Thinking Creatively
Creativity can be a fickle thing that ebbs and flows. I have a degree in fine arts yet I’ve barely put brush to canvas since graduating university more than a...
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Historic Houses
Historic houses are enjoying quite a renaissance these days. While their revival has roots in the V&A’s groundbreaking 1975 exhibition, Destruction of the Country House, followed by decades of preservation...
Design Notes Archive
Deck the Halls
When decorating for the holidays, bathrooms often get the short end of the stick. It’s not uncommon to walk into a guest bath and be knocked down by the heady...
Tim Walker
To open the pages of fashion photographer Tim Walker’s latest book, Story Teller, is to step inside his eccentric world and be transported on a magical journey. Known for crafting bewitching sets for...
Mood Boards
Starting a project can be a daunting task, not least of which is figuring out where to begin. Whether you’re going for a full-fledged renovation or making smaller adjustments to...
London Design Festival
If you are a fan of Balineum’s monthly Design Notes then it’s probably safe to assume that you have a healthy interest in design. That being the case, we urge...
Graffiti Style
With the Olympics in full swing, it’s safe to say there’s a lot of energy flowing through the UK at the moment. If you’re feeling creative (and adventurous) try unleashing...
Nautically Inspired
As a general rule of thumb, we're not fans of “themed” rooms. All too often, despite good intentions, they wind up looking forced. The best decorating exudes an air of...
Discover and Deliver
I’ve been known to be quite the sleuth, spotting things when I’m out and about and then making a mission of hunting them down. I even used to pen a...
Marian McEvoy
With a CV that reads like a who’s who of the magazine world, Marian McEvoy is a legend among a certain set. The Los Angeles native decamped to France in...
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...
With the release of not one but two Snow White movies in the coming months, everyone seems to be buzzing about mirrors. Julia Roberts’ aptly named flick, “Mirror, Mirror,” rolls...
Spring’s Blue Period
154 shades of blue, from chalky tweeds to midnight sequins, dominated Chanel’s spring haute couture show. With artists like Pablo Picasso and Yves Klein going through blue periods it should comes as no surprise that a...
Hints of Escapism
Every once in a while it’s nice to highlight a beautiful bathroom for no other reason than it takes your breath away. This lofty space in a 19th century townhouse...
Sir Terence Conran
If the onset of 2012 brings about a search for inspiring resolutions, head over to the London Design Museum and soak in the brilliance of The Way We Live Now, a retrospective...
The New Winter Bouquet
Despite the plethora of design blogs permeating the web these days there are a select few that we consider must-reads. One of them is Stylebeat, authored by design consultant Marisa Marcantonio....
The Holiday Hostess
The days are getting shorter and fall is inevitably turning to winter. The scent of freshly roasted chestnuts has begun to fill the air, Bonfire night is around the corner...
Michael S. Smith’s Kitchens and Bathrooms
Michael S. Smith is a thoroughly American designer tapped by the Obamas as the official White House decorator, yet his latest book, Kitchens & Baths, shows off a decidedly European sensibility. Thanks...