Ideal Home, The Colour Issue

There was much excitement when the April issue of Ideal Home dropped through the letterbox yesterday - it's the colour issue! Evidently I was in my element for the whole issue, but it was their five different cover looks that really caught my eye. Editors from across the magazine reveal their favourite cover looks and there's advice on how to translate the look into your own home. One of the strongest issues to come out of Ideal Home Towers in a while - bravo! Before you clock off for the weekend, let me know which cover look you like best.

Ideal Home | Styling, Hannah Deacon | Photographs, Tim Young

Ideal Home, February 2011

Ah ha! What do we have here? Only another smashing shelter title to delve into for decorating inspiration: the Ideal Home team have pulled a corker out the bag for their February offering, and I've picked four schemes that will have you running for the newsagents (and the DIY store!).

First up is their charming take on floral prints. I love how the styling echoes the bold fabric print on the curtains: vases are brimming with fresh blooms and cushions are designed to reflect floral shapes. It's a wonderfully fresh and feminine space. OK, so that's the living room sorted, but what about the kitchen? No fear, my friends, as there's a subway tile to inspire at our next stop. The cooking space has been warmed up with punchy red accents and a smattering of black pieces, whilst hanging storage clears the walls of units, which in turn opens up the room. Right, so dinner's on the go and we've just enough time to squeeze in some emails: off to the office we head. This one took me by surprise as it's not normally my thing, yet this combo of warm woods and graphic prints hits the spot. Dinner's ready and we head to my favourite space from the issue - a factory-themed dining room. Industrial pendants and reclaimed storage, coupled with exposed brick walls and mix and match chairs make for a space that - despite the masculine approach - is cosy and welcoming. It turns out their lovely Deputy Shopping Editor, Ellie, agrees. Brilliant!

Ideal Home Magazine | Floral Scheme | Wooden Desk Scheme

{Magazine Review: Ideal Home June 2010}

Ideal Home magazine is an incredibly accessible title within the shelter market as it's heavily focused on reader homes, get the look features and high street finds. Personally, it's not one of my favourites, but every now and then I'll find a little gem in there, so I dip my toes in every few issues to see what the gang are up to. Remember I made bunting last week? Well, the prints came free with the June issue of Ideal Home, and they've recently undergone a redesign, so it's certainly an issue worth checking out.

Images: Ideal Home

You can flick through the digital preview, here.

{Manic Monday}

We're in two minds about Mondays: on one hand they are, for many, the start of the working week and therefore another five days until lie-ins and lazy breakfasts, but on the other hand, they are often days full of ideas and inspiration. Refreshed and recharged from the weekend, we find Mondays a great day for making plans and looking forward to the future. Do you like Mondays or do you find other days more inspiring? Either way, there's often lots to organise for the week ahead and a blackboard panel, like this stylish one featured in the September issue of Ideal Home Magazine, is sure to help keep things on track.

Image: HomeShoppingSpy

{There's no place like home}

We've heard the saying many a time before, but for Catherine Colebrook there really is no place like home. A busy mum of two, Catherine not only looks after her children but also runs a lovely interiors and gifts website - all from home! The new website features photography styled by Selina Lake and relaunches as her home appears in the September issue of Ideal Home Magazine. We don't know about you, but all this strikes us as pretty impressive, especially considering how gorgeous the products are on her site. From retro pictures, to handmade cushions and cards, the site offers a real mix of great buys.

"I caught the sewing bug from my Mum and Grandma," says Catherine, "I was absolutely fascinated by how clothes could be constructed from a length of fabric and the love affair began." Fifteen years later - not forgetting a stint appearing on the BBC's Casualty - and Catherine has achieved her original dream. With commissions from Bright.Bazaar favourites - we're talking the likes of Habitat and Laura Ashley - Catherine Colebrook is a must-visit interiors site.

All products from Catherineccolebrook.co.uk.

Images: Catherinecolebrook.co.uk and Selina Lake

{Lovely, indeed}

Recently we've been swooning over the gorgeous styling on the blog by stylist Selina Lake. Having styled for countless home and interior magazines including, Ideal Home and Country Homes and Interiors, we know Selina knows her stuff when it comes to styling a fabulous photo shoot. Take a look at these lovely pictures from the kitchen of her own home, which is now being rented:

Kitchen, styled by Selina.

Images: Selina Lake Stylist

The simplicity of her styling is what makes it so effective. We love how something as simple as a shocking pink tea towel can add such dramatic effect to the image. Using this as a focus for colour and then referencing it with similar, more subtle tones in the kitchen accessories, works wonders. The result - a kitchen to die for!

Having fallen head-over-heels for the gorgeous pink tea towel, we knew we just had to buy one for the Bright.Bazaar kitchen. The source? A great online store called Lovely Lovely, which sells a whole host of tempting bits and bobs for both your wardrobe, and your home.

Tea towels from Lovely Lovely.

Images: Lovely Lovely

{Welsh Wonders}

Wow, what a busy few weeks it's been over at Bright.Bazaar HQ (sounds posh, but it really isn't - we're talking a tiny desk in front of a modest window!). I've just moved into a new flat, so last week was a case of packing, packing, packing and this week's been all about the unpacking, finding new homes for everything and nesting, which is something I really enjoy. In the little spare time I've managed to find, I've been busy planning ways to add a personal touches to the flat, all of which I will share on Bright.Bazaar when they are completed. I'm excited to try out new things and really make the most of my creative inspirations.

Bed linen from Toast

In the time Bright.Bazaar has been 'offline' I've really missed regularly catching up with all the latest Interiors news from the lovely ladies over at Wales At Home. This fantastic site is ran by interiors expert Nicola Wilkes. Nicola is a well respected interiors writer, who has written for some of my favourite interior mags including Elle Decoration, Ideal Home and Real Homes, to name but a few. The site features a diverse collection of interiors-related articles, competitions, book reviews, along with updates on the latest inspirational products available on the market.

B&B Italia Charles sofa from Momentum

Having spent three years living in Wales whilst I was at studying at Cardiff University, I feel a strong sense of nostalgia over almost anything related to my time there. Perhaps it's because it was during this time that I discovered my love for interiors, either way, Nicola's site is a delight to read/pour one's eyes over/generally browse at leisure. I highly recommend you check out her site here, but before you go here are some pictures from the Wales At Home team to give you a flavour of what to expect.

Bespoke wall panels and paper from Space Buro

Boutique B&B, Fronlas, in Llandeilo. Image: Nikhilesh Haval

Welsh woollen blankets from Melin Tregwynt

{Taking the inside out}

Over at Bright.Bazaar we have been taking our inspiration from the gorgeous UK weather and consequently we've spent the the morning hankering after these delightful outdoor room sets. The styling on the decking in beach house above simply makes us beam from ear to ear. The bench looks inviting and comfy with a collection of both small and over-sized pillows. The metal signs which hang from the wooden walls add character, warmth and charm to the setting. We don't know about you but this image makes us long to see what they've done inside the beach house.

A fantastic way to create a versatile space in your garden comes in the form of the trusty old shed. Often forgotten about at the bottom of the garden and probably full of spades and spiders, the garden shed can, with minimal financial input and a splash of creativity be turned into a glorious escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Here are two of our favourites; a light and airy outside living area, which spills out onto the lawn in better weathers, and for those with younger family members, we chose this quaint shed full of mini tables and chairs for children to use for crafts and summer games. What inspires you to decorate in the summer months? Are you planning to turn your shed, garden or decking into an outside room? Let us know below, we love to receive all your comments.

Images: idealhomemagazine.co.uk