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• Hung up on pendant lighting - oh, what to choose..

  I'm scouring the net - and the high street - for pendant lights for both the main room and for above the breakfast bar in the kitchen. It's no mean feat and I've struggled to find ones I like.

  Here's my shortlist so far:

  The first three are from Liberty and around £200 each.

  

  

  

  Below are Tom Dixon's pendant lights -(£165 each)  flipping cool and rather iconic (but perhaps too recognisable?)

  

   

  From Ulrika Jarl's unique bone china lighting collection: (£85)

  

  Below is Nout 29 from Mr Light (£604) - quite cool for breakfast bar?

  

  Below is Raw silk from Mr Light (£1086, gulp)

  

   

  Posted 11th August 2009
  Comments 0
• On the tiles with Moroccan splashback

  Choosing a kitchen splashback is a task that deserves time and attention. Not only must it look good, it's also got a key function to play. Instead of the usual stainless steel or glass, I'm leaning towards some Moroccan tiles.
  I've just returned from a sweaty bike ride in North London to the very cool Moroccan boutique Habibi Interiors - I've tentatively ordered a bespoke one to made up similar to the below but with more greens... any thoughts?

  

   

   

  Posted 11th August 2009
  Comments 0
• Design is about solving problems (like my loft)

  Designers are problem solvers at heart - and the loft bedroom street-side posed a whopping problem by having a big hollow buttress that was in fact the stairwell. It made it a very difficult space to use - although the room was actually not small (big enough for a double bed), it was very awkward as you couldn't see across it.

  After much deliberation, we finally agreed that we could lop off half off the buttress - making the stairwell below a little darker - but ultimately enlarging the space of the bedroom. It makes it much more airy and gives a 'forced' dressing table. I'm talking about the shelf type block on the right of this picture - does that make sense? x

   

  

   

  

  

   

  

  It's hard to imagine the finished room but I'm getting rid of the pink (!) and it's going to be papered in Finches wallpaper which I've always loved; I actually wanted this for my bedroom but my husband thought it a bit 'much'! What do you think? x

  

  Posted 31st July 2009
  Comments 0
• Builders bash the arch in snug

  Dust and rubble in what will be the snug one day...

  You can see where we've knocked down the arch - it was very pretty but made it a difficult space to use. We are going to hang a wireless TV on the wall and have ordered a very cool sofa to be covered in Andrew Martin kilim fabric. Looking forward to curling up in here!

  

  

  Posted 31st July 2009
  Comments 0
• Committing to my bedroom wallpaper

  As much as I'm nervous of changing my mind in the future, I believe that a house that lacks commitment has a lack of personality. So, it is with great trepidation (and even more excitement) that I've decided on wallpaper for my bedroom.

  It wasn't an easy decision to make -

  1. Unlike the downstairs loo (where the wackier wallpaper the better in my books), I was going to be spending many hours in my bedroom.

  2. My husband - who leans towards stripes/ chintz-ier designs - had to love the paper design as well.

  3. Colour? Arrgh! Harry didn't want blue, the kitchen is green, the snug is red and I was nervous about yellow being a bit sickly...

  After much deliberation, we've gone for the Fuschia and Humming Bird wallpaper which I hope you'll agree is really pretty without being quaint. It's also relatively new and unknown so shouldn't be too recognisable - best bit? I'm going to wallpaper my shoe cupboard. Yup, seriously spoiling I know!

   

  

   

  I might be getting a bit ahead of myself... this is what the bedroom currently looks like! It looks a tip but actually has a new ceiling x

  

  Posted 31st July 2009
  Comments 0
• How cool is this wow-factor wallpaper?

  Just confirmed the wallpaper for the downstairs loo with my builders and am itching to share with the mydeco design savvy crowd that you are... After much debate - and many moodboards on the walls - I've decided to go with Fornasetti's Mediterranean wallpaper from Fabrics and Papers. Am super, super excited - I always think that downstairs loos and quirky nooks are an excuse to be adventurous and go for statement wallpaper. Talk about wow factor! Best of all, my husband is really keen on this one - which is quite something for a man who usually shirks from out-there designs - because he has always had something of an obsession with rooftops.

  Whenever we go to a foreign city, he always likes to climb the tallest building we can find and look out at their rooftops. I used to live in Paris, in a tiny studio on fourth floor - and he loved peering out of my window looking at the rooftops.

  

   

  Other favourites that I was tempted with were:

  Woods wallpaper by Cole & Son - but final verdict was that - although super cool - it has been in too many magazines and restaurants. I still think it is a very cool design with great impact but it's just a bit dated now.. I don't want a house filled with very identifiable designs!

  

   

  And the Flamingo wallpaper which I still really like and am hoping to sneak into the house somewhere!

  

  Love to hear what the mydeco community thinks of these designs - hope you like? !

  Can't wait to get the rooftops up onto the wall

  xx

  Posted 31st July 2009
  Comments 0
• Do you like these pendant lights?

  So I've given up on getting Tom Dixon's super iconic and super cool big copper lights because I think they're just too big - and will clash a little alongside a silver oven and fridge... BUT no need to fret as I've just stumbled upon these little beauties - also by Tom Dixon and called Beat Lights. They're smaller and a little more interesting in shape - what does anyone think? Am planning 3 or 4 above my breakfast bar in the kitchen.

  

  Or - and the money man will like this... I found some quite cool pendant lights at IKEA the other night. Note to self: do not think IKEA at night will be empty; We went after work last week at 7pm and it was heaving with impatient IKEA frustrated shoppers elbowing each other out of the way. Mary Portas would have a field day - meanwhile, I can't deny their prices are Primark friendly.

  

   

  

  Posted 28th July 2009
  Comments 2
• Cripes: the builders arrive with sledge hammers!

  Am in a state of shock; the builders started work on Monday and within no time at all, my house has become a mass of dusty rubble!

  They've knocked down six walls, ripped out five ceilings and yanked out the wiring and plumbing pipes. It's quite overwhelming and means there's no turning back now... Each evening, I've bicycled back after work to check out the progress - after months of paperwork, I can't believe it's actually happening.

  Take a look at my husband in the lower ground floor - he is standing in what will be the kitchen looking onto the dining room area.

  Once the builders ripped the carpet up from the staircase on the right, they discovered really rather beautiful wooden stairs... so, I've decided to paint them white and add a Moroccan runner that I found on mydeco, instead of re-carpeting them. So chic!

  

   

  

  

  Posted 23rd July 2009
  Comments 4
• Hot new look: Embroidered wallpaper

  Just fell upon Claire Coles Design website  and had to share with you - She stitches vintage wallpaper together of various textures and sews intricate patterns onto them - I remember falling in love with the prettiest delicate tea cup by her in Designers Guild last year but didn't know the name of the artist.

  I've got my eye on one of these pictures for my bedroom...

  

   

  

  

   

  Posted 10th July 2009
  Comment 1
• Book wallpaper - hot or not?

   

  Ok so the debate is heating up at home - is book wallpaper hot or not?

  On the one hand, it's super funky, a space saver (alternative to chunky bookshelves) and a great talking point - on the other hand, is it trying too hard? I've had a soft spot on Abigail Ahern since reading articles recently in both Stella and Style magazines. She's obviously the hottest designer du jour - I am bowled over by this bookcase wallpaper (£175/roll) but just can't decide if it's pretentious or the ultimate in fun. My husband says it makes him feel seasick although he knows I wear the trousers when it comes to wallpaper choice! So, book wallpaper hot or not?

   

  

  Posted 7th July 2009
  Comments 5