Happy Weekend

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Wasn't the Royal Wedding just beautiful? I was lucky enough to have the day off to watch the whole event, and enjoyed every moment! Did you watch - what did you think? I loved Kate's dresses and I thought it was lovely how her and Wills drove to Clarence House in the decorated Aston Martin. Now the festivities are over, I'm going to use the rest of the weekend to switch out winter linens for spring ones and with the warmer weather I'm going to fling open the windows, light some candles and have a late dinner. What are your plans, friends?

Colourful Country Dining

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With well above average UK temperatures for the time of year, I've found my thoughts wondering to stylish summer holiday escapes. Much of this daydreaming has centered around relaxed countryside living, where open doors allow a gentle breeze to blow through the house, as the sound of crickets fills the air. There would be rustic furniture in every room - much like the details seen in this dining room - with colourful additions to add a playful tone to each space. Fragrant, freshly picked blooms would adorn vases for a casual centerpiece, and old linens would soften wooden tabletops. There would be good food, great wine and even better friends. What would your ideal country escape be like?

Martha Stewart Living: Blue & White Decorating Ideas

Over my Easter break I spent a lazy morning reading the April issue of Martha Stewart Living from cover to cover. Fresh coffee in hand, I devoured the inspirational pages noting down recipe and decorating ideas as I went. For the last few days I've kept returning to their 'Cool Blues' story; the refreshing palette of summary blue hues and creamy whites continually inspiring my creativity. So, there was nothing for it - I simply had to blog about it! As well as sharing the feature, I've pulled together some of my favourite blue and white shopping buys in the market right now. I just love that H&M Home cushion, and that Westelm plate has striking graphic elements to it. Who am I kidding: I love them all! What catches your eye?

Martha Stewart Living tears: Photography by Simon Watson; Text by Kathleen Hackett; Created by Rebecca Robertson, Scott Horne and Erin Jang | Market Picks by Bright.Bazaar: Orla Kiely; H&M Home; Habitat (Vase, Tumbler, Bottle); Benjamin Moore Paints (1, 2, 3); Westelm

10 Things I Learned & Loved This Weekend

1. Loved the patterns and colours at play in this sofa.

2. The best beer mat I've ever seen!

3. Nicole Farhi Home stocks a tempting range of summer textiles.

4. Loved this two-tone tote from Zara.

5. Zara Home's colourful rug caught my eye, too.

6. I'm hankering after a day at a water park.

7. I shared some of my favourite picks (as well as a few 'small space decorating' tips) on Bri's blog.

8. Enjoyed the BBQ weather.

9. Like the nautical stripes of this H&M cushion.

10. Shirt check perfection!

Mr. Bazaar's Easter Break

I'll be back with 10 things tomorrow, but thought I'd drop by to share a few snaps from my Easter break with you. London has been graced with a week of glorious sunshine and across the holiday I've been capturing the beauty of both the City and the countryside that has been basking underneath Mother Nature's warming rays. From the striking architecture of central London to the peaceful silence of a waterside walk at dusk, my lens has captured the last few days ready to share with you guys.

Bright.Bazaar

Sunday's Bright Links No.32: The Easter Escape

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Loved this stylish civil partnership at The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.

An afternoon with Moon and Hey at their Manhattan apartment.
Scouts Honor Co. home tour.
Into the countryside.
A day with friends.
The beautiful work of Pia Jane Bijkerk.
At the florist in Berkeley.
Love the idea of a 30 day drawing challenge.

Happy Weekend

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I'm so ready for the weekend, guys! Even though I'm lucky enough to have had a four day week, it has somehow felt very long and very, very busy. With the Easter weekend here I am looking forward to at least taking a morning or two off work to relax and spend time with loved ones. One of my on going projects is to plan a little art wall in our new dining space; this collection of art (above) has inspired me to get back to the plans. What's on your weekend list?

Jonathan Adler: Accessorising and Colour Ideas

If you're looking for a couple of inspiring decorating reads for the Easter break, then Jonathan Adler's Happy Chic Colours and Happy Chic Accessorising are your must buys. I've been nosing through them on my Tube commutes for the past week and have on several occasions I've been so engrossed in his upbeat and exciting ideas that I've nearly missed my stop! Expect to find inspired colour themes inside 'Colours', with Benjamin Moore shades picked out for many of the colour themes so you can literally shop the looks you like. You'll also find product 'inspiration boards' that give plenty of shopping ideas whether you're looking to makeover a whole room, or just a standalone statement piece. 'Accessorising' is equally as inspiring: the collection of divine vases (seen below) made me rethink the ability to make an impact by grouping multiple vases of varying shapes. Plus, throughout the book Jonathan shares his tips and reasoning behind why he accessorised his home the way he did, giving the title an informal and accessible tone. Here are some of my favourite pages from the issue...

Book images are courtesy of Jessica Antola | Jonathan Adler | Sterling Innovation | Review layouts by Bright.Bazaar

Conran: New Wallpaper, Windows and Market Picks

There's lots of fun and exiting happenings going on at Conran. First off, and to celebrate Sir Terrance Conran's 80th birthday, Conran have allowed Surface View access to a range of mid-century prints from their V&A archives. Photographed here with their new Barton range in partnership with Ercol - a seven piece range of solid oak furniture (shown above/below). Their visual team have been busy creating a 'Sunrise to Sunset' theme for their summer windows, depicting a summer's day from breakfast to evening drinks, with morning and evening birdsong playing in each section. I certainly need to hot foot it down there to see it in person, especially given how beautiful their spring windows were. Finally, I've shared a few picks from The Conran Shop's summer range, because let's face it: these guys stock some seriously tempting pieces! Anything catch your eye? Have you seen the new window displays yet?

Conran | Market: (left to right, from top) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Home Tour: Cosy 40sqm Swedish Apartment

Plenty of storage for magazines. Check. Lashings of natural light. Check. White washed floorboards. Check. Armed with these three instant wins and backed up with beautifully stocked open shelves in the kitchen this delightful Swedish apartment packs a serious punch despite being small in size at 40sqm. Luxurious drapes in the living area soften the space, whilst storage is maximised throughout the open plan areas making it the perfect city pad. With all that space for magazines I think I would be right at home! What do you like about this apartment?

Decorate Book Party and Review

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of joining an small group of fellow journalists, writers and bloggers for an intimate private talk with Holly Becker, founder of the decor8 blog, to discuss her and Joanna Copestick's new book, Decorate. Holly spent the first thirty minutes talking candidly about her life experiences and how they had ultimately taken her full circle to the publishing of her first book. Questions from the room prompted more inspiring (and amusing!) tales from Holly, before we moved into Liberty's new Dining Room for a table demonstration. Joined by the ever-inspiring Leslie Shewring (who I was beyond excited to finally meet in person) from A Creative Mint, and Sania Pell, Holly talked to a packed out room about the creative and crafty ways they had created an original tabletop.

As for the book, well, it really is as good as you've no doubt been reading. No surprise given the calibure of talent involved in Decorate: Debi Treloar delivers inspired and original photography, whilst Holly and Joanna Copestick - author of more than ten books - provide relaxed, engaging and accessible copy. Plus, peppered throughout the book are quotes and ideas from designers and bloggers alike - it sure is fun to see names you recognise throughout the book! Split into four sections - Space Matters, Setting Your Style, Room By Room, Attention To Detail - Decorate chooses to focus on providing ideas, rather than focusing on a particular design aesthetic, making it exciting to read as eclectic styles await with every page turn. Published by Jacqui Small, Decorate is by far my favourite decorating book of the year. Have you read Decorate? What was your favourite feature of the book? Mine is the cosy and colourful dining space that I've shared below - I could move in right away!

Press event images, Bright.Bazaar | Table demo images are courtesy of Liberty | Book images are courtesy of Anna-Malin | Decor8 | Jacqui Small

10 Things I Learned & Loved This Weekend

1. I found what could be the most perfect chair for Mr. Bazaar!

2. This photo by Bonnie made me long for high summer.

3. The zingy brights of this dresser made me smile.

4. Show me stripes and I'll be on board in an instant.

5. I discovered the perfect summer mug in Habitat.

6. Browsing The Makers I fell upon this simple but stylish way to store flatware.

7. Zara's summer bag range is very tempting.

8. I'm equally as fond of spots as I am stripes!

9. Love the dots on the tape used for Holly's table demo at her book launch (more on that coming later this week!).

10. Love these vegetable illustrations used to add detail to a table runner.