Something to fall in love with…

I know we all love a bit of Scandinavian interior design – the simple clean lines, the lack of window treatments to let enough light in as possible, the abundance of white… you know the stuff I mean? It’s probably fair to say that they have interiors down to a fine art… but what about exteriors? Well this beauty below is here to prove that they are pros at that too! The warm and inviting porch area was the first thing to catch my eye on this Swedish house. With the hammock, oversized rattan chairs and gauzy drapes, it looks like the perfect space to spend a balmy summer night.

Thoughts?

Images via

What I never leave home without…

We had our first real taste of an autumnal morning on Wednesday, and even though I waxed lyrical about being ready for the change… well, turns out I am still a big baby when it comes to the cold. So I am avoiding talking fashion today as I am not sure what side of the fence I want to be on: to be autumnal or not? That is the question! Instead, I’ll stick to something that transcends the temperature – sunglasses! If you have a quick squiz through my moodboards, you will notice that I add a pair of aviators to nearly every outfit I put together. In my opinion, not only do they make you look like a badass, but they go with everything too! I never ever leave the house without them! Happy weekend all!

And… ahem… yes, I think the first picture might well be Lindsey Lohan. Apologies but I like the picture!

Treasures from Ikea…

My weekend had one major positive – the arrival of the latest Ikea catalogue through my front door! I devoured it almost instantly and was left wanting to brave the Croydon traffic in order to buy as much as I could carry to the car! Luckily this moment of madness was fleeting and with a sick husband to console, I did a little internet window shopping. Since every page I skimmed through was bookmarked, I wanted to put a collection of my favourite finds together.

Note the Barometer lamp is on there again this year… hint hint!

1. Barometer Lamp; 2. Flower Picture; 3. Rocking-chair; 4. Laptop Table; 5. Tap; 6. Carafe 7. Orchid; 8. Olunda Picture; 9. Plant pot; 10. Basket;  11. Vase 12. Throw

On the light side…

One of the first things I notice in a space is the lighting (it’s almost certainly the first thing I comment on when trawling through beautiful images on other blogs). I can be flexible and open-minded when it comes to furniture, wall finishes, flooring… even colour (to a point) but my outlook on lighting is so particular that if it is just not right, I more than likely won’t be captivated by the rest of the room.*Sigh* Of course I have the dreaded renter’s lighting curse i.e. it’s a total shambles in my own house, so I counteract this with a mild moderate obsession with table lamps. This doesn’t stop me from living vicariously through others though! Here are my current lighting flavours of the month…

Light; Inspiration

Light; Inspiration

Light; Inspiration

My Fair London – A day at the Paralympics…

I officially take back every complaint I aired about the Olympics (the travel disruption, the endless crowds, the mad traffic). It was all so very worth it. I don’t think I have ever been prouder to be a Londoner. I thoroughly enjoyed cheering on the athletes from my sofa but it was even better to do it in person. Out of all the sporting events and concerts I have attended I can safely say that I have never experienced atmosphere quite like that before. From the minute we arrived, we were welcomed with cheers and smiles (even going through the security checks), and then once through security, I got goose bumps hearing the roar of the crowd! I loved every event we watched but I have to single out the blind sprinters and their guides. They were phenomenal. Awe-inspiring seems like such a clichéd word but that’s exactly how I would sum my experience up – I left that stadium glowing!

Londoners are left wondering exactly what we will do with our time now!

All images via Wishful Thinking