Inspiration

I love the idea of upcycling, recycling, repurposing... whatever you call it, making something out of nothing is a great idea. With that in mind when I spotted a bench made from an old pallet recently it started me on a search for other great projects you can do with a simple wooden pallet. So, here's a round up of some of the best & most interesting ideas I found: The bench made from old pallets - this is a great way to add extra seating in your garden. I tried to snap it from an angle which showed the construction, so...
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Recently I was asked to provide some "Designer Insights" for an interview on the Terry's Blinds blog. It was fun thinking about how I approach interiors, my take on design and the 'rules' I do or don't follow. For example, I had to describe my own unique style and creative aesthetic. How would you describe yours? Do you know straight away or do you have to think about it? For me, I know that I like to be open to ideas, to give things a go and to try things out to see what works. I enjoy adding an extra element...
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I love colour and am always interested in finding inspiration for new ways of using colour in my home, combining different tones, creating beautiful palettes and so on. This week I'm taking inspiration from record sleeves - a wonderful place to find great design, illustration and use of colour. These are a mixture of vintage and modern designs, with bold mixed colour palettes and strong graphic shapes. Record sleeves and covers some in a huge variety of styles from contemporary op-art through to a simple photograph of the artist. There's a lot to explore, and this is a nice jumping off...
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“Consider the whole span of human life on Earth as a single day and the light switch was flipped on less than a second ago. Piccadilly Circus, Times Square and Shibuya have only just started to shimmer; the iPad has been glowing for well under a nanosecond.” Intelligent Life   Recently I read an article in Intelligent Life magazine about the science of light and it really got me thinking. The article states that new research is showing how light is vital to our health, wellbeing and general happiness. Not just for people who have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but for everyone. Animals which...
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Fiera Magazine – on Kickstarter now!   For those of you who haven’t used it yet, Kickstarter is a brilliant way of giving some power back to creative people. It lets them talk directly to their audience/customers and find support (and funding) for a project, in order to make it happen.   Recently I backed a project called Fiera Magazine. Now this isn’t a title you will have heard of, you won’t have seen it on the newsstands, because it doesn’t exist yet. It’s a dream project from Katie Treggiden (of the fantastic Confessions of a Design Geek blog) all about discovering new design...
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I recently visited Portugal and spent time enjoying the beautiful beaches and quaint villages of the Algarve. This is a place I’ve been visiting for many years, where a little piece of my heart will always reside. As soon as we land and smell the eucalyptus and rosemary scented air I relax. There are so many things I associate with this beautiful country – the red earth and scrubby bushes beaten by the heat in the height of summer, the smell of grilled fish with crisp salted skin, golden cliffs crumbling into outlandish formations and much more. The thing I want to...
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There are such wonderful DIY ideas shared on Pinterest every day that we thought we'd gather a few favourites and bring them to your attention. First up, a handy way to create a little herb garden in your kitchen. Simply clean up some tin cans and cut a short vertical slot in one side at the top to hand them on a simple nail. If you cut a slot this will allow you to lift them off and on for watering and replanting if needed. Stamped hangers Spotted on theSITSgirls.com, this is a fun and quick DIY to pesonalise your wardrobe. A sweet idea...
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I love reading blogs in my spare time - the best ones are inspiring, creative, full of beautiful images, good ideas and interesting thinking. It can take a while to find blogs you really love, so I thought I'd help anyone whose reading list has become a little stale with 3 recommendations for great blogs I regularly visit. These blogs all have one thing in common - colour. Colour is such an important part of our lives and each of these writers recognises that and shares beautiful, vibrant colourful images and insight on their blog. First up, a very popular blog which -...
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Patterned tiles are becoming an obsession of mine. Anyone who follows me on Instagram (), Pinterest, or twitter for that matter, will confirm this! Since moving to Barcelona I have begun spotting and recording them while out and about around the city. I've long been partial to pattern, colour, vintage design and - in particular - Barcelona's Modernisme style and these decorative tiles fulfill all of those passions. I'm now keen to learn more about these beautiful objects, to find out more about how they are made and their history and whether they are still being used today. So far I've established...
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Homemade Christmas ornaments are a great way to make your Christmas personal and special. Whether you spend an afternoon shaking glitter on things with your kids, or take some time out for yourself to be creative, you can craft some beautiful Christmas decorations which you will enjoy for a long time to come. For this quick Christmas DIY I’ve put together a selection of ornaments, decorations and craft ideas which you can do on a budget. Here we have four different ideas you can carry out with just a few select resources, most of which you may already have around the...
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