Win this gorgeous cushion with Grace & Gray

Happy Friday everyone! To celebrate payday and the fast approaching weekend, we have teamed up with the lovely Grace & Grey to give away this gorgeous 100% cotton cushion by House Doctor DK...

I just love the geometric design of this cusino -would look great on my grey loom chair at home... but lucky for you we are giving it away *sob*

To enter the competition just follow Blomma on Instagram or Twitter and I will pick a winner next week - the deadline is 3rd February.

In case you aren't familiar with them, Grace & Grey offer a collection of unique products for the home and garden, all at really reasonable prices.  They stock a range of British and European Designers with a modern, Scandinavian, and industrial feel, which you just know I love, and they are always on the lookout for unusual and unique products from new British designers.


Good luck!

Hx

Liberty's Secret Garden Range

For regular readers, you will know that I am a huge fan of Liberty - they are the only retailer I have a loyalty card with (something I would definitely recommend signing up for), I am always impressed with the service and the range of products in-store, and first and foremost I am absolutely in love with their iconic in-house designs.

Therefore I am thrilled to be able to share their latest range of fabric and wallpapers with you - The Secret Garden Collection which launched this month. Inspired by the well-loved book, the range consists of 10 new designs each available in varying colourways which are perfect for the coming Spring.

I have to say I am absolutely obsessed with high drama, floral wallpaper at the moment. There is nothing quite like it in a Victorian or Edwardian home, updated with some white washed floor boards and mid-century furniture. Throw in some contrasting geometric, black and white Scandi accessories and I am all over it. The traditional prints really can feel so modern if used in the right way.

The blue pattern here has to be my favourite - something almost hand-drawn and easy about it which feels sort of luxourious

Here is what Emma Mawston, Head of Design, Liberty Art Fabrics Interiors, said about the range...

“A love of florals and literature drew me to the novel 'The Secret Garden'. The book is filled with wonderful textile, colour and design references and amazing narration of the natural world. These have inspired a collection capturing the essence of nature at its most beautiful. A diverse series of flora, foliage and texture which reflect the hues of the changing seasons is perfect for a spring launch as the deep rich velvet tones of winter change into the fresh, uplifting, sunlit shades of new growth.”

The new deigns are now available in-store with fabric from £70 per metre and Wallpaper from £80 per metre.

What do you think? It may be time to transform that faded armchair into a lovely Liberty lounger...

H x

Look of the Week - Tips on designing a new bathroom

Happy Monday everyone! I wanted to kick off this week with a Look of the Week and a bathroom I have totally fallen in love with. I am particularly susceptible to gorgeous bathrooms at the moment as the one I currently  live with is not exactly my favourite room in the flat. It is functional and totally liveable but the time is quickly approaching for a refit...

This bathroom stood out to me because of its simplicity but also because of the modern touches which bring it to another level. The copper mirrors are industrial but the tone of the metal adds a little warmth to a room which is totally lacking in colour. Texture also really brings the design to life for me - the artisan metro wall tiles, the marble table top and stone basins create a really high end finish. I think I would liked to have seen a copper tap if I am being honest but that's just being really picky!

Here are some picks I found online which would help create a scheme like this at home...

• White artisan metro tiles by Laura Ashley, currently half price (£12.99) at Homebase
• Limestone basin £145 from Mandarin Stone
• Copper mirror with shelf, £55 from Next - my absolute top buy! Great value, timeless and chic
• Hand Reverence Duet, £85 from Aesop
• Wall mounted mixer tap, £59.99 at Victoria Plumb
• Grey towel bundle, from £5 at House of Fraser

I always think that bathrooms are such tricky rooms to decorate because its such an investment financially that choosing a scheme which has to work for many years to come can be daunting. After thinking on this here would be my tips when choosing a scheme...

Use quality materials

A new bathroom will have to last for many year so chose the most expensive materials you can afford. Think about durability too. A limestone basin is less likely to chip compared to a porcelain one for example. Also be careful if you love marble - its actually quite a soft material and can easily discolour if its exposed to colourful shampoos and body washes.

Consider the age of your home

If you life in an old house, I think its really important to reference that in the bathroom. A super modern home might look great initially but as it dates it will make less contextual sense as it won't be really modern and it won't be traditional. I love the modern versions of old styles - cast iron, black shower fixtures and copper details are particularly great it Victorian or Edwardian homes.

Use colour sparingly

If you are anything like me you will be fairly fickle when it comes to colour schemes. Therefore I would be careful of using colour when choosing expensive items such as wall and floor tiles. Choosing a neutral base for these items will mean you can experiment with colour elsewhere through towels, accessories and paint.

Get editing

It is obvious but pull together inspiration from all of the usual outlets (Pinterest, blogs, magazines etc) and compile an edit. If you are like me, its easy to fall in love with about 100 different styles but eventually you will have to narrow it down. Creating an edit will help you do this so you end up with a cohesive look, rather than something which is a bit confused.

Tiles

Aside from colour, the shape of tiles is really important. Floor and wall tiles should complement each other otherwise the grout lines can make it  look too busy. For example if you are having small metro tiles on the wall, have large tiles on the floor to ensure the lines fade away and don't draw the eye down.

Have any of you recently done your bathroom? Would love to hear any learnings you had!

Hx

Paper Cranes - One down, 999 to go...

As some of will know, I am getting married this summer and as someone in love with interiors I am getting particularly excited about the room dressing...

One option for dressing our big barn style venue which has really sparked our attention are hand-made origami cranes. It is becoming quite popular on the wedding circuit and and after looking into the origins you can see why.

An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who makes 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish or will be blessed with health, happiness and eternal good luck. The crane in Japan is one of the most mystical or holy creatures and is said to live for a thousand years which is why 1000 cranes need to be made, one for each year.

Here is the catch though - it is believed that the 1000 cranes must be completed within one year and they must all be made by one person who will be granted the wish at the end. This sadly (!?) means that I won't be able to get involved in making a single crane over the next few months as Peter has decided to take on this mammoth challenge by himself... here is his first attempt...

They really look lovely, especially in this gold foil paper

Aside from weddings, paper cranes are symbols of luck and happiness and there are plenty of ways you can use them in your home. Here is some inspiration I have picked up from around the web...

Strings of cranes look lovely if you are having a summer garden party

Using patterned paper gives them a totally different look and they can act as great place settings. Perfect for Christmas or dinner parties.

Decorating a painted branch like this looks so striking and is simple and quick to make yourself

Create a hanging mobile similar to this one is a child's bedroom is personal and quirky whilst still feeling really modern and fresh

There are loads of videos on Youtube to show you how to make them - they are honestly really simple. Get creative with different patterned paper too - you can buy traditional origami paper on Amazon or you could try it with gorgeous wrapping paper in your favourite patterns (the Liberty print paper is my favourite), you just need to cut it into 15 inch squares for a smallish crane.

What do you think? One you might try at home?

H x

Trend Alert: Monochrome Moods

Its no secret that Scandinavian style is continuing to have an influence on interiors with geometric prints, white washed homes and natural materials creeping into numerous homes and magazines. As you know, I am particularly in love with the Scandinavian aesthetic and today I wanted to explore some monochrome styles with you as black and white is the basis for so many Scandi inspired rooms...

Monochrome is one of those things I absolutely love in theory - they look so clean and crisp, whilst retaining so much drama and daring - but in real life can they work?  One place I think it really could work is in the bathroom where you can get away with the clean, starkness of life in black and white, but does it work elsewhere? Here are some rooms which absoluetly make it work and really make me want to try it out...

The black shower head is fabulous here and perfectly stands out against the white metro tiles. Finished off with every scandi inspired bathroom - Aesop toiletries. #love

The mixture of patterns and shades of grey make this still feel incredibly cosy

To make a monochrome scheme work the key is to have contrasting and clashing textures to add interest and drama

I absolutely love this room - the striking bedding and the simple accessories, The feathers add a personal, almost vintage feel whilst still retaining the cleanness of the Scandi inspired look

Adding the touch of natural wicker in this room, along with the greenery really makes this monochrome scheme pop

What do you think? Could you live with black and white and do you think it's too high maintenance?

H x

Look of the Week

Happy Monday everyone! It may be Blue Monday, the most depressing year of the day, today but I am feeling pretty cheerful and not at all as gloomy as I usually do in January - perhaps because I have lots of things to look forward to over the next few weeks (not to mention a wedding later this year) and as such I have chosen a bright and breezy room as today's Look of the Week...

What I love about this room is the fresh, simple palette which makes up the basis of the space: the white washed floors, white walls and painted beams. It feels so fresh and yet the pops of colour add real character and personality. The untreated wood and shaggy sheepskin throw add a natural feel which gives it some depth and authenticity too - all in all the perfect space to escape to.

Here are some products I found on the high-street which would help recreate this room yourself...

• The Slangevar sofa in yellow brushed velvet, £1700, Sofa.com
• Cushions, all from Habitat, £9.50-£45
• Red lamp, £25 Made.com
• Black sheepskin rug, £40 from Tesco
• Reclaimed wood table, £477 - Oak Furniture Land
• Tom Pigeon mounted print, £60 from V&A Shop

What do you think? Any favourites?

H x

Hero Product - Aesop Hand Cream

Obsessed with this handcream - a total saviour for my dry hands at this time of year.

Aesops hand cream from Liberty, fabric from a selection at the V&A shop and cactus and white pot from Ikea 

January Sales Edit

Happy New Year all! Hope you had a wonderful break and feel rested and zen-like on your return to work... hmm maybe not but hope you had a great time celebrating Christmas and NY.

I thought to kick things off this year I would do a quick round-up of some of the homeware products I am coveting in the sales this year. For me now is the time to buy those things that you don't normally like to spend money on buying e.g. towels, bed linen, new crockery etc. It's also a great time to get some bargain accessories to change up your home for a fraction of the original price. See blow for me picks this year.

But first, I wanted to thank everyone who is out there reading and supporting my blog since I started in the summer. For me it has been so inspiring to become part of the blogging community and I find it so rewarding putting energy into something I love away from my day to day work and I would urge anyone to give it a go. I hope in 2015 I will be able to continue figuring out exactly what I want this blog to be and hopefully continue to reach and connect with more and more people through the year.

Blomma's sale picks

• Heavy knitted cushion, £13 (was £45!) - Habitat
• Weekend scented candle, £21 (was £30) - The White Company
• LSA Copper liquor glasses, £22 (was £28) - Heal's
• Heal's Twiitter lamp, £60 (was £120) - Heal's
• Ceramic bowl with stripe, £3 (was £4.99) - H&M Home
• Cheap RX
• Mohair blanket, £60 (was £120) - Cath Kidston
• Penguin towels from £4 (roughly about 40% off each) - Cath Kidston
• Ikat stripe bed sheet from £9.95 - West Elm

What have you been hunting for in the sales this year?

Hx