Store Tour: March Pantry, San Francisco

Interior shots via March; taken by Angie Silvy and Drew Altizer | Products: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

'Provisions for the home', the accompanying strap line for San Francisco-based March Pantry, perfectly embodies the ethos of the inviting, homely and comforting store that lies inside. Industrial elements such as metal and wood furniture and subway tiles sit comfortably alongside pared-back ceramics and tactile linens, creating an effortlessly stylish vibe to the space. You can see how much effort has gone into the visual merchandising yet it doesn't feel forced or contrived - a feat that's certainly not easy to achieve! I like how the rustic baskets add texture to the white shelving and the sophisticated packaging that acorns the sleek black bottles of olive oil would certainly be a weekly staple for me if I lived in the city. The space has achieved the delicate balance between being industrial not harsh and airy not stark. I'd just love to recreate a kitchen space at home like this, wouldn't you? What's inspiring you about March? Have you been? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Three Ways To A Bold & Bright Kitchen

1. Ideal Home | 2. Simon Whitmore for Ideal Home | 3. Tim Young for Ideal Home

Whether your enjoying the height of summer or willing spring to arrive during the grey days of winter (yes, London, I'm looking at you right now) these three ideas are perfect for creating an energising and bright kitchen space. First up we see how 'The Sunshine Shades' of turquoise and yellow hues soften the darker geometric tiles that grace the floor, which in turn lifts the colour scheme. You will notice how the accent colours draw the eye upwards from the chair, to the counter and up to the shelves in the corner of the room; this helps to create visual space in the scheme. The second kitchen shows how to make a statement using colour and furniture. Often we might think to add colour through accessories but here these are kept minimalist with clean white finishes that offset the bold turquoise hue of the dresser - a striking and effortless look. The final look, 'Industrial Red Hues', is perfect for a warehouse or small city kitchen that has been kept white and pared back to increase the feeling of space but needs warming up. Careful use of tomato red accent hues will break up the crisp palette, preventing the scheme from feeling too clinical. My vote goes for look two, but which would you choose?

West Elm: Modern Meets Rustic-Industrial Kitchen

The kitchen is one of my favourite places to be when I'm at home. Actually, scrap that. It's the favourite place for me to hang out when I'm at home. Whenever I have a party, or it seems attend a party, the kitchen seems to be the beating heart of the event. I think there's a juxtaposition of both drama and serenity to kitchens; a sense of theatre as a meal comes together with pots bubbling and pans searing hot, then the calm of clearing away plates and glasses under the soft glow of the hob light once guests have departed. The hum of the dish washer. The sound of a kettle boiling. The smell of pastries warming in the oven on a Saturday morning. All these things awaken or soothe the senses and I often find myself appreciating these quieter moments when relaxing in my apartment. That said, I'm renting at the moment, and as much as I love my apartment let's just say the kitchen isn't to my taste! So I found myself cooing out loud at my Macbook (enter confused fellow coffee drinkers in Starbucks from stage right) when these inspiring snaps of West Elm's rustic kitchen collection landed in my inbox. Likening the acacia wood pieces to a casual, New England oyster bar, the brand have kicked off 2012 by adding a bistro table, prep counter and dining table, to the island and dining chair that made up the original collection. I may not have space for the lovely set of dining table and chairs in my current place but I have the perfect little spot for the industrial stool. What inspires you about this rustic kitchen range?

A Pastel Coloured Kitchen

Photography by Yvonne Eijkenduijn from Yvestown

This is the kitchen of Yvonne Eijkenduijn. She lives in an old gentleman's house from 1896 in Lommel, Belgium which is very close to the Dutch border, writes a knockout blog and is one seriously talented lady who knows how to rock colour. I'm particularly smitten with her use of pastel hues in the kitchen space, which is flooded with natural light and filled with generously sized furniture. Here you can see how the room has developed over the past year: the wooden island has been swapped out for a zinc topped unit (which is actually an old door covered in the metal - clever) and the right hand alcove has been wallpapered in a floral pattern (which you might remember from this post). Perhaps the reason I feel so drawn to this space is because it reminds me of the kitchen in my childhood home? That kitchen served me many a happy memory over the years: baking with my mum, doing puzzles at the kitchen table and sat on the sofa talking to my gran on the landline before I even knew mobile phones existed. My favourite elements of Yvonne's kitchen are pendant duo, the Smeg fridge (one day...!) and whole fireplace area - exposed bricks, wallpaper, plate wall, the lot! What do you like about this colourful kitchen?

Colourful Country Kitchen

Country Living UK | Styling by Helen Pope | Photography by Lu Jeffrey

I've written here before about my time growing up in the country and how memories from those younger years still influence my design tastes. Although I currently reside in the city, I know for sure that one day I'd like to head back out to the countryside; embracing a more typical country interior when I do. The terracotta tiles seen here are smaller versions of ones my parents had in the kitchen of our country home, so I'd like to adopt those into my as yet imaginary country escape. The well-stocked dresser? Yep, we had one of those, too, so it would be wrong not to replicate in my country space of the future. Of course, I'll be snapping up the blue table (a Mr. Bazaar fave!) and that green workshop shade will more than likely be setting up camp in the space as well. In fact, folks, I think the space might just look a little like this - I can't wait! What elements do you like in this kitchen space?

Three Ways: Rustic Kitchens

1; James Merrell | 2; Reed Davis | 3; Claudia Dulak

Alongside colourful interiors, those with a rustic, weathered and well-loved vibe are some of all time favourites. Whether it's a weathered farmhouse table or the cold, smooth surface of a stainless steel stool, there are various ways of creating a rustic feel to a kitchen. The first space - the kitchen of TV presenter Ben Fogle and his wife - illustrates how a combination of exposed brick walls and vintage finds can create a rustic vibe. No brick walls in your crib? No fear, as the second kitchen is a great example of how to add a subtle rustic feel to a space, as opposed to it being the overriding theme to the room. This is achieved by styling the modern cabinetry with rattan textures, found items and rustic-cum-industrial furniture pieces, such as the the Tolix stool. Finally, if you're looking to redo your kitchen from scratch then using worn, wooden storage and cabinets is a good option. Once complete, be sure to pile high with a mix of tactile, wooden accessories. Which kitchen would you choose?

Kitchen Ideas: Decorating with Yellow

1. Bart Brussee | 2. | 3. BHG | 4. | 5. H&H

As the days draw in and the nights get longer, we're bound to spend more time cooking up comforting autumnal treats in our kitchen. Plus, as the holiday season approaches many of us will be entertaining all the more - and no doubt the kitchen will become the heart of the party. I felt inspired to pull together different schemes that use yellow to make a kitchen brighter and more colourful. These five schemes show how the sunny hue can create a stylish and welcoming space whether prefer a modern, rustic or vintage-country aesthetic. I'm especially loving two of the schemes: the sage grey cabinetry and shelving of scheme three appeals to my masculine side, while the oh-so-welcoming, country-cottage feel of scheme four and its well styled open shelving has me hampering after my country roots. Which one gets your vote?

Typographical Breakfast Nook

1 via 2

There's so much I love about this little breakfast space: the swing leaf table; the box benches with cushion pads; the gloss black pendant; the blue and white crockery; and the lashings of natural light. However, the real winner here is the alcove that has been wallpapered with a typographical paper - doesn't it look great?!

Colour Palette: Turquoise & Yellow

via | Shopping: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

I like how this kitchen's cheerful colour palette of turquoise and yellow hues is peppered with rustic wooden textures and cafe-style pieces such as the Tolix chair. Meanwhile, the freshly cut stems in soft, white shades soften the zingy lemon accessories displayed in front of the exotic, Andalucia inspired tiles; a flash of stainless steel keeps the space feeling modern. What elements of this colourful kitchen do you like? 

Three Ways To Quirky Kitchen Colour

It's been a while since I've done a three ways post, but I've kinda missed them, so I sat down last night and thought of quirky ways to add colour to kitchens. Up first is 'comforting retro', named for its ability to use colour to create a cosy and welcoming environment. Get the look by lavishing the insides of your retro cabinets with a matt finish, pastel coloured hue, then accent it with kitchen accessories. The second idea is to extend the colour from your cabinets across a section of your kitchen floor. The 'sleek modernity' look works best in open plan spaces where you might be keen to zone the space. Finally, achieve a 'bold country' look in your country kitchen by going for all out colour on the ceiling - it's guaranteed to create a dramatic statement. I love the retro look, but my favourite of the three is 'bold country'; which look is for you?

Red | 1. Narratives, Brent Darby | 2. Mainstream images | 3. Loupe images, Chris Everard

Striking and Eclectic Kitchen

This kitchen caught my eye right away - beautiful patterned tiles and rustic, chunky wooden surfaces allow the space to effortlessly ooze charm. It looks like a cosy place to hang out on a cool summer evening, and would even make for a great place to entertain. P.S. The whole house is pretty darn cool - see more of it, here. What do you like about this kitchen?

One Space I Love Right Now - Kitchen

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The oversized typographical letters. The unusual circular rug. The Craspedia buds. I could go on...! I'm really drawn to this modern country kitchen space at the moment, with it's spring-like atmosphere and gentle yellow hues, you can consider me sold!

Michael Penney Style: The Portfolio

Oh boy, has Mr. B found some inspirational spaces inside Michael Penney's portfolio. Penney calls himself 'your friendly neighbourhood decorator', and the spaces he creates are testament to just that: the aspirational yet accessible styling amongst his gently colourful designs make for striking bedrooms, delicate dining rooms and classic bathrooms. I mean, who wouldn't want to pull up that Duck-egg blue chair and leaf through The New York Times?! Michael is a decorator, stylist and magazine editor whose philosophy on creating a home rings true with my own: "Creating a beautiful home is all about self-expression and feathering the nest with things that make you just plain happy." Spot on, I think. As for a favourite of his designs, I simply couldn't choose, but my top three are: the kitchen nook (above), the classic bathroom and the rustic dining room. Which rooms do you like?

Michael Penney Style