Marble Marvel

I feel like I am a little late to the party on this one, but it is something which has become somewhat of an obsession for me in recent weeks so I needed to get something out there about it... marble. White, veiny, clean, cold marble. My god what a stone. But funnily enough, a stone I always thought I hated. I used to think of it as old fashioned, overtly showy and a little Liberace. But now, for some reason it feels fresh and modern again, and luxurious but in the best kind of way.

It must be the love of white interiors and an increased focus on natural materials that has brought it back to life. It is so versatile too. From adding a touch of luxury to a country kitchen (perfect for pastry rolling), or super dramatic against dark greys and copper accents in a more industrial setting - it works in so many ways.

It doesn't have to be expensive either, there are so many mock-marble products on the market and the real deal is totally affordable in carefully chosen accessories. Here are some of my favourites right now...

1. These  tiles are 100% going in my kitchen if we can stretch the budget. The hexagon shape is super modern and the subtle grey veining adds interest and warmth. A trip to Topps Tiles this weekend to see them in the flesh is definitely on the cards. £5.49 per tile
2. I love the mix of wood and marble in this pendent lamp from Cox & Cox. Would look perfect almost anywhere in the house. I quite fancy two hanging either side of the kitchen sink... very tempting. £140 each.
3. Dunelm have an incredible affordable range of bathroom accessories made from real marble. This soap dispenser is £12.99 but other pieces include toilet brushes, soup dishes and marble printed towels.
4. A marble chopping board looks beautiful propped up against a kitchen wall. This one is £38 from Holly's House
5. This marble topped coffee table perfectly combines mid-century simplicity and luxury. There are loads around at the moment but this one is from West Elm and is priced at £459
6. H&M home has a whole host of ceramic products made to look like marble. Not only do they look exactly like the real thing, they are a total steal. This plant pot is £9.99
7. Finally a cushion with a marble print from Amara, priced at £22. There are loads of fabrics which are carrying the marble trend through to a new dimension from shower curtains to towels and throws. I love the coral edging on this version, keeping it fresh

What do you think? Have you been swept away with this trend or is it one you'll be staying clear of?

H x

Wish List: This week's top 5

I am obsessed with pulling together little mood boards together at the moment - they are so useful to help you decide what you love, what you thought you liked but then later decided you didn't, and also to see what works together.

With a home referb project on the go, the seeing what works together part is the hardest thing because I love so many styles that settling on one is really tricky, as is establishing an eclectic look without it looking kind of insane. So mood boards are where it is at.

Here are a few of the products I am in love with at the moment and why...

Firstly, a practical solution for my bathroom which they just started tiling today *hurrah* is this gorgeous mirror from Rose & Grey. Finding a simple black mirror for the bathroom has been surprisingly hard. I didn't want chrome, and with copper being so huge at the moment, those were the only two options I could find in the right shape and size. This is perfect though so i'm glad I persevered and didn't settle... I am thinking some mini succulents on the shelf or maybe even some vintage perfume bottles I already have - just to finish it off nicely.

This clock from Made.com is a favourite of mine because it is so simple and classic but with a definite Scandi vibe which I think will feel right at home in the Kitchen. The glass jars will too... just one of the amazing new things from the range from Isle Crawford at Ikea. Seriously check it out... lots of natural materials and cork, which it turns out, I love.

Finally, you might have picked up on the fact that I am having a pink velvet moment... mostly inspired this incredible chair from Mia Fleur. I mean what can I say. Everything about it... it has that mid-century glam, almost LA vibe which just oozes fabulousness and I really never use that word. I think the dusty colour and the gold legs also really work well against a monochrome scheme which could easily be tied into a wider living room interior using these complimentary velvet cushions from Made.com to pull it together.

What do you think? Have you spotted any amazing products recently that should be on my next wish list?

H x

Must Visit: God's Own Junkyard

As a fairly new resident of Walthamstow, one of the first things I wanted to do was visit the legendary God's Own Junkyard, an amazing collection of neon signs.

Chris Bracey made signs for film sets, Soho clubs and circus rides becoming a leading expert in the field. Along with making the signs, he also collected abandoned signs and began selling them in his incredible shop, God's Own Junkyard, just a few minutes walk from Walthamstow Village. The shop is more of a museum than a shop and a truly amazing place to explore...

Just next to God's Own is Mother's Ruin gin distillery and Wild Card brewery so you can enjoy a freshly brewed pint or a G&T after gawping at the neon magnificence.

The site when you first walk in is incredible, neon signs filling every crevice from floor to ceiling, wall to wall.

Prices vary, but I have been advised that they range from £200 upwards but most of the ones that caught my eye were around the £650 mark. For an original piece of art though, its fairly reasonable and I am certainly about the start saving... surely a prerequisite for any well respected Walthamstonian to have an original Chris Bracey non? That's my excuse anyway. And for anyone wondering which one I would pick, it's got to be this one, perfectly placed over my drinks trolley...

Can't recommend stopping by enough! Could you see one of these neon signs gracing your home?
H x

Vote for me...please?

Good morning all, hope you had a fab weekend! As you may or may not know, I was so excited to hear that last month I had been nominated for an Amara Blog Award for Best Newcomer. I am pleased to announce that today the voting opens for those who were shortlisted (including me!) and I would like to ask anyone out there who enjoys Blomma, to vote for me - I will be eternally grateful and indebted to you.

Go to the Amara website to vote or click on the button below. Fingers crossed and thank you so much xx

Wallpaper discovery

I uncovered some original Victorian wallpaper behind a cupboard over the weekend...

So exciting to see little glimmers of the house's history. It has made me want to consider wallpapering the whole room again, as it once was, in a traditional pattern. Some that are tickling my fancy are...

A definite leafy theme happening. Which is your favourite?

Clockwise from top left...

• William Morris' Acanthus (he lived in Walthamstow so that sways me a little!)
• Cole & Son's Florencecourt
• Cole & Son's Palm Jungle
• House of Hackney's Inferno

H x

Dressing windows - so many options, so little time

SO wasn't the weather lovely over the weekend? Yep, glorious, amazing, incroyable. And totally bloody unbearable. The trouble with living in a renovation project is that you don't have any of those everyday luxuries you take for granted. Case in point - curtains/blinds. Which meant this weekend was hot, sweaty (not in a good way) and bright, so so bright, first thing in the morning. So yesterday in a rather grumpy, sleep deprived frenzy I start to look into window dressing options to I can start to fantasise about the day I have wonderful sun blocking, energy efficient, BLACK AS THE NIGHT blinds to help me enjoy sleep once again.

Turns out there is a whole world of blinds out there and lots of them do very whizzy things like control room temperature, reduce road noise and come in about a million different colours, textures and styles. In case you are also on a blind hunt at the moment here are some of my favourite options after a little investigative work...

Black Out



Black out blinds of course don't need to be black and there is something a bit scary about black anything in a home. However, I just love these in a monochrome scheme. Incredibly on point style wise, but also I bet some serious sleeping gets done in this room. If you are not sure about the black, black out blinds come in so many different colours, available from numerous outlets on the high street for a really reasonable price. This animal version would just be adorable in a child's room.

Energy efficiency

 

We are going to have some French doors very similar to this in our new kitchen and I hadn't really considered blinds for it until I saw this picture. It is definitely something I am going to invest in because you  want the privacy it gives you but also because of the energy saving aspect. Big panes of glass let out quite a lot of heat, even if they are double glazed. I like that this particular example still allows some light in. Duette® blinds are a really good option as they claim to save up to 25% on your energy bills through their blinds alone.

Flexibility

One of the problems we have being on a terraced street is privacy, especially at the front of the house. You don't always want blinds covering the whole window because it blocks out the light but you also want something to shield you from the outside world when you are slubbing around in your pyjamas. The dream would be for wooden shutters across the bottom of the window but these can be pricey so I thought these were a really good option. Blinds that can be extended up or down, depending on what you need. I also love the linen look of these - feels so soft and natural. Again Duette® do some amazing options for these top up / bottom down blinds. Head over to www.duette.co.uk to have a look at how they work.

Dark vs Light

My bright, early mornings living blind-less are making these look slightly less attractive but I just love white blinds. They almost disappear into the scheme and look so fresh and clean. You can actually get white black out blinds, which are heavily lined so that might be an option because I just love how this bedroom looks. On the flip side, blinds with white on the outside reflect light away from the window so as to keep the room cool. Perfect to help you stay cool during stuffy summer nights.

Traditional is timeless

As I mentioned above, they can be pricey but wooden shutters do have that enduring style which still makes them a really popular choice. Of course, they don't offer benefits like total darkness, insulation or reduced road noise but they do look really quite wonderful and for me, still a contender.

H x





A collaborative post