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

Happy Weekend: Mixing Patterns

I love that feeling when you awake on the weekend with no time pressures, just two whole days stretching out ahead of you to make of what you choose. In fact, us Brits have a three day weekend as Monday is a bank holiday - hurrah! I have a little bit of work to do but I hope to at least take some of Monday off for some baking, reading and relaxing. I also have a stack of new interiors books I'd like to sit down and read. No doubt they will be packed full of inspiring spaces, just like the bedroom seen here. I love how the scheme successfully incorporates multiple patterns without feeling too 'busy'. This has been achieved by keeping the colour ways from within the same palettes - a good tip should you try to replicate the look at home. What are your weekend plans? I hope you have something fun planned? I'll be back here tomorrow with some of my favourite links from across the web, so see you then!

//Anthropologie

Three New Rugs On My Wishlist

1 | 2 | 3

They say good things come in threes and it's certainly true with these rugs I spotted over on Urban Outfitters this morning. Hard to pick a fave (hey, all that colour and pattern makes Mr. Bazaar very happy!) but I'm going to go for Mandela (at the top). Which is your favourite?

{Mix and Match Patterns}

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like starting the weekend a few hours early? Great, me too! Check out how clashing patterns can work wonders in these three very different spaces. The polka dots (1) marry perfectly with the grape-like pattern and because the second introduction of pattern is used in an understated and soft tone, which prevents it from being pattern overkill. Plus, the bright yellow chair serves as the statement of the room, centering the scheme so that the two patterns don't appear to be competing. Have you used clashing patterns in any of your schemes before? P.S. Don't double pendants always look totally sophisticated? Love them.

Images: Living Etc; HousetoHome