Refound

I booked to go on a 1 day upholstery course months and months ago. I have been so busy I completely forgot about it until the day before, then had to madly look for a smallish piece of furniture to recover. What a revelation, I hadn't really appreciated how much time is involved and how many stages there are. It took over an hour just to strip the chair back to its frame. I loved every minute of doing it though. It was so rewarding to see an object completely transformed. Thank god I am so busy otherwise I would be straight down to the auction house to start filling up the house with potential recovering projects.
I am passionate about recycling objects they have much more soul than anything you can buy new. My favourite sites are RE http://www.refound-objects.com/ who sell these amazing recycled newspaper place mats and old jelly mould lights. I would love to find room somewhere in my home Baileys apple storage crates they would look fab in a contemporary or cottage home http://www.baileyshomeandgarden.com/

so much stuff to buy, too little room to store it all!

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

love where you live

entertainment built in

when your successful property developers and have 7 kids, what do you do when you build your own homes? The only thing you can do, build in as much entertainment to keep the kids occupied. I love the way Husband and wife team Cortney and Robert Novogratz have built their trampoline into the ground ( much safer) at their Hampton's home. In their New York homes they have build the most amazing roof baseball court and an indoor bowling allies. You can find out more about their inspiring design style in their book downtown chic. Its chronicles some of their best known projects. Each project features an eclectic mix of contemporary and vintage finds and shows their unfailing knack of seeing beauty in the most unlikely locations and places. Its a great book, put it on your reading list!

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

love where you live

pushing up daisies

Not sure that anybodies first choice of location for a home would be a cemetery. But this home owner thoroughly recommends is. Built in Highgate Cemetery London it took 10 years to get planning permission and build. Richard Elliot the owner a developer and photographer says "it not like living in a graveyard, its more like an enchanted forest"

The brief to the architect was to build a James Bond baddies lair, thoroughly masculine and modern with acres of polished concrete and Italian furniture. Features include an amazing kitchen roof that fully retracts.

I think the views from the house are to die for and I would imagine the neighbours are very quiet! I am not sure I have the patience to wait 10 years for a new home though

what do you think?

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

id-homes.co.uk

up the wall

I love wallpaper but in our home its banned by he who must be obeyed (not really I get away with all the decorating decisions, the wallpaper ban is the only concession I have made!).

I have thought about sneaking in a decorator and getting a few rolls up on the wall. But I am not brave enough to risk being made to take it all off again. I guess he has a point it is quite permanent and not like a paint which is cheaper and quicker to change. I haven't found a business project yet where the client is adventurous enough to go with wallpaper either. But its doesn't stop me admiring some of the ranges that are out there. My favourites this year are Farrow and Ball's Chelsea papers in Stone, Cole and Son and Cowslip. Plus a new collection from Catkin Collection, I love Birdhouse and Porcelain, would look fantastic in a cloakroom or if your feeling very decadent the inside of cupboards and wardrobes, a great way to put to brighten up the day. http://www.catkin-collection.co.uk/

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

www.id-homes.co.uk

Maximum Impact

I love blue as a colour for interiors but with our sour summers and cool light it can look

horribly flat and cold. Challenged with blue being the only colour that a client would have in his house (despite there not being much natural light in the house) meant getting creative with accessory colour. Particularly as the scheme had to stay masculine (no hot pinks or lilacs to add vibrancy). In the end mustard's, golds, yellows especially in soft fabrics like velvet had a magical effect of just bringing a scheme to life (and his!). I am voting it my favourite colour combination of the month!

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

www.id-homes.co.uk

hotel couture

The interior designers dream job has got to be designing hotel bedrooms. Gone is the need for too much practicality (storage and all that) and much more the need for supporting the brand values of the hotel and flights of fantasy to entice customers back. In Milan the ultimate whimsical rooms must have been created for Hotel Moshino. Its billed as a "fantasy, fairy tale world" a contemporary take on wonderland. There is definitely a wonderland theme with cloud shaped lights in the lobby and iconic dress lamp shapes. The restaurant wall features frocks as wall art and the rooms range from Alice room with a giant teacup room and little red riding hood complete with its own fabric wolf. Where else can you sleep on a giant velvet or silk ballgown or a bed of velvety rose petals.

I am completely enthralled by the look of the place. I am smitten by the luxuriousess, the glamour and the quirkyness. Look out Milan here I come!

http://www.maisonmoshino.com/

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

land of my fathers

Croseo a cymru, welcome to Wales! I loved growing up in Wales, the welsh cakes for one can't be beaten. We welshies seem to stick to together. I am in Bath working for a welsh client, have a welsh structural engineer and welsh builder working on a refurb. It seems only fitting that I should source welsh products to put in the scheme. I was quite take with Elan Bach fabrics. The company was set up by Bernard Ashley (husband of Laura). There is no signature look, the designs range from contemporary to cottage. Unusually the fabrics are printed rather than woven which means that any design can be printed in one of a 100 colours. http://www.elanbach.com/I have just become a stockist of their fabric (discounts to friends and followers of course). I;ve just recieved my first order and the fabric is lush

(Samples can be ordered easily on line.)

http://www.blodwen.com/ is still one of my favourite sites, it only sells products which have been hand crafted in Wales. They stock a really interesting range including a range of vintage welsh blankets and throws which are amazing.

I can remember a smattering of welsh, not a very useful language to know though. Love going to visit rellies, going over the seven bridge and seeing the Croseo a cymru sign and cheering for the welsh rugby team!

da boch chi

Goodbye

Lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

the art of deco

I went to see Noel Cowards Private Lives earlier in the year, it was a decadent treat!
I managed to get the one and only seat left for a matinee performance (a treat in that I snook off for the afternoon abandoning work - just as well I am my own boss).

Anyway there were 2 great things about the play; seeing Kim Cattrall in the lead (I am a huge Sex and the city fan) and the 1920's interior stage sets. I am not a huge fan (so I thought) of Art Deco but was surprised to find I loved the colours, furniture design and fabrics. Soho house Berlin opened a few months ago and the rooms there have got a definite Deco feel to them. Still not entirely sure it is a look I love but its certainly a look that is growing on me. I think the problem I have with it is that it borders on being a little bit too "granny" even Soho's modern take on the style it isn't enough to shake it off

the jury is out still not sure - art deco love or hate?

what do you think?

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

collectors item

It has been the most glorious day. Made the most of the sunshine but am now feeling a little weary after a day in the sun catching up with the gardening. I thought I would get in a quick post before bedtime. Its going to be a mad week so finding time to post is going to be a challenge next week!

It never ceases to amaze me how with a little imagination a stylish display can be constructed from just about anything. Why put anything away when everyday objects from Keys to Cooking utensils can become their own piece of exciting art.
Who would have thought that a collection of Pez sweet dispensers would have made the coolest wall decoration in the whole world! Yesterday was also a very busy day, managed to get some DIY done which included getting the collection of mirrors I am going to build on up on the wall. I am looking forward to looking out for some more over the coming months, 5 up and possibly another 12 to look for!

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

www.id-homes.co.uk

cute as a button

I am hopelessly addicted to Button backed

furniture, Who knows where this addiction started! But I have noticed on my travels that it is a love that is being adopted by lots of designers. It is one of Ilse Crawfords trademarks oodles of furniture in the hotels she has designed abound. I have tried to rail in my use of it at home but it has creeped in ever so slightly into my living room. I have invested in a massive 1.1 *1.6m footstool, very practical it opens up with bags of storage inside. Not so practical its covered in a gorgeous berry coloured Mohair Velvet which is always picking up fluff. Who cares though I love it! (Until the end of September I am offering 10% off footstools (any size, any fabric, any design) just email for a quote.

lisa@id-homes.co.uk

http://www.id-homes.co.uk/

Love where you live