The English Rose

I have always loved traditional furniture, however this style is one of my favourites.

With turned feet and castors, and a neat but plump seat the English Roll Arm sofa is stylish and traditional and will never go out of fashion!

There are a lot on the market at the moment with varying sizes available and the option to customise feet and fabrics on a lot of them. When I was looking about I was spoilt for choice!

Orson 2 Seater Sofa - Made.com - £699

Sofia Sofa - Next - £1025

Not only does the simple design look great, it is a very plain background for cushions, throws and other accessories. This shape can also lend it self well to different styles of decor. Below there is a picture with contemporary brick walls which compliment the sofa fantastically.

Kentwell Large Sofa - Sofas&Stuff - £1328

The more traditional styling of the room below has a fresh look by pulling the accents through in the cushions and a complimenting all hanging. Such a simply designed sofa can also sit well with other accent chairs.

If you are feeling brave why not go for the bright pink version from Sofa Workshop. You can pick other colours and fabrics if you are not feeling too out there!

Florence Sofa - Sofa Workshop - £1149

As ever a grey or cream sofa can make the most of your space and light, with easy options for accents. I love how non of the cushions on the sofa above are matching, yet all of them compliment each other.

Verona Sofa - Multiyork - £2239

Over the last few years using a footstool ottoman as a coffee table has become a big trend. They sit very well with the traditional style of the English Roll Arm sofa and as you can see above having a contrasting fabric and a matching accent cushion look fab together.

They can also be used as an extra seat if you get some unexpected visitors!

Shiny, Happy People!

You can always tell that if a trend hits the catwalk it will be sure to hit our homes as well. A trend which is set to take the interior world by storm in 2015, is metallic! From urban to traditional and even glamorous the metallic trend can be added to many homes with ease from a few accessories to an accent wall.

There are many items of furniture available on the market that are in a metallic finish such as the Taj coffee table. Part of the Casa Couture collection which is exclusive to House of Fraser.

Check out www.tomdixon.net for some inspirational metallic lighting ideas to bring the trend to your home. Established in 2002, Tom Dixon is a British product design brand, designs can also be purchased through the Heal's store at Redbrick.

For an over the top expression of luxury go for the gold and create a first class room with golden accents, furnishings, wall coverings, and fixtures. By contrast to gold, silver is a softer, sleeker yet equally luxurious and complimentary but can also look and feel cooler.

There are many metallic wallpapers on the market to transform a room and still keep the rest of your furniture.

Or if you do not want to go bold straight away but still want a piece of the metallic action, why not add some metallic cushions to a room?

How to get a cosy living room...

I know for sure that my living room is one of the cosiest places in my house....minus my bed of course. There is nothing more inviting for visitors in your home than a cosy living room.

With it being one of the most used rooms of the house, finding a balance between a cosy and functional living room can take some trial and error. Have a look at some of the tips below for making it a successful cosy haven first time...

1. Throw Blankets and Cushions – By placing one or two throw blankets in your living room you are inviting everyone to curl up and get comfy in your living room. The added extra cushions are great for cuddling up to on a cold evening!

2.  Floor to Ceiling Curtains – A bonus of this is they are good for helping with your heating bills too keeping all the heat in!

3. Footstools – Footstools are on the rise! Not only does it mean you can put your feet up and really snuggle down on the sofa, they are an extra seat if you have visitors and can also make a great coffee table!

4. Lamps – Lighting is one of the most important parts of achieving a cosy environment. Be it table lamps or floor lamps, explore both options to see what works best with your space.

5. Rugs – Even on carpeted floors, rugs can define your space. Under foot having a soft squishy pile is always going to feel cosier than a bare floor!

6. Knick-Knacks – These little items can make or break a cosy feeling. Try not to over use and mix styles - pick a theme and run with it!

Using any of these ideas can help your living room go from stark and cold to warm and inviting. Keep the amount of space you have available in mind!

LOVE your home this Valentines!

With Valentines just around the corner - Who says it should just be about loving your other half? Here are some great ideas to show your home you love it too....

Garston Love seat from made.com - £499

                     

  Petal Lighshade from Habitat - £60             Slate Coasters from Design55 - £12.50

            

Framed prints from made.com - From £69

Pretty Flamingo Wqallpaper - £20 from Laura Ashley

Emma Bridgewater Mug - £17.95, Spotty Padded Heart - £6.50, Sweet Pea Seeds - £4.00
from John Lewis

Stitch Leaf Pink Wallpaper from Habitat - £15

                
Heart Flutes - £35, Heart Felt Cushion - £30,  Le Creuset Ramekins - £30
from House of Fraser

Cream Heart Shelf - £26 from Laura Ashley




Patchwork Cushions - £9.95 each from Dotcomgiftshop

Let your ideas grow...

It always seems to be the case that when I am searching the internet for new images or ideas on one topic I fall across a totally different idea that stops me in my tracks.

This post was meant to be about a cobalt and white theme, but as ever I got distracted! When looking for some great design images to show you I came across.....

design-seeds.com

This site is great for design and colour inspiration. By taking images of nature and every day situations, design-seeds takes the main colour and adds them to your palette.

Take a look below - click on the image to take you back to source.

Vintage Tones

    

Blue Tones

Artisan Tones

Coral Dream

   

Nature Reserve

   

Expect to see the design-seeds images on the blog in the future - I love how they show colour palettes working in real life!