The Festive Table

Creating an unforgettable Christmas table can be tricky when you have a range of ages to cater for. Elegant tableware is a essential if you are out to impress the in-laws and fun table gifts for the children are a must. Evenly place your glassware so that it stands to attention, whilst the napkins should lay soft next to each place setting, complimenting the surrounding interiors. Candles create an ambience as the day draws in but they must be carefully placed to create a warm and christmasy feel at the table and not to become a hindrance to the host when serving food. It is a good idea to label each place setting with the guests name, people will soon then settle at the table and calmness will evolve. Crackers come in all colours and sizes, there will be one for every table design, they can be expensive so it is important to decide whether you want to have a luxury gift from the cracker or just buy cheaper ones simply to have them for tradition and buy a separate table gift for each guest baring in mind there maybe children at the table wanting something more interesting than a silver paper clip or a mini pack of cards.

If you have chosen a colour theme for your Christmas tree, it is a nice idea to follow this through to the dining table, especially if the tree is in the same room.

Here are a few ideas to create that magical, memorable look:

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Love 

GR x

The Christmas lights are on!

This month I thought I would take a look at lighting now we seem to be switching our lights on earlier and earlier each day. The Christmas lights are being switched on too in most major towns and the Christmassy feeling is creeping up all around us.

As you arrive home on a winters evening it is nice to have the outside of your house lit up, for safety reasons first but also to make it feel welcoming after a long day at work or shopping.

I feel it is important to create a harmonious feeling in a room, the relationship between the furniture and the room can often be effected by the lighting that surrounds it. To create that connection and make a room feel warm and cosy have a light on in the hallway and in the main living room too as you arrive home after dark.


Here are some of my favourite designs:

Autumn inspiration

Now we are starting to spend a little more time indoors again, I thought this month I would take a look at some quick inspirational ideas for the home.

When we arrive home in the evenings and the nights have become darker and colder the house can at first feel a little chilly, lifeless and sometimes even lonely. The first thing we often do is turn on the main lights, flick the kettle on and switch on the television, all of a sudden the house is bright and noisey.

To ensure we are welcomed into our homes feeling relaxed and warm here are a few instant tips that can make all the difference to a comfortable evening ahead.

1. Place a few light timers around the house, these are easily adjustable so as the evenings draw in further the lights will automatically switch on as needed.

2. Place soft low wattage light bulbs in table lamps and adjust the heating so it comes on low an hour or so before you arrive home. You can now even have an app on your phone called hive active heating (hivehome.com) which will allow you to adjust the house temperature whilst commuting home as the weather changes. There is also an app for adjusting the lighting in your home, you will need to replace the light bulbs with hive active bulbs, these will allow you to have similar control as the heating. They come in a range of choices so there is something for everyone.

3. Create a warm and welcoming entrance. The hallway will set the scene for the rest of the home so if it's untidy at the door, what will it be like in the other rooms that people can't necessarily see when they pop by. It is important here to create flow, welcome you in to see more; you can create flow by using complimentary colours that will lead you through to other rooms off the hallway. Choose striking tiles, or a striped carpet or if you love a wood floor create impact with a colourful rug. The entrance hall is often seen as somewhere to pass through and not a place to sit and relax, a place that will see a lot of "people traffic". Flow can be created by using complimentary colours, for example use lighter colours in rooms to create a feeling of space, light and openness, whereas the hallway can be darker, not only creating warmth but being practical as we rush through the house, it is an area that may experience regular bumps and scrapes. So, try using strong, saturated colours, like dark grey, mulberry or teal; go on be brave!

4. The lounge often leads straight from the hallway, here use warm neutrals,which will create a cosy aura in the evenings. The ambience of a room can be easily adjusted by the amount of lights that are switched on, the colour and pattern of curtains or blinds, rugs, the style of fireplace and accessories like cushions, throws and wall art.

Here are a few ideas:

The hallway - 

The lounge - 

Colour this Autumn

Autumn brings so many colourful changes in the garden after the summer; as the flowers fade, new vibrant colours emerge, bright reds, burnt orange and strong yellows dominate the trees and shrubs around the garden and parkland. It is a time when we start to spend more time once more indoors as the temperatures are noticeably cooler. It is a time when we start to think about the home again and how we can make it feel warm and welcoming. Our attention moves towards adding colour and comfort to our homes. 

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing colour, the most important rule is that you must feel at ease with the colours you have chosen, it is more than just choosing a colour you like. You must consider a number of things before you start to add colour to each room. 

The age & style of the property.

What is the main functionality of the room.

Ambience of the room being created.

Who uses the room.

How much light comes into a room.

It is important to make the house "flow" and by this I mean you can walk from one room to another without the feeling of stop-start, a jarring feeling that as one room abruptly ends another begins; you should try to create a home that as you move from one room to another there is a natural visual progression.

As tempting as colour charts can be, don't spend too long on choosing colours from them. The chart can often be a photographic image of the paint and will not be true to the colour of the paint. Although sometimes expensive, always buy a few paint samples and try them in your home. A large warehouse store will have a very different light to your own home so it will not offer a true reflection of how the paint will look in your home.

Be careful not to add too many colours into the room, for example painting a feature wall one colour, then the doors and woodwork another, and then a cornice or ceiling rose another. It will create a look that will be too fussy and cause conflict to the eye detracting the natural style of any architectural features.

The paint finish is equally important to the colour choice. Today many paint manufacturers offer different finishes, here are some of the most popular:

Gloss - A high sheen finish for interior and exterior woodwork and metal.

Estate Eggshell - Mid-sheen finish -Interior woodwork and metal including radiators, washable and robust.

Estate Emulsion -Chalky matt finish - Interior woodwork and metal including radiators.

Modern Emulsion - Washable matt finish - Walls and ceilings, including kitchens and bathrooms, hallways, children’s bedrooms and areas of high usage. 

Dead Flat - A very matt finish-  Interior woodwork, plaster and metal, including radiators.

Hot summer days - Cool calm interiors

We are all enjoying the warmth of the August sun but there is nothing nicer than coming in from out of the heat into a cool and breezy home. I am loving the soft patinas, the cool, calm interiors of French country living right now, so I wanted to share with you some of my favourite styles for various rooms around the house.

White washed floors, pale patinas on the walls, natural rugs, white, crisp cotton bed linen, painted furniture, candles, glass lanterns, voiles, shutters and chandeliers are all that will inspire you to create the look of a French Chateaux. 

Here are a few of my favourite looks: