Tiny Tots Revisited
In April 2011, we wrote a post on decorating children’s bathrooms after being inspired by one in the catalogue of American retailer Pottery Barn Kids. Three years later they’ve piqued our interest...
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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
Painted Bathtubs
If spring cleaning has you tempted to repaint the walls of your bathroom, consider slathering some colour on your freestanding tub while you’re at it. There’s something so unexpected about...
Ahead of the Curve
With spring finally rearing its head, I’m about to embark on the second of five bathroom renovations in my new (old) house. This one, a guest bathroom, has a small...
Stevensons of Norwich
Think of plasterwork and images of grand historic homes undoubtedly come to mind. From the Neo-Classical cornices of Stourhead in Wiltshire to the Roman-inspired Georgian variety at Erddig Hall in Wrexham, Wales, plasterwork has...
Bellinter House
2014 has finally arrived and we can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with a little self-indulgent spa weekend. If you feel like getting out of dodge...
The Importance of Layers
Having recently completed the gut renovation of my bathroom, I have been thinking a lot about layers lately. With construction and installation finally put to rest the space looks just...
A Love Letter of Sorts
We've been obsessing over this photo of author Bella Pollen’s Oxfordshire bathroom for months on end and now seems as good a time as any to bring it forth. There is something so...
Design Blogging in the UK
Whenever we have a bit of down time we like to curl up on the sofa with a laptop and a latte (or cabernet, depending on the time) and troll through...
Stencils
With Decorex just a few weeks away, we’ve been thinking a lot about stencils lately. That’s because we’re lucky enough to have a custom-created wallpaper by Tony Roche decorating our booth! A fourth-generation decorator-stenciller from...
Where design is concerned, I am a notorious hunter-gatherer, falling whole-heartedly into both camps in my quest for inspiring images. Over the years I’ve compiled a digital dossier in a...
Renovating Tips and Tricks
I’m in the midst of renovating the master bathroom in my new (old) house and given my career path, this should be a seamless affair but when it comes to...
Lanterns
Trends have their place in design but when it comes to decorating your own home, the rule of thumb is to follow your gut. Where fads come and go, your...
All the Best
In the classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote of the power of having a sincere interest in people. “You can make more friends in two...
Jean-Louis Deniot
“Greige” is a term often used in the design community to describe the popular combination of grey and beige favoured by a slew of notable designers. It’s subtle and sophisticated...
Reinvention
We can’t say for sure but looking at this photograph we’d be darned if that vanity didn’t enter this world as a sideboard. The idea of breathing new life into...
Panel Discussion
One of our favorite things about old English houses is the abundance of wall paneling. Whether at chair-rail height, plate-rail or all the way up to the ceiling, millwork not only...