Sourcing: ready made curtains

With the longer summer days when the sun is coming up super early, we've been struggling to stay asleep much after 5am. This is mainly due to the fact we currently have no blinds or curtains on our bedroom window. At first I thought it would be nice - naturally waking up with sunrise - ha! no, turns out I'd much rather fit in as many zzz's as possible, before our early rising toddler is shouting 'MUMMY, DADDY! IT'S THE MORNING!' from her bed.

So, off on an internet hunt I went, looking for affordable ready-made curtains to pop up on the window. Mmm, not quite as easy as I thought! It's been hard to find curtains that a) will fit the window or will need minimal alteration and b) that I actually like the design of! I've managed to locate 10 options, which I would say have varying levels of light-blocking, but perhaps sometimes there has to be a compromise between style and function!? I have actually ordered one of these sets, so fingers crossed they will do the job! I will share with you soon which ones I've chosen, but for now here is my round up... 

Scandi Geo Single panel in pink - Wayfair - £45.99 

Parker Curtain - Anthropologie - £88 each 

Velvet curtain length in grey - H&M - £34.99

Tribal print curtain - Marks and Spencer - varying sizes and prices

Beige & Gold eyelet curtain- Maison du Monde - £71.99 each

Baltic eyelet single panel - Wayfair - £37.99

Lina biscuit curtain - La Cerise sur la Gateau - €89

Patterned curtain length in white & gold - H&M - £19.99

Palma fringed curtain panel - Urban Outfitters - £65

Pair of lined grey patterned curtains - Habitat - £88

Bluebellgray Palette Lined Pencil Pleat Curtains - John Lewis - varying sizes and prices

it's definitely a varied bunch of styles here! But I do like all of these for different reasons. Which are you drawn to?! (boom boom!) Next thing will be - finding just the right curtain pole! ;) 

Sourcing... children's beds

The next project on my radar in our renovation is Ruby's bedroom. It's quite a small room, hence my reason for creating a play space for her downstairs, so I want to keep it relatively simple and uncluttered. (Is that possible in a child's room?! hopefully!) 

She is going to be 3 years old in a few weeks (!), and she is actually still in her cot. Mainly because I've been holding off on getting her a bed until we were ready to transform the whole room, so there is minimal disruption. The need for a bed is now kind of spurring me on, as she is nearly too heavy for me to lift her up and into the cot! 

So my first task in planning the design of the room is to source a bed for her. I'd actually assumed this might be a bit of a boring search, but in fact there are some really gorgeous kid's beds on the market. Some are pricier than others, but my ethos with things like beds and sofas is that you spend a lot of time using them, so cost per use is pretty low! :) 

Anyway, here are some of the options I'm looking at - I'd love to hear which you are liking to help us decide! I've included dimensions, mainly for my own reference on making a choice as the room isn't that big, so size will be a factor. Although, I do wonder if it's best to opt for a single bed rather than a toddler bed at this stage.... does anyone have any advice on this? Is a toddler bed a bit of a waste when she is already nearly 3?

House bed frame - from £249 - Bobby Rabbit (Junior:169cm x 79cm / Single:199cm x 99cm)

White steel bed frame, £85, IKEA (135 cm x 85cm - extends to 206cm long)

Flexa Play single bed, £171.14, Smallable (204 cm x 96 cm)

Tipi bed, from £89.95, available from Cuckooland.com from 1st July (cot size: 148cm x 79cm / single size; 208cm x 98cm)

Perch toddler bed, £376, Bobby Rabbit (143.6cm x 73.6cm)

Tipi bed by Deeekhoorn, £399, Nubie (215cmx106cm)

Rafa Kids toddler bed, £625, Molly Meg (155cm x 75cm)

NOBODINOZ Cabin bed, £425.70, Smallable (146cm x 96cm)

Linus single bed, £219, made.com (198.6cm x 99cm)

Alpha bed frame in Grey, £60, John Lewis (196.5cm x 96.5cm)

Wooden bed (various colours), £223, Maison du Monde (196cm x 104cm)

Horizon toddler bed, €510 (approx £450), Nobodinoz (152.5 cm x 75.3 cm)

Sourcing... marble tables

I've been toying with the idea of offering a product research / sourcing / design service recently. It's definitely one of my favourite things - hunting for the perfect pieces of furniture, lighting, art or textiles for a room. I'd love to be able to help other people who perhaps don't have the time to research the perfect bookcase or to bring together an entire room. Over the years I've built a big book of sources for furniture and homewares so I'd love to be able to utilise this. Anyway, my husband has been acting like a 'trial run' client recently, as I search out things for our own home renovation. I generally always run things by him, particularly the bigger purchases, so it often feels like he is the client I am trying to please! For example, this week I've been trying to source a marble side table for our living room, which has been surprisingly difficult, considering how much marble is on trend right now! The brief is:

• small enough to fit in the designated corner
• yet large enough to fit our existing lamp on
• under £200 (ideally well under this!)
• not too formal

I've put together a list of 15 tables, but I must admit a few have crept over budget! I'd love to hear which ones you guys are loving, perhaps you can help us choose! ;) 

Luxe round side table, £195 - Oliver Bonas

Hex side table, £159 - West Elm

Detroit Square side table, £195 - Graham and Green

Round marble coffee table, from £120 - Rockett St George

Bilbao side table, £149 - Swoon Editions

Detroit Oval Coffee Table, £250 - Graham and Green

White stone coffee table, from £135 - Rose and Grey 

Hexxed Low Table, £564 - Heals

NOTE: I only included the above table as I saw it at the Salone del Mobile in Milan a few weeks ago and LOVED it! I was quite shocked when i saw the price! 

Marcel marble side table, £275 - Graham and Green 

Round white marble side table, £119.99 - Zara Home

White marble side table, £95 - Rose and Grey 

Kasper console table, £279 - Swoon Editions

Scandinavian style white stone table, £150 - Not on the High Street 

Heidi side table, £145 - Graham and Green

White Marble Drum Side Table, from £75 - Rose and Grey

Any catching your eye?! Stay tuned to see which one we go for! Oh, and if anyone reading this happens to be interested in finding out more about my idea for a product research / sourcing service then just get in touch - I'd love some guinea pigs (other than my hubby!) to try it out on! ;) 

Sourcing: The plant pot edit

As I mentioned in my recent post my plant collection has been growing steadily of late, and it feels like I am on a constant hunt for pretty pots to display the new additions in. I don't know about you, but I find it's sometimes tough to find the right sized pot for a plant, or if I buy a pot first, finding the perfect plant to fit it! So for that reason, I've included the dimensions below on a collection of pots I am loving, which I hope might help you if you are also on a pot hunt! 

Speckled ceramic pot - Geofleur / NOTHS - £23 (7.5x7cm)

Roar + Rabbit Patterned Cachepots - West Elm - from £12 (S: 8cm dia x 8cm h, L: 15cm dia x 18cm h)

Marble effect blue planter - Not on the High Street - £39.95 (Medium: 19cm x 18cm or Large: 24cm x 26cm )

Scandi Animal Plant Pots (set of 3) - Sparks Living / NOTHS - £30 ( h 10cm dia 9cm)

Wild Alpaca pot - Anthropologie - £16 (11cm W, 12cm H

Teal crackle ceramic pot - Trouva - £22 (H 18cm x W 21cm)

Marinski planters - Quince - £19.99 - (h 7cm, dia 9cm)

Zig Zag belly basket - This Modern Life - £19.50 (H 15cm Dia 28cm.)

Coral hanging pot - Trouva - £38 (9 x 8 cm)

Hand illustrated porcelain pots - Oh no Rachio - £25 (9cm dia. x 10cm)

Ceramic planter - Ruby Roost - £15.95 (16.3cm dia x 12.5cm h)

Brass pot on wooden stand - Forest and Co - from £60 (Small 21cm, M 38cm, L 52cm)

Sisal woven basket - The Future Kept - from £25 (S: 18cm x 18cm, M: 23cm x 23cm, L: 28cm x 28cm, XL: 32cm x 32cm)

Stripy Ceramic Succulent Pot - Berries for Bella / NOTHS - £16.25 (H 7cm x Dia 7.5 cm)

White glazed ceramic planter - Design Vintage - £45 (38cm dia, 32cm h) 

Office makeover plans

It's been nearly five weeks since i had surgery after having an ectopic pregnancy, and I'm feeling so much better. Luckily, during this time I've had lots of distractions - Ruby of course, work, and also our home renovations. Our downstairs loo has been done (I will share this soon) and our bedroom has made quite a bit of progress. The current project is my office. I recently removed all the lining paper which was painted dark blue with a statue of Liberty mural (!), but the walls were in quite a state, so we decided to have them re-plastered. We then took up the horrible carpet and thankfully the floorboards were good so they have been painted white. We've got some more painting to do, which is going to be a little experimental, so I will keep this as a surprise for when i show you the room! Fingers crossed it works out. This gives a bit of a hint to the plans...

image via Little Green Notebook

Above is some of the furniture and accessories I already have or plan to add. We have the Ikea day bed in there, which is a lovely piece and so practical for when people stay as it extends into a double, but it is quite big. So I've kinda had to plan the rest of the room around the bed! But I think it's going to work ok, and it means the room is multi-functional as both a guest room and office. I'm still searching for a bookcase, but I'm also hoping my hubby is going to make me a larger version of the plywood book display that Artemis of Junkaholique made below... 

I hope to get it all finished in the next month or so, and can't wait to move back in there as it's going to be such a nice room to work in. I'll be back soon with the before and after pics! x

Sourcing: La Redoute homewares

Recently I have noticed a lot of homeware items from La Redoute popping up on Instagram, and I was pleasantly surprised, firstly as I didn't even realise they did homeware and secondly because after a quick browse I discovered they have some really lovely pieces at super affordable prices! At the moment they have 30% off everything so I *may* have just ordered myself this lovely rug and magazine rack for my office which I'm in the process of revamping! 

Jeo Rug - £39

Magazine rack - £49

The prices above are the full price so at the minute with the 30% off the rug was only £27 and the rack was £34! But even without the discount they are really reasonable prices I think. Saying that, there does seem to be quite a variation in affordability, with some items on the site being a lot more expensive in comparison. 

Vintage sideboard - £949

Junior chair - £175

Stackable school chairs - £225 for two

Kunz dining chair - £299

For example this sideboard is quite pricey, although perhaps more affordable than a similar one in other high street stores? I also really like the Junior chair - it would be perfect for Ruby at the minute as she's no longer in a high chair but a normal chair is a bit low, but it's quite expensive for something we'd only use for a short while... They do matching dining chairs so it would blend in well if you had these too - £225 for two seems more reasonable as well. I also really like these wooden dining chairs, the one for sale on their site at the moment is a grey version which is lovely, but they are £299 - quite a lot if ordering 4 or more...

Pure tufted cotton rug - £239

Afaw shaggy rug - from £99

Cotton duvet cover - from £29

So let's get back to those great bargain finds! They have some gorgeous rugs on there, the Afaw shaggy rug was one that I've saw popping up on Instagram quite bit. They've also got some lovely bedding and children's pieces. I love this duvet set with the triangles which is only £29 for a single and £39 for a double. (don't forget the 30% off that too!) 

Metal Armoire - £249

Teepee bed canopy - £55

Retro style bedside table - £59 Retro style desk - £249

Those metal armoires would make a great toy cupboard in a kids room or perfect storage in an office. How sweet is the little teepee bed canopy and I like the simple design of the bedroom furniture above, although the bed doesn't seem to be on the site sadly...

What do you think? Did you know La Redoute did furniture and homeware or is it just me whose late to the party?! It's definitely one I'll be adding to my bookmarks for when I'm on the hunt for things for the new house! I'll make sure to share pics of the rug and magazine rack when they arrive. Do follow me on Instagram as I tend to post little things like that on there! 

Sourcing: The Armchair edit

As we speak our living room ceiling is being plastered, then we will need to do a bit more painting and hopefully then the new floor can be laid. THEN it's time for shopping! As you can imagine this is my fave part, so I *may* have already started that bit, or at least browsing! Our plan is to have one sofa and two armchairs, so I've been scouring the web for both recently, and have bookmarked a fair few potential armchair options. I thought I'd share the shortlist with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts, it might just help me make a decision! ;) 

Mid-century upholstered chair, West Elm, £699 (currently £559)

Merano Armchair, Blossom, Swoon Editions, £469

Vintage 1950's armchair, notonthehighstreet.com, £995

1958 Armchair, Oliver Bonas, £585

Ruby Armchair - Dark Grey, Cult Furniture, £249

Vintage Ercol 2-seater sofa, Lovely and Co, £599

Niels Wing Chair - Oatmeal, West Elm, £599 (currently £479)

Out There Interiors Wide Braided Chair In Black, Notonthehighstreet.com, £860

Calvin Armchair in Green Velvet and Linen, Atkin and Thyme, £389

Grey woven tub chair, Cox and Cox, £375

Trent Armchair - Smokey Grey (fabric colour: Smokey Grey), Cult Furniture, £299

Vintage Ercol armchair, Winters Moon, £445

Gracie armchair, Made.com, £499

Vintage 1950's cocktail chair, notonthehighstreet.com, £625

Low rattan chair, Cox and Cox, £200

Grey Scandi Retro chair, Florrie and Bill, £675

Mimi armchair, Swoon Editions, £399

Bamboo chair, notonthehighstreet.com, £365

Aarhus Mid Century Armchair, Rose and Grey, £695

Restored G-Plan chair, Mustard Vintage, £595

Sourcing: 10 great wall lights

One of our next tasks in the new house is sorting out the lighting. When we moved in we realised quite a few of the lights and switches weren't working, and various things need replacing, so we've got an electrician booked in for early November. In the 'garden room' there are a couple of seriously ugly wall lights that don't work, so I've been on the hunt for something lovely to replace them, as well as a small entrance hall one.

I thought I'd share with you a few of my top finds, as, while there are lots of options out there, it's actually quite tricky to find nice wall lights. I wonder can you guess which of these we've went for? You might be surprised, I think my taste has evolved over the last year or so, and I'm going for quite a different look in this place.... 

Lightbearer sconce, £398, Anthropologie

Molecular wall light, £110, Rockett St George

Pewter extendable wall light, £260, Baileys

Junction wall light, £109, Heals

Starky wall light, £59, made.com

Southwark wall light, £65, Graham and Green 

Mariner light, £59.95, Notonthehighstreet.com

Anglepoise Original 1227 Brass Wall Light, £125, John Lewis

The Party light, £525, Bag and Bones (for a statement piece!) 

Stable light, £55, Cox and Cox

What's your fave here? And do you find wall lights a tough one? Once we get our new ones up I'll share which we went for! 

Sourcing: Shelfie solutions

While the phrase selfie might be the one that has made it into the English Dictionary, it's the #shelfie that is loved by both interiors fans and book lovers, and has become a bit of a phenomenon on its own. Whether it's perfectly styled shelves or rows of intriguing book titles, the shelfie gives a little insight into the person's life and loves. 

But you can't post shelfies without some fabulous shelves right?! So I thought I'd share my top 10 finds perfect for displaying your prized possessions.

1. Cox and Cox - wooden shelf - these would be perfect as space saving bedside tables wouldn't they?!

£50 - Cox and Cox

2. LOVEThESIGN - string shelves - These classic Swedish shelves are really versatile as the shelves can be adjusted. This image might just inspire your #plantshelfie too! 

£95 - LOVEThESIGN

3. LOVEThESIGN - pink wooden shelves - these are super cute in a child's bedroom - especially for displaying special keepsakes.

£76 - LOVEThESIGN

4. Urban Outfitters - mint shelf - I'm still a big fan of mint green so loving these modern, sleek shelves that will add a subtle pop of colour. 

£120 - Urban Outfitters

5. LOVEThESIGN - simple white shelf - this classic and simple shelf will blend in to your decor and let your possessions shine. Hang some paper decorations from the hooks for extra colours perhaps. 

£98 - LOVEThESIGN

6. Urban Outfitters - cloud shelf - if you'd rather make your shelf centre stage, then this is a really fun design and budget friendly too.

£30 - Urban Outfitters

7. Cox and Cox - wood and leather shelves - these go half way between a simple aesthetic and a centrepiece. Natural materials used in a modern design, love. 

from £55 - Cox and Cox

8. LOVEThESIGN - string shelves - yes these are string shelves again - but in PINK! So deserved a special mention. Plus this pic shows them working well for crafty supplies. 

£95 - LOVEThESIGN

9. Rowen and Wren - plate rack - ok yes, not technically a shelf, but still a way of displaying crockery, books and other items. Love this simple wooden version. 

£168 - Rowen and Wren

10. notonthehighstreet.com - concrete cactus shelf - this is described as a cactus shelf, but you could display any favourite small item here - ceramics, a vase of flowers or a tiny pair of child's shoes perhaps.

£22.95 - Kelly Connor Designs at notonthehighstreet.com

Do you enjoy posting shelfies? Do you like restyling your shelves regularly to keep things fresh? I'd love to hear what your faves are in this round up too! 

This post was in collaboration with LOVEThESIGN

Sourcing: Stylish toy storage

One thing I've found out pretty quickly since becoming a mum is that, toys seem to breed. They literally multiply on a daily basis. One moment we had a small basket with a select collection of toys, next they were spilling out everywhere and the front room was starting to represent the local Toys-r-us.

But my quest to continue to have a nice home has not been thwarted just yet, as there are lots of beautiful storage baskets, bags and boxes out there, that you can simply chuck the toys in at the end of the day, restoring a (semi) stylish home. There are a few online shops that I go straight to when looking for storage, so I thought I'd share four of these with you, and some of my top buys, many of which I own myself! And of course they don't just have to be for toys! ;-)

I love Tea and Kate. I regularly buy things for my home as well as gifts from them. I actually have 2 of the stripy baskets and the little one with the bear face, which is great for Ruby's smaller toys which would otherwise get lost at the bottom of the bigger baskets. I love the wicker baskets too, although our cat seems to see anything wicker as her own personal scratching post! See more from Tea and Kate. 

Good old high street favourite H&M have some great geometric storage baskets, keeping on top of the current trends. I don't have any of these particular ones myself, although I have my eye on a couple! I do have some other pieces which no longer seem to be on the website. What's great is the prices, so if you are in need of a lot of storage you can be sure you can stock up here within budget. View their range - H&M. 

More geometric and graphic prints can be found over on This Modern Life - another of my fave sites for fun but stylish accessories and gifts. They stock lots of brands such as Ferm Living, Anorak and Olli Ella.The monochrome Ferm Living bags (top right) are great as they come in differing sizes so the little ones are perfect for those tiny toys, or things like lego. Check out more - This Modern Life.

Last, but by no means least, it's The Camouflage Company. I've bought many of their products over the years as they are super practical as well as pretty. I have one of the big bags (left) in pink, which holds LOADS of toys, and I have the little box (in a different pattern) for holding Ruby's bath toys. What's great is that they are wipe clean and waterproof so fine for putting those wet toys into. They also do great zipped bags which are perfect for packing away toys (and clothes) they've outgrown, perhaps waiting for your next little bundle of joy! Check out all of their products - The Camouflage Company. 

Get the Patchwork Harmony look at Joss and Main

I'm really excited to share that I have just collaborated with Joss and Main as one of their guest curators. If you are not aware of Joss and Main they are a members only site, who hold limited time sales (usually around 3 days) on homewares, furniture and lifestyle products. 

Below is a little peek of what you will find in the sale. You can view the whole edit by registering as a member, which is free, and see if anything takes your fancy! Everything is inspired by my own personal interior style - the sale is called 'The New Vintage' and features industrial, rustic and mid century pieces, mixed with contemporary items and pops of colour for an eclectic, up to date vintage look. 

What's really nice is that Joss and Main's buyers hand pick the products from not only household name brands but also up-and-coming designers and small business artisans, so there is a real mixed bag when it comes to what you will find and everything is of course discounted so you are sure to bag yourself a total bargain! (my fave thing ever!) 

There really is lots to explore, so register now to have a peep at my curated sale (don't worry, you can edit your email preferences in Your Account so you can choose how often you get communications) I'd love to hear what you think and if you buy anything! My favourite is definitely that bright yellow industrial stool! 

Sign up to view the Patchwork Harmony sale.