Book Review: A Space of My Own

For many of us a desk probably plays a prominent part in our lives. Perhaps it's your cubicle at your nine to five office job, a small writing desk in the shed at the end of the garden, a place for crafting or simply a place to house your laptop and pay the bills. Whatever 'desk' means to you, the workspace is important to all of us in some way. That's why I wanted to share with you some of the spaces that inspired me most from Caroline Clifton-Mogg's new book, A Space of My Own. These pulls from the book should give you some idea of the diverse workspaces covered in the book's 176 pages. From country to colourful and modern to homespun, there's bound to be an idea that keys in with your personal aesthetic. I don't know about you, but given the sheer volume of time we spend working I'm always happy to learn of clever ways to make daily tasks more efficient. Yes? Then dive on in, friends...

A Space of My Own is authored by Caroline Clifton-Mogg | Published by Ryland, Peters and Small | Photography by (top to bottom) Polly Wreford, Lisa Cohen, Polly Wreford, Polly Wreford, Debi Treloar, James Morris

Caroline kicks off the book by taking the reader through the elements of creating a great space. From furniture to lighting, storage to decoration and everything in between, you can consider all elements of a great workspace covered! The second half of the book focuses on inspirational workspaces, themed together in relevant groupings such as shared spaces, children's work areas or craft rooms. From my top spaces I like 'Inspiration Station' best. There's something unusual about the juxtaposition of the structured, tidy storage area behind the graphic drape against the loose and freely pinned inspiration tears above the desk. It feels like the perfect fusion for Mr. Bazaar's OCD tidy/buzzing with ideas and creatively inspired personality! Have you read this book? What are your top workspace tips?

Jane Packer's At Home with Flowers

At Home with Flowers | Ryland, Peters & Small | Jane Packer | Photographs by Catherine Gratwicke

Jane Packer's At Home with Flowers captivated me from the turn of the first page. The floral artist has released several books, and established Jane Packer Flowers back in 1982. Since then she has gone on to open outlets in London, New York, Seoul, Tokyo and Kuwait City, as well as flower schools in London, New York and Japan. Given this impressive resume, it will come as no surprise that throughout At Home with Flowers Jane's effortless ability to create inspiring, eye catching and quirky flower arrangements is abundantly clear. Jane demonstrates ways in which flowers can add colour, variety, wit and style to every room in the home, all of which is beautifully captured by photographer Catherine Gratwicke. The book begins with the basics, including tips on buying and caring for flowers as well as tips for picking out the most suitable vases and containers. (If you're like me you'll find the this really useful!) The second half of the book takes you on a tour of flower arrangements in every room in the house. Inside At Home with Flowers you can expect to find dramatic mantelpiece displays to architectural blooms showcased on coffee tables, and even ideas for using cut flowers in outdoor entertaining. Which of these displays from the book do you like best?

BOOK REVIEW: Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers

Images are © Ryland, Peters & Small | Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers | Book words by Ali Hanan | Photography by Debi Treloar

Modern Vintage Style is the beautiful new book by Emily Chalmers - interior stylist and owner of London-based boutique, Caravan. Emily's passion for vintage items is evident throughout the book, as is her unique and feminine style point, which is beautifully captured by photographer Debi Treloar. The book is split into two sections: Inspirations, where you'll find a host of examples of achieving a Modern Vintage Style with furniture, textiles, lighting and more. Followed by Style, which offers practical tips for translating the earlier inspirations into a liveable home. As such, Emily's relaxed approach to decoarating is easy to adpot. Real homes are shown throughout, my favourite being the aptly titled 'American French' space of Brooklyn based couple Dean Sawyer and Steve Drum, whose home effortlessly marries quirky vintage finds alongside modern pieces. If you buy the book, be sure to check out their kitchen on page 91, with it's country-meets-urban mix, it's a real treat. Have you read Modern Vintage Style? What inspired you about the book?

Casual Living

If you're like me you'll probably think of your home as a sanctuary from the world; a place where you can shut off and relax. Casual Living is the latest offering from best-selling author and interiors expert Judith Wilson, and provides ideas for two key looks around this idea - Country Casual and City Casual. The books details the different ingredients you need to create a relaxed and comfortable look for your home, before going onto show you how they translate into rooms throughout the house. I've picked out some of my favourite looks and spaces from the book - which space calls out the most to you?

Casual Living by Judith Wilson | Ryland Peters & Small | Photography by Polly Wreford

Book Review: Romantic Style

After reading this wonderful interview with Selina Lake I couldn't wait to delve into her new book, Romantic Style, and immerse myself in a world of all things delicate and vintage. Written by Sara Norrman and photographed by Debi Treloar, it's no surprise that Ryland, Peters & Small's latest offering is a visual treat. Although, in all honesty, I was taken by surprise. Not due to a lack of talent by all those involved, far from it, but because I didn't think I would relate to the decorating style. How wrong I was! 

Split into three sections - Romantic Inspirations, Styling and Rooms - the book won me over with every page turn. Selina's relaxed styling and Sara's inspiring copy had me engrossed from the outset, not to mention Debi's spot-on photography. I think what appealed most was the abundant use of colour throughout; I had expected it to be shot mainly in white-washed rooms but, pleasingly, I found myself inspired to work the look into modern, colourful schemes. It will come as no surprise then, that my favourite section was Romantic Modern, where Selina makes it easy to see how a romantic style can soften a modern space. It's also worth mentioning that the details chapters on creating a romantic look with flowers, fabrics and lighting is hugely insightful. Romantic Style is a smashing book that inspires well beyond the turn of the final page.

Romantic Style by Selina Lake & Sara Norrman | Book photography by Debi Treloar | Published by Ryland, Peters & Small to whom all copyright belongs

{Book Review: Table Style}

Who fancies having a sneak peak inside a super stylish interiors book? You're at the right post, then. Table Style is the latest book from publishers Ryland, Peters & Small whose back catalogue includes, amongst other delicious titles, Cheap Chic, Easy Flowers and Easy Elegance. Styled by Liz Belton, written by former Elle Decoration Deputy Editor Rebecca Tanqueray and photographed by Debi Treloar (please have a peek at her online portfolio...wowzers!), Table Style is a joy throughout. The talented threesome have produced not only a book to loose yourself in for an hour or two, but something you could actually rely on to help you pull together a show-stopping tablescape for a host of celebrations.

The book is split into two sections, which helps its flow and prevents it from feeling clunky. The first section, The Elements, advises on the basics - glassware, dinnerware, table linens, flowers and candles. I liked how this section of the book was kept concise and to the point. This meant that by p.30 (of a total 144) the book takes you into full swing of my favourite part - The Occasions.

Images of Table Style book by Bright.Bazaar

From weekend breakfasts and garden lunches to festive dining and children's parties, the second section of the book is where the inspirational pages lie. Cleverly, the photography format means each spread shows an overall view of the scheme and a close up of the key elements to make re-creating the look at home easy and effortless. We've all fallen for dreamy styling in coffee table books (guilty as charged), but I promise with Table Style you really can achieve the looks with ease. Fun ideas include: using left over ribbon to hang tea light jars from parasols, for a touch of garden party glitz; making place names for a children's party with threaded letter beads; and bottles of beer wrapped in palm leaves for a father's day meal.

If you haven't already purchased Table Style, I would definitely recommend picking up a copy because it's a pure delight from cover to cover. Plus, it's a great excuse for a big old party and that can only be a good thing.