Growing Spaces

Living room makeover – little changes make a big impact

Living room makeover – little changes make a big impact

You might have seen glimpses on my Instagram feed, but I don’t think I’ve shared photos here of our living room makeover and how just a few small changes have made a big difference to how the space feels. I had to keep it under wraps for ages as it was part of a style makeover with West Elm that was featured in the AW16 issue of 91 magazine, but now the mag has been out for a few months, I think it’s time I showed you how we’ve updated the space. My favourite black wall is still here – I’ve definitely not…

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Create an eye-catching wall display with Eco Deer

Create an eye-catching wall display with Eco Deer

It’s been a while since the display on my black living room wall had a bit of a shake up, so when the team at Eco Deer got in touch about their quirky wall planters, I jumped at the chance to add a new element to the arrangement. The Eco Deer is a tongue-in-cheek take on a traditional mounted stag’s head – the backing board (made by hand from solid eco wood in a small workshop in Ukraine) has two tube vases mounted on it for you to fill with foliage, flowers or branches. I like the black board because…

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Styling the Seasons: June

Styling the Seasons: June

Oh, June. More time spent indoors than expected, getting caught in showers, soggy feet, reaching for a blanket in the evening. So what’s a girl to do, but to attempt to bring a little summer inside with a jug of blooms? I cheered myself up yesterday with a trip to my favourite florist and some Styling the Seasons faffing. I’m not normally drawn to pink, but I think Katy’s kitchen makeover might have swayed me, and I love how it looks next to the black wall. Could this be a new accent shade throughout the house?  I’m definitely tempted. It feels like…

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Guest bedroom dreams

Guest bedroom dreams

Source: Rikki Snyder We actually haven’t had any guests to stay over the Christmas period, which is lucky because our guest bedroom leaves a lot to be desired. It’s basically a dumping ground slash cat den slash laundry drying room, which really doesn’t create the most welcoming of ambiences. They say that you should always spend a night in your spare room to see how it feels for guests who come to stay. Sometimes when I’m having one of my ‘lying awake in the middle of the night for hours’ episodes, I wonder about switching beds (you know when you…

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Impulsive decorating: our black living room wall

Impulsive decorating: our black living room wall

It’s official, I am not safe to be left home alone. There is a significant danger of me wielding a paint brush and turning the house upside down. That’s exactly what happened a few weekends back when I made a completely spontaneous decision to strip the yellow wallpaper (you can see a little glimpse of it in this post) from our living room wall, and paint the wall black instead. I’d been seduced by Tiff’s beautiful black wall that I’d seen on Instagram, and once I’d got the idea in my head, there was no distracting me. I’m incredibly impulsive…

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