Monday 4 August 2014

Dream Room Blogger Competition from Good to be Home! powered by AnglianHome

Good to be Home Dream Room Competition

I love interior design, and have a passion for quirky home style and accessories. My own home is full with quirky and fun elements, and I'm always on the look out for new ideas and inspiration. 

I am a self confessed shopaholic. Luckily (for my husband and our bank balance) my shopaholicism is mostly window shopping, and I work hard not to overspend or go too crazy when I do actually buy stuff.  I window shop pretty much constantly; either by physically visiting shops, or browsing online, catalogues, magazines etc. I love to ask myself the question "if money was no object, what would I buy and where would it go?" I can while away many hours in my head this way! 

So when I saw a competition on Little Stuff asking me to do just that, how could I resist? 

Little Stuff and Good To Be Home are asking bloggers to have a go at virtually making over either their bedroom or living room imagining that money is no object….oh the possibilities! So, I decided to concentrate on my living room, mainly because I feel its quite outdated in design now (the wallpaper and colour scheme were here when we moved in 3 years ago and we just went with it…) and I would truly love to update it and pop my own stamp on it. 

Mrs Bishop's Entry

MY CURRENT LIVING ROOM 

So, to help you imagine the room a bit better here it is as it is decorated at the moment. 



It's not a bad room at all, but because I didn't choose the paper I feel like I've had little control over the colour scheme and overall design of the room. I don't hate it, but I also wouldn't have chosen it. I'd have gone for something much bolder and more funky. I love the fireplace, and the exposed brick on the chimney breast, so they are definitely keepers for me. The wooden furniture I love, and it cost me a fortune when I kitted out my first flat - but it is very modern and for the re-design I have in mind I'd definitely need some more traditional furniture.

THE RE-DESIGN

The themes and words that were whirring around my head when I was planning this redesign were:

- afternoon tea
- timeless/classics
- sweet treats 
- French cottage
- shabby chic meets modern quirk
- relaxing colours with splashes of something super bright

In my head, I wouldn't change the layout too drastically, as I like the placement of the chair, sofa and side tables. I would minimise a little bit, removing the book case, and would instead choose some lower impact storage so as not to distract from the funky wallpaper I've chosen. 

THE WALLS

I would replace the current wallpaper in the two alcoves using this amazing (and very bold!) paper from  designer Emma Bridgewater.

Emma Bridgewater Wallpaper from Jane Clayton £64 per meter



I'm a huge fan of Emma Bridgewater china, and am lucky enough to already own a few pieces, I love the idea of this paper, and think its genuinely the most fun paper I've seen in ages. There is so much to look at, hence why I would opt only to have it on two small alcoves as a feature - it would be far too busy for whole sweeping walls! 

I would then re-paint the exposed brick chimney breast this gorgeous classic paint shade called "Thimble Case" from Dulux, and I'd continue with that shade on the top half of the walls above the dado rail. 


 For the bottom portion of the walls below the dado rail I'd opt for this shade of blue, called 'Quintessential Blue' from Dulux - which I think would hint rather eloquently to the duck egg blue in the paper without being too bright. Essentially, this room is for relaxing and entertaining, and although I'd want it to be fun, I also would want to be able to feel super-relaxed when using the space. 


Both paints cost £29.99 for 2L.

THE FURNITURE

I'd love to have big squishy opulent sofas that you can really snuggle down into - not practical wipe clean leather due to the sticky little fingers of my son Bert. So if money was no issue, and I could choose anything I wanted for this room I would go for something like this Duck Egg Snuggler from John Lewis currently priced at £575. It would add a real splash of colour to the room and would tie in with the duck egg shade in the wallpaper. This would totally be 'my chair' and I'd hog it all the time! I can just imagine curling up with a big mug of tea, and a good book in this giant comfy chair. 


Then the matching sofa of course, for hubby and baby Bert to sit on, I don't expect them to sit on the floor, I'm nice like that! This is also from John Lewis and priced currently at £825.00


Next to hubby's/Bert's sofa I'd position this nest of 2 Drift Side Tables from John Lewis priced at £299.


On top of the nest of tables I'd position this awesome Teacups lamp from Homebase priced at £29.99. I currently already own a teacups, and a teapot lamp from Next and they are genuinely my most favourite items in my house. I love my tea so much, so being able to incorporate it into some really funky home accessories is just perfect for me. 


And then, to match, next to my snuggle chair I'd position this Drift Side Table - to rest my tea on! It's also from John Lewis and priced at £199.


I'd bulk buy these awesome Digestive Biscuit Oak coasters from Not On The High Street to protect the side tables from my tea mug rings! They're priced at £11.75 each. I just LOVE how quirky they are, that they are my favourite biscuit (you genuinely cannot beat a digestive for dipping in tea!), and I love that they look classy and high end while still being really silly and fun. 


Instead of the large towering bookcase we currently have in the right alcove I would replace it with this lovely floor standing (half size) Drift bookcase from John Lewis priced at £499. It would help to break up the boldness of the wallpaper without covering it up completely, while also providing much needed storage space for our favourite DVDs. 


To replace the current TV unit I would buy the matching coffee table from the Drift range at John Lewis priced at £399, and place the TV and boxes on that. Using the drawers to hide the remote controls from my remote-control-obsessed 11 month year old son!!


THE FLOORING

I've always dreamt of a white wooden floor for my living room. I think that it would look really timeless and elegant, would be easier to keep clean than carpet, and can soon be warmed up using a rug (and boy have I found a great rug!)

This White Oak Wood Flooring from Amtico is priced at £37.50 per pack. 

THE WINDOWS

I'm constantly dreaming about having shutters in my living room instead of curtains. I have had a thing about shutters my whole life - I think it stems from my jealousy over my cousins HUGE Sylvanian Families dolls house when we were kids, which had elegant shutters at each of the windows - ever since then I've wanted a grown up house with shutters! Ha! 

I love these New England style shutters from The New England Shutter Company - prices depend on the size of window etc. I would definitely choose these for my new living room.


And now on to the most fun bit….

THE ACCESSORIES 

This is the element of interior design that I think I most excel at. I love searching for quirky accents for a room, and with afternoon tea, biscuits, teacups and vintage charm in my mind I found this whole array of awesomeness, which all make the final cut into my living room...

I adore this Custard Cream lampshade from Nikki McWilliams priced at £58


It would look so fun as the main light fitting in the centre of the room, I just love it! If Nikki made dresses in this fabric I would absolutely without a doubt wear it. 

Anyone who knows me well will know I am obsessed with the colour yellow. I just love it, and luckily it is all over interior design at the moment. I found this English Mustard Phone from Strawberry Fool for £49.99 and knew I would have to include it into my room design - who wouldn't want such a cool home phone? It would also be lovely to have some really bright accents across the room as three of the walls and the window dressing will be quite bland. This mustard tone is used within the wallpaper for one of the plates on the dresser - so it would tie in perfectly. 


And who may I ask wouldn't want to prop their tired feet up on this AMAZING Custard Cream Foot Stool from Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous priced at £99? Again, in a gorgeous mustard tone, and a very fun nod to my afternoon tea/sweet treat theme. 


I would hang this Retro Biscuit Print size A3 from Not On The High Street priced at £28.95 above the fireplace on the chimney breast (instead of the mirror)- god, it would make me constantly crave biscuits though! Never mind, I love it to much to worry about the calories I might consume because of it. 


For the hubby to rest his weary legs (I'm wouldn't be good at sharing my custard cream footstool, so he has to have his own) I'd choose this brilliant Tea Cup Stool in Yellow  by The Form Emporium from Not On The High Street priced at £159. It would double up as extra seating when we are entertaining as well. And its yellow. And its a teacup. Need I say anymore?


My husband LOVES a DIY project, and I saw this idea on Pinterest a few months ago and completely fell in love with it…a giant vintage tea cup wall clock. I'd definitely get hubby to make me one of these using some of my pretty awesome current collection of vintage tea cups (left over from our vintage themed wedding two years ago)…

(image found on Pinterest)

I'd position the clock on the bare wall above the large sofa instead of the big red poppy canvas. I'd leave all my beloved family photo canvases on the other wall, and my photo pockets on the door as I just adore having photos of the people I love most around me. 

As I previously mentioned, I'd choose to warm up the white wooden flooring by placing a rug in front of the large sofa/fireplace, and this Custard Cream Rug made by Food For Thought priced at £800 is perhaps the most awesome rug I've ever seen. Blimey, I can't quite believe the price, but for this post money is no object, right? So, I'm having it! 


Sitting upon my side table, next to my coasters I'd place a selection plate of these stunning hand crafted 'fake cakes' from the AMAZING Fake A Cake Bakery (they range in price from as little as £5 +)

I love these pretty accessories and maybe they'd stop me from feeling the need to fill my living room with plates of actual biscuits to nibble on! Maybe…!?


I'd definitely position these funky floating teapot hooks from Not On The High Street priced at £15 on the wall space above my arm chair: for a decorative accessory rather than functional hooks.They are so fun, and would add so much charm to a bare blank wall. 

Finally, I'd smother my amazing new sofa and chair with loads of these INCREDIBLE cushions from Nikki McWilliams priced at £29.50 each...



They'd add such colour and whimsy to the plain sofa and chair, they'd be a fun talking point, and I know men hate cushions, but I LOVE them, so sorry hubby, you'll have around 10 to put on the floor when you sit down, sorry! (Not sorry!)

Now, you can't tell me you don't fancy a cuppa and some biscuits for dipping after all that?

I'm off to pop the kettle on...

Bye for now

Mrs B

xxx

Disclaimer: This post is my entry into the Good To Be Home 'Dream Room' competition.