Renovated Spanish barn

Isn't it gorgeous? Very well converted into a house without losing many of the features that make it unique but at the same time making it practical and luminous. I'm loving all the lush vegetation, stone walls and floors and wooden beams. I also like the fact that the colour palette goes beyond white and earthy colours (seen too many times) to introduce a bit of lilac and red.

For more pictures go here.

Rose Uniacke's House

Very rarely I like the way a whole house is designed and decorated but this one is an exception so that's why I decided to share it with you instead of just picking one or two pictures to add to Pinterest.

Rose Uniacke's house in London has got everything I like, from highly decorated plasterwork to some modern touches and period furniture. But what I like the most is that nothing is over-the-top or feels pretentious despite the original grand features of the house.
The walls and ceilings have been left in different stone colours (adding to the monastic feel) but bright tones have been introduced with soft furnishings and the use of gold and marble. Personally I would have added a more colourful rug in the bedroom and painted the ceiling in a slightly darker colour than the wall to bring it down and make the room feel cosier.
I think the rest is absolutely fantastic and she has achieved a very relaxed feel in her house despite being located in the busy city that is London.

The beautiful photographs were taken by Henry Bourne.

 Source

Colour at home

For some years now the Scandinavian style has taken center stage in the design industry. I admit I am an absolute fan of its simplicity and purity in design without forgetting practicality.
But while that is all very well balanced and often pretty too, I have started to find myself a bit bored after seeing too many all-white interiors (walls, ceilings, flooring, even furniture, all white!). It's true that you can introduce colour with accessories but I think the all-white scheme leaves a feeling of things not being quite finished yet, like you have just primed the walls but still need to paint the top coats (in another colour than white, that is).

So since I started working in the paint and wallpaper industry I have decided that maybe it's my turn now to share with the world a bit of inspiration on colour schemes that include colour because pure white can't really be called a "colour" as it hasn't got any hue.

I will start with the introduction of black, that dark colour (although again black is the absence of all colours) opposite to white. If the use of dark colours in interiors can often be daunting, the use of black as an accent wall or mixed with white can give your house a very contemporary look without you having to sacrifice brightness.

 

Marlien Rentmeester's home

This is a good example of how to use a bit of black. The horizontal stripes work particularly well in a hallway as it gives a sense of length and direction towards other rooms (just make sure your ceiling isn't too low or it could look like a box).

 

If you want to make a space more interesting and show a feature like this mezzanine level with a spiral staircase then painting it black or dark grey is a good way of doing it. The good thing about black is that it goes with everything.

                                                                                                   Home of Bernadette Pascua and Andrew Stinson

To make a room feel more intimate and cosy without introducing any colour that might then narrow down your choice in furniture or accesories, then black again is the answer. Just make sure you have got plenty of light so the room doesn't feel like a cave!

So I think this is a way to make a boring room look interesting and feel contemporary.

What do you think of black now, as daunting as before or not?

If you liked this post you might want to follow my board Colours in Pinterest.

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A flat in Barcelona

I'm absolutely in LOVE with this loft located in Barcelona, Spain. Interior design studio Vuong was the one in charge of creating an open space filled with natural light and a bohemian feel. I think the way they mixed contemporary furniture with more rustic elements makes this apartment a complete success! It's got a lot of white and crisp furniture but is far away from boringly minimal and that could only be achieved by adding contrast (different textures, colours or patterns). The result is fresh, contemporary and it's got an "Ibiza" feel to it, so I guess it fits into the category of "bohemian chic".

Sunny Sunday

Here there are a few pictures from Sunday. We went down to Regents Park to see baby ducks and enjoy the sunshine, followed by a much needed coffee and croissant, plus lunch at Patisserie Valerie. A very nice day :)

 I have always loved these fountains

 My new Zara jacket, or how I like to name it, my "Chanel" jacket :)

I have never owned a white jacket before ( I don't really own much white either) and this is making me panic about getting it dirty!

A close-up of the collar of my favourite shirt, a lace one from Reiss bought in the sale last year and the skull necklace I posted here a few weeks ago.

Note to my readers: don't worry, this is not going to become a "style blog". I'm too shy for all that stuff.

Photography by me and James.