with a cool glass of white wine.

Happy evening all !

Take one sofa that I don't really like, and...

2013-04-15T20:58:00.000+01:00

Last week I took part in an online Interior Styling course by Justina Blakeney on the Skillshare website, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed taking part, and picking up some styling tips to use around my own home. Armed with some principles and tips on how to style my space like a pro, I tried my hand at styling up my sofa.

We have had this sofa for a good few years now and to be honest I have gone off it, the colour is far too imposing for my taste now, which has changed some what since we bought it, but it still has plenty of life in it, and we can't currently afford a new one just yet, so for now my solution is to disguise it with a big throw, a few smaller blankets, one for the cat and one for us, and a few cushions to make it cosy.

The throw option is a great idea if you are living in furnished accommodation, and you are not too keen on the style of the sofa. It is also great for kids and pets too, it the throw gets dirty just chuck it in the washing machine