Heart Home Mag Sneak Peek: Bright Decor

I'm super excited to be sharing this sneak peek of Heart Home magazine's Winter issue ahead of the full launch tomorrow. Isn't this shoot a bright delight?! I'm in love with the sophisticated take on a multi-hued palette, which has been grounded by a chic grey base palette. The inspiring scheme has been expertly pulled together resulting in a balance between the three key elements - colour, pattern and texture. The mix of brights are tempered by sleek grey tones; the graphic patterns add visual interest and break up the individual hues; and texture is introduced through cable knit throws. Whilst yesterday's post on a multi-colour bedroom scheme felt ideal for the summer months, I think this is the perfect take on a similar palette for winter. What do you think, friends? Be sure to check out the full Winter issue of Heart Home magazine when it launches tomorrow.
// Heart Home Magazine | Production & styling by Pippa Jameson | Styling by Joanna Thornhill | Photography by Joanna Henderson

Colour Palette: Multi-Coloured Bedroom

It can be a lot of fun to embrace a rainbow of colours when decorating and the results can be stunning. While the rules that apply to creating a complementary scheme go out the window, it's still important to consider which of your chosen hues you apply to certain parts of the scheme. To create a final look that looks stylish and considered it's best to pick one hue that you will introduce throughout all the elements of the scheme. So, taking this bedroom as an example, we can see how turquoise has been introduced in the artwork, the bedding and on the side table. This gentle consistency brings visual cohesion between all the elements of the room, meaning the look comes together as one, rather than looking like a jumble sale of different colours. Now, could we please discuss how fun that turquoise cage lamp is? I love it!
// Mynd Interiors | via | Styling by Julia Green | Photography by Armelle Habib.

Colour Palette: Trad Meets Modern Bedroom

This week's Colour Palette post is a bedroom scheme that successfully fuses together a number of different styles: safari chic, modern bright and traditional elegance. Three looks you wouldn't normally expect to see together, right? Well, that's what I find so exciting about interiors, those spaces and schemes that surprise and delight with their unexpected elements. So what part has colour played in fusing these styles together? Well, a lick of true blue paint transforms a traditional four poster bed into a modern statement piece; a french rose fabric brings new life to a tufted chair; and neutral shades of gold and brown used across textured pieces like a hide rug and bare wooden furniture ground the brighter elements of the scheme. Which elements of this bedroom do you like and why? Have you ever fused different styles together when decorating? P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
// Style at Home | Photography by Jessie Webster

Three Ways To A Colourful Window Treatment

Windows are an ideal place to bring a colourful statement into a scheme because they provide a 'readymade' zone in which to add in colour, pattern and texture. These three rooms show how three different types of window treatments - blinds, shutters and curtains - can each become the anchor point for a whole scheme. The first room looks at 'brilliant blinds' and shows how a pretty and detailed fabric can confidently be the key focal element of a scheme. By choosing a pattern with lots of detail and different shades, it gives the opportunity to reference this main statement across other parts of the scheme, such as the rug, sofa and throw cushions. The result is a cohesive and coordinated final look. The second space, 'statement shutters', is a fine example of how picking one accent hue and introducing it to an all-white space can create a colourful look that still feels sophisticated and fresh. Note how no pattern has been introduced to the room: it's this lack of pattern that makes the introduction of a single hue, in a single shade, so impactful. I love the European feel that shutters bring, especially in this beautiful Greek blue colourway. Finally, 'colourful curtains' shows how introducing curtains as a window treatment can soften a harder scheme, bringing warmth to a cooler colour palette like white and blue. If shutters had been used in this final scheme, there wouldn't be any softer elements in the scheme to balance the furniture, slab flooring and white walls; this is why curtains work perfectly in the space. Which of the three ways is your favourite, folks?
// 1. House To Home; Photograph by Simon Whitmore | 2. Styled by Pippa Jameson | 3. Homes & Gardens

Sweet Paul: A Blue Christmas

Blue rocks. Period. I've always been a fan of this versatile hue; I've used it in my clothing and decor choices for years - even my car is blue! However, it wasn't until a few years ago when I discovered just how fantastic the colour can be when used as the anchor point for a festive decorating scheme. Each year my main tree (yes, Mr.B loves Christmas decorating so much that he has more than one tree...!) is now decorated with a Nordic blue colour scheme. So, I was delighted that the Holiday issue of Sweet Paul included a Christmas story based around the very same palette. Styled and photographed by Germany-based Dietlind Wolf, the spread inspired me to add some new elements to my own decorating scheme this year. I especially love how Dietlind combined ice blue and winter teal hues with frost and rust accents, which work really well to break up the palette. As well as this beautiful story, you can also see my market pages, a travel piece on Munich and my recurring Will's Picks feature, which gives hints, tips and inspiration for creating a Nordic White Christmas scheme. I always love working on Holiday issues (even if it is during summer!) but it's even better to enjoy reading the issue cover to cover once all the hard work is done. Now I can start to think about starting this year's seasonal decorating! Tell me, do you use any blue in your festive decor?
// Craft, styling & photography by Dietlind Wolf | Sweet Paul | Paint splash

Colour Palette: Rustic Kitchen Diner

If I ever need reminding of just how powerful colour can be in an interior space, then this would be the room to do it. Why? Well, take a moment to imagine this space without the weathered green factory pendant or the rustic blue stool and rug. Without them, I believe the space would be lifeless and seriously lacking in depth. The green pendant provides a visual break between the pale wooden dining furniture and the white cabinetry behind; this is important addition because it brings depth, while also drawing the eye down to the focal point of the room. Meanwhile, the texture and colour added through the blue Tolix stool and rug bring warmth to the milky white base palette. I love the subtle addition of purple through the blooms, too - green and purple are such a great combination! What do you like about this space?
// Skona Hem

Market Picks: Habitat Brights

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What's the weather like with you, friends? I know, I know, it's so British of me to talk about the weather but we do it so well; in London it's grey, damp and overcast so I'm craving some full on brights. Thankfully, Habitat have more than enough colour to go around this season and, well, that makes Mr. Bazaar a happy interior camper! I'll pulled together some of my favourite pieces that would work well to introduce into your home right now as a quick colour update. Feeling a lack of warmth and colour in the bedroom? The Holbeck bedspread is for you. Needing a little more light in the dining room as the days grow shorter? The Saunders rubber pendant shade is what you need. My favourite idea is to combine different coloured Kilo tables - three in a row or four together as a square - to make a colour block coffee table. This is such a quick and relatively affordable way to bring customised colour into a living room. Which pieces do you like best?

Take Your Pick: Karla Pruitt Wallpaper

Let's add a little fun to Tuesday shall we, folks? I always love doing these Take Your Pick posts because it's so fun to read which colourway different readers like best and why. Today's choices come from surface designer and painter, Karla Pruitt, who works out of her Athens, Georgia based home studio, where she illustrates repeat patterns for both home and apparel. Karla's work is influenced by her surrounding neighbourhood in Athens, which is all about appreciating the old and embracing the new; her wallpapers are born from the idea of what happens when classic meets modern. I love how she has incorporated this approach into her new Biscayne Dot wallpaper, which updates the classic polka dot with hand drawn cross-hatching. I think the burgundy would be ideal for an entryway; the turquoise for a playroom; and the gold for a living room. Which colourway is your favourite?
// Hygge & West

Market Picks: Homebase Winter Blues

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After seeing the new homeware collection at Homebase I'm feeling inspired to create a scheme that resembles Nordic blue hues. I think the squirrel ornament is super sweet and would be a playful touch to a bookcase or sideboard. The teal sofa would pair beautifully with the statement rug that has teal and midnight blue leaves detailing. I'm always a fan of a dotty pattern, so the blue dot tableware set would be perfect for a kitchen dresser, especially if you mixed in pine cones for a seasonal twist. Finally, the bedspread needs a date with my bed before winter is out! Which pieces do you like, friends?

How To Add Character To A Kitchen

When decorating with colour it's important to consider texture and pattern alongside your choices of hue. Think about the elements of the space and what you wish to draw attention to (or try to disguise!) as the answers will help you formulate the vision for your space. In this kitchen we can see how a boldly patterned wallpaper has been used to visually 'open' the space by appearing to raise the height of the room. By papering the three adjacent walls to the galley-style kitchen, it effectively draws the rest of the space together, zoning it as the 'kitchen' and making it feel like a much larger space than it really is. The character and charm of the wooden floor boards are echoed in the rustic, weathered kitchen cabinets, which have been painted in a series of turquoise blue shades, then distressed. For me, this addition of colour and texture is what makes this kitchen is a real winner. What do you like about it, folks?
// Hus & Hem | Photography by Kent Bill Qvist

Mr. Bazaar Is Off On An Adventure With...

...IKEA - For the next few days Mr.B is colour spotting in Sweden by indulging in all things IKEA-related. As always, I've packed my camera for this special trip, so just like the boat trip I took with them recently, you can expect a full round up of the adventure right here on Bright.Bazaar! While I'm away, I'll be sure to pop by the blog to ensure you still get your colour fix(!), and in the meantime I'll leave with these colourful and quintessentially IKEA spaces from their latest catalogue. Eeeep, I'm so excited!
// IKEA

Dulux Colour Trend: Home Factory

The Industrial look has been enjoying something of a resurgence in interior design across the past few years, with many brands keying into the rustic appeal of the trend. Dulux are the latest brand to do just that as they celebrate industrial chic with their latest paint collection, Home Factory. The autumn/winter trend-led paint collection includes 16 hues from petrol blues and delicate teals to heritage brights and chalky neutrals, all of which will help bring warmth and colour to a utilitarian scheme. Mr. Bazaar's highlights include the wonderfully named, Raven Plume, an enveloping shade of navy blue, Citrus Grove (the yellow stool pictured above) and the refreshing Sea Urchin. Which of Dulux's new paint colours are catching your eye, friends? Do you have a space in mind in your own home where you might use one of them?
// Dulux

How To Decorate With A Complementary Colour Palette

The best approach when combining two hues to make a colour statement is to pick from opposite sides of the colour wheel. This living room is a fine example of this decorating method: the teal blue walls paired with the burnt orange ceiling results in a striking yet balanced scheme. Notice how the main piece of furniture - the tufted couch - is in a slightly lighter shade of the teal walls, this prevents the piece from detracting or competing with the main statement of the room - the walls and ceiling. The strong colours of the scheme have been anchored with neutral textures, such as the jute rug and wooden table. For me, this shows how a well-executed colour scheme can breathe life into an otherwise formal and traditional space. Plus, the tufted couch is the definition of Divine, right?!
// House & Home | Photography by John Cullen

Home Tour: Colourful Swedish Cottage

Bags packed, friends? Great, because today we're heading on a little Bright.Bazaar adventure to Kolmården, Sweden where we are touring the Otterstrom family's weekend home. I loved posting about their colourful dining room last year, but I'm even more excited to be blogging other spaces from the same home, today. I like how the spaces have been decorated with colour in a bold yet refreshing way; the rooms feel vibrant and energising, yet serene and fresh at the same time. This is achieved by layering coloured accents against the scheme's milky white and cool grey base palettes. From multi-coloured dining chairs and mismatched textiles to coloured glassware and bold, graphic art, the spaces show how you can build colour into an otherwise simple scheme. Take the hallway as an example of this: the addition of three throw pillows, two cardboard storage boxes and one shoulder bag results in a memorable and colourful space that only adds to the impact of the open stairway, and, crucially, doesn't detract from the light and airy feeling encouraged by the grey and white backdrop. I think this approach has been repeated throughout the home to winning effect - a big thumbs up from Mr. Bazaar!
// Hus & Hem | Photography by Anna Leena Karlsson